Category: Resource Reviews

**UPDATE: though the IMBR article mentioned below was once free, that seems to be no longer the case. It’ll set you back $37.50. For $44 you can get a subscription. Follow the other links to free items, pay the cash, or find a friend who has a subscription, e.g., a through a Christian university with a missions department. So sorry! ~MW

Source: Center for the Study of Global Christianity, January 2020

Every year the International Bulletin of Missions Research (IMBR) publishes a snapshot of global Christianity in collaboration with the leaders of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (led by Todd Johnson and Gina Zurlo). This year’s article can be downloaded for free without a subscription and reports some of the major findings of the new 1000-page World Christian Encyclopedia, Third Edition. That is due out March 1; we’ll share more about it later.

This article briefly documents and describes the rise of global Christianity, continuing shifts to the South, the exodus of Christians from the Middle East, the current makeup of the global mission force, and three unexpected trends relating to world religion (that the world is becoming more religious and more religiously diverse although religious liberty is on the decline).

» Read the IMBR article or download the one-page statistical overview. Both include much helpful data and analysis for anyone who teaches or writes about global religion and missions. You can engage with the researchers and the research more deeply by participating in The Future of Religion and Mission conference, March 30 to April 1 event at Gordon-Conwell,

» See also David Joannes’ recent interview with researcher Todd Johnson, which brings the data to life (Mission Pulse podcast).

Source: Various

I wavered too long on which book to read and review for you in this edition. But here are some to consider.

Crossing Cultures: Preparing Strangers for Ministry in Strange Places, by Stephen M. Davis (Wipf and Stock), makes a case that we need to do a better job screening and equipping missionaries, at least the kind of missionaries that do cross-cultural church planting. Can’t disagree with that. This book summarizes what he wishes he’d known before serving as a missionary. Davis also has a new book on the challenges and complexities of urban church planting (in North America).

Don’t Lose Heart: Gospel Hope for the Discouraged Soul, by Jason Meyer (Baker Books), is a “short, giftable” book on scriptural reasons to take heart. It sounds like the sort of thing you might want to put in the hands of an overwhelmed missionary or mission candidate—or read to lift your own spirits.

The Church on Mission: A Biblical Vision for Transformation Among All People, by Craig Ott (Baker Academic), “unpacks the mission statement of the church: to glorify God by multiplying transformational churches among all people.” It’s academic and likely not an easy read but could be helpful and significant for strengthening your missiological foundation.

» Got book suggestions? Respond to this email. They should be (1) related to missions, (2) published within the last year, and (3) likely to interest other Missions Catalyst readers.

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

February 2-7, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (Joplin, MO, USA). Offered regularly by TRAIN International.

February 3-4, Support Raising Bootcamp (Brea, CA, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.

February 3-5, Field Security Seminar (Yaounde, Cameroon). Provided by Crisis Consulting International; followed by a Crisis Management Seminar February 5-7.

February 6, The Willingness of the Disciple: Counting the Cost (online). Nugget training from Beyond.

February 7-9, Missionfest Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.

February 9-21, Second Language Acquisition Course (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

February 10-12, Field Security Seminar (Dakar, Senegal). Provided by Crisis Consulting International. Followed by a Crisis Management Seminar February 12-15.

February 10-11, A Consultation on Mission Agency Church Engagement (online). Hosted by Missio Nexus and Wycliffe Bible Translators.

February 13, Proactive Prayer Training: Persevering in Praise (online). Provided by Beyond.

February 13 to March 13, Foundations of Media to Movements (online). Training course from Mission Media U.

February 19 to March 18, Story in Ministry (online). Mentored course by Mission Media U on applying elements of story to your outreach.

February 20-21, Standards Introductory Workshop (Clackamas, OR, USA). Training in the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission; connected to the Mission ConneXion short-term mission event in the same location.

February 20, Frontier People Groups (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

February 21-22, Short-term ConneXion (Clackamas, OR, USA).

February 21-22, Midwest Conference on Missionary Care (Roseville, MN, USA). An annual event.

February 21-23, Missions Fest Alberta (Edmonton, AB, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.

February 23-28, Debriefing Retreat (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

February 23-29, Business as Mission Course (Amsterdam, The Netherlands). Intensive training from YWAM’s BAM Resource Team.

February 24-27, Thrive Retreat (Dubrovnik, Croatia). For North American women serving cross-culturally.

February 24 to March 4, Parenting Third Culture Kids (online). Provided by the Center for Intercultural Training.

February 24 to March 21, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided regularly by Missionary Training International.

February 26 to April 5, Seek God for the City (global). Annual prayer campaign coordinated by Seek God for the City.

» View complete calendar. Suggestions and submissions welcome.

Readers,

We’re seeing many articles about the best, worst, most significant, or most overlooked [whatever] of the last year… or the decade. But here are a few I want to make sure you don’t miss.

• Best Mission Books of 2019, from our friends at Catalyst Services. Is there something to add to your to-be-read list?
• Prayercast’s 2019 year in review video; see below. God still reigns, a fact worth remembering as we anticipate 2020.

Speaking of 2020, you might want to take a look at the following:

• Ten Ways to Focus on the Great Commission this Year, from Everywhere2everywhere. Great stuff.
• Focusing on Goals for 2020, by Shane Bennett, which we published in November. We’re praying for renewed vision (along with guidance and wisdom) for mission mobilizers worldwide. Yes, you!

Finally, as you look ahead, visit the Missions Catalyst events calendar, now updated. See below for who’s planning what for January and February or visit our website to find events throughout the year. And please let me know what we’ve missed.

Blessings,
Marti Wade

Source: Prayercast

Each year Prayercast provides a short, poignant, and powerful video that looks back over the year’s global events. Here’s the latest.

» To get off to a good start in praying for the world in the new year, take a look at Prayercast prayer plans.

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

January 6 to February 1, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided regularly by Missionary Training International.

January 6 to April 5, Encountering the World of Islam (online). Embracing Muslims with the love of Christ. Online classes launch a few times a year.

January 9, The Heart of the Father, God’s Vision for the World (online). Free “nugget” training from Beyond; part of a series.

January 9, The People Group Paradigm in 2020 (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

January 9, Short-Term Leaders and Field Security Workshop (Sanford, FL, USA). Prepare to live, work, and travel in high-risk environments. Followed by an Interrogation Management Workshop, January 10. Provided by Crisis Consulting International.

January 12 to February 7, Equipping for Cross-Cultural Life and Ministry (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided by the Center for Intercultural Training.

January 13 to May 17, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). Additional classes start January 20, February 3, and almost monthly after that. Live classes also begin this month across the US and elsewhere, and the first of several week-long intensives.

January 16, Prayer Training: Connecting with God (online). Free training provided by Beyond.

January 17-18, Mission ConneXion (Tualatin, OR, USA). Free, annual mission conference for all ages.

January 22-23, Support Raising Bootcamp (Plano, TX, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions. These happen nearly every month, each time in a different city.

January 23, Reading in 360 Degrees (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

January 27 to April 7, School of Global Harvest (Chiang Mai, Thailand). From the Global Mission Mobilization Initiative; annual.

January 31 to February 1, Missions Fest Vancouver (Vancouver, BC, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.

January 31 to February 1, Santa Barbara Mission Conference (Santa Barbara, CA, USA). An annual event.

February 2-7, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (Joplin, MO, USA). Offered regularly by TRAIN International.

February 3-4, Support Raising Bootcamp (Brea, CA, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.

February 3-5, Field Security Seminar (Yaounde, Cameroon). Provided by Crisis Consulting International; followed by a Crisis Management Seminar February 5-7.

February 7-9, Missionfest Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.

February 9-21, Second Language Acquisition Course (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

February 10-12, Field Security Seminar (Dakar, Senegal). Provided by Crisis Consulting International. Followed by a Crisis Management Seminar February 12-15.

February 10-11, A Consultation on Mission Agency Church Engagement (online). Hosted by Missio Nexus and Wycliffe Bible Translators.

February 13 to March 13, Foundations of Media to Movements (online). Training course from Mission Media U.

February 19 to March 18, Story in Ministry (online). Mentored course by Mission Media U on applying elements of story to your outreach.

February 20-21, Standards Introductory Workshop (Clackamas, OR, USA). Training in the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission; this one connected to the Mission ConneXion short-term mission event in the same location.

February 20, Frontier People Groups (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

February 21-22, Short-term ConneXion (Clackamas, OR, USA).

February 21-22, Midwest Conference on Missionary Care (Roseville, MN, USA). An annual event.

February 21-23, Missions Fest Alberta (Edmonton, AB, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.

February 23-28, Debriefing Retreat (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

February 23-29, Business as Mission Course (Amsterdam, The Netherlands). Intensive Training from YWAM’s BAM Resource Team.

February 24-27, Thrive Retreat (Dubrovnik, Croatia). For North American women serving cross-culturally.

February 24 to March 4, Parenting Third Culture Kids (online). Provided by the Center for Intercultural Training.

February 24 to March 21, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided regularly by Missionary Training International.

February 26 to April 5, Seek God for the City (global). Annual prayer campaign coordinated by Seek God for the City.

» View complete calendar. Suggestions and submissions welcome.

Source: New Eyes Productions

Peacemakers: Crossing the Divide is a 60-minute documentary film with a message of hope in the midst of the seemingly intractable conflict between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs. It features the personal stories of Jewish and Arab followers of Jesus who are pursuing peace and unity.

The film and an in-depth study guide speak to issues of deep division in the church worldwide. To get a taste, meet and hear from some of the peacemakers (click on their photos). Quite moving.

» Learn more or purchase and download the film for US$12.99.

Several other sources I follow have new films:

• Free Burma Rangers is a feature-length documentary from Deidox about an American missionary family offering help and hope to internally displaced people. It will be in theaters in February.
• The Traveler is not a documentary, but an hour-long drama from Gemstone Media about a Central Asian family. It’s filmed in the Pamir mountains of Tajikistan. Watch the trailer.
• Moving Works is producing six gospel-centered short stories about the Czech Republic. The did a similar project about Japan and are work on some videos about Germany.

Source: Radical

God’s Heart for the Nations, by Jeff Lewis, takes you from Genesis to Revelation exploring the connection between two critically important themes woven together throughout Scripture—God’s blessing and God’s global purpose.

This eight-week, 73-page study will take you and your team or small group to more than 100 Bible passages and also includes memory verses, mission quotes, ways to pray for the nations, suggestions for reflection, and resources for further study.

This isn’t a new resource, but it has new graphics, new prayer highlights, and a new price: free. Download it as a PDF in exchange for your email address. Since it’s more of a study guide than a book to read, you’ll probably need to print it out to put it to its best use.

» Download God’s Heart for the Nations. You can also still get paper copies of the 2015 edition from Pioneers if you prefer.

» Looking for ways to help oral learners discover these themes and more? Check out God’s Mission in the World, designed to help you facilitate a three-day training event (Ephesiology).

Source: Peregrini Press

Always Love: The Timeless Story of God’s Heart for the World & What It Means for You, by Sara Lubbers. Peregrini Press, 2019. 329 pages.

This creative retelling of scripture in the form of stories is designed to help readers connect more deeply with the God of the Bible, and find their place in his ongoing story. Each short chapter includes scripture references.

It’s sort of a Bible story book for teens and adults, but one not limited to the narrative portions of scripture. That requires some imaginative dialogue and interpretive leaps, but I found the result pretty solid.

This is not a missions book, but an account of the story of salvation. And it might make a good Christmas gift for like-minded friends or supporters or serve as a resource for your family.

» Learn more or purchase the book from Amazon for US$9.99 (Kindle) or US$16.99 (paperback).

» Every book of the Bible has a major theme that emphasizes an aspect of God’s character or a way he is working to carry out his perfect plan, says pastor Garrett Kell. How would you sum those up? See Every Book of the Bible in One Word (The Gospel Coalition).

Source: Everywhere2Everywhere

So, you are going on a short-term missions trip and you’re beginning to ask the question, “Should I work at learning the language before I go?

It is a question everyone seems to ask for which there is but one answer…

YES! Yes, you should!

Will you be proficient enough to have meaningful conversations? Probably not. Will you be fluent enough to share the gospel? Not yet. Will anyone, anywhere mistake you for a native speaker? Never!

But… Will your efforts teach you humility? Yes. Will your efforts honor your host culture? Absolutely. Will your efforts help you avoid embarrassing mishaps? They sure might. Will your efforts demonstrate the love of Christ? Yes they will.

* * *

The missionary anthropologist Charles H. Kraft was [once] asked, “How much time should one who goes to serve as a two month short-term missionary spend in language learning?”

Kraft responded: “Two months.”

The questioner continued, “What about one who stays six months?”

“Then spend six months in language learning.”

“And if he stays two years?”

“There is nothing he could do that would communicate more effectively than spending those two years in language learning.” Kraft continued, “Indeed, if we do no more than engage in the process of language learning we will have communicated more of the essentials of the gospel than if we devote ourselves to any other task I can think of.”

» Full article includes tips and links, including one to the classic Brewster & Brewster article with the story about Charles Kraft. It’s called Language Learning Is Communication—Is Ministry!

» See also Word Climber, a great new tool for capturing and learning new words, and especially helpful for those learning languages for which other language learning tools are scarce or non-existent.