Roundup: Short Articles to Ponder and Share

Sources: Various

Help This Person

“Don’t take my word for it. Instead, for the rest of the day, try thinking ‘help this person’ every time you interact with another human being.”

Read Three Words That Will Transform Your Career (Bruce Kasanoff).

Have This Conversation

“When you’re thinking about serving in missions, inviting your pastor or church leader into your journey from the beginning can be an invaluable source of encouragement and wisdom. But how do you start?”

Read 7 Questions to Ask Your Pastor When You’re Thinking About Missions (Wycliffe Bible Translators).

Fear of Failure

“What if I don’t feel qualified to be a missionary? What should I do?”

Read What If I Don’t Feel Qualified to Be a Missionary? (Global Frontier Missions).

Growing Passion for the Nations

“The church members most involved in missions become those most excited about missions. Engagement in missions drives excitement about missions.”

Read 10 Ways to Develop a Missions Culture in Your Church (ABWE).

Classes: How About Taking Perspectives Online?

Source: Perspectives USA

Always meant to take a Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course—or journeying with someone you’d love to see take it?

Perspectives Online is the fully online, asynchronous version of the live class. Coursework requires 4-6 hours a week and includes videos, reading, weekly homework, and group discussions. There are no class meeting times.

A Perspectives Online class will begin November 6, and five more will launch this spring (January 8, January 22, February 5, March 4, and April 8). Registration is now open for all of them.

Learn more about the class or find and register for a class.

You might also check out the Kairos Course and MomentumYes.

Events: Helpful Conferences and Training in November and December

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

November 2, Resetting Theological Education to Serve Global Church Growth (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

November 2-4, B4T Expo (Austin, TX, USA). Transforming nations through business.

November 2-5, Haven Retreat (Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt). For kingdom-minded women serving overseas from various nations. Provided by Azmera.

November 3-4, NWA for the Nations (Fayetteville, AR, USA). Northwest Arkansas Missions Conference.

November 3-4, MissionConnexion Southwest (Tempe, AZ, USA). A free, annual, community-based mission conference. Come early for Leadership Connexion or a Standards Introductory Workshop.

November 3-4, MissionFest Seattle (Bellevue, WA, USA). A free, annual, community-based mission conference.

November 5, International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (global). Observed annually.

November 6-17, Mobilization Equipping School (Chiang Mai, Thailand). From the Global Mission Mobilization Initiative.

November 6 to March 10, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). New classes begin regularly.November 9, Branding from the Inside Out: Growth Through Authentic Brand Communication (online). Webinar for mission communication and marketing staff. Provided by Missio Nexus.

November 9-11, Global Missions Health Conference (Louisville, KY, USA and online). An annual event; the largest healthcare missions conference in the world.

November 10-11, Student Connexion (Portland, OR, USA). A mission conference just for middle school and high school students.

November 12, Virtual Prayer Gathering: Call to Prayer (online). Held monthly for members of Missio Nexus.

November 12-14, Build a Mobilization Game Plan (Cary, NC, USA). Training for mission mobilization directors from Missio Nexus.

November 13-14, Support Raising Bootcamp (Dallas, TX, USA). Provided by Via Generosity (formerly Support Raising Solutions).

November 13-17, Storytelling Training (online). Offered regularly by StoryRunners, a ministry of Cru.

November 16, Equipping Missionaries to Mobilize Others (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

November 16-18, International Conference on Missions (Oklahoma City, OK, USA). An annual event. An annual conference in the Christian/Disciples of Christ tradition.

November 17-19, Catalyze Boise (Boise, ID, USA). Discover what God is doing in the Muslim world. A three-day intensive offered by Frontiers USA.

November 17-20, Field Security Seminar (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided by Crisis Consulting International.

November 21, Contend: Monthly Day of Prayer For Mission Mobilization (global). Coordinated by GMMI and held on the third Tuesday of each month.

November 30, Informed, on the Ground Metrics for Mission: GAPP (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

December 6-7, Denominational Roundtable for Mission Leaders (Greenville, SC, USA). An annual networking event organized by Missio Nexus.

December 7, Developing Movement Catalysts: It’s Within Your Reach (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

December 10, Virtual Prayer Gathering: Call to Prayer (online). Monthly event for members of Missio Nexus.

December 19, Contend: Monthly Day of Prayer for Mission Mobilization (global). Coordinated by GMMI for the third Tuesday of each month.

December 21, The Details Matter: How a Project Manager Can Help Reduce Your Workload (online). Webinar for mission communication and marketing staff. Provided by Missio Nexus.

View the complete calendar, updated regularly. Submissions welcome.

A Note from the Editor: Two Migrations

Greetings,

I live near a busy border. The din of thousands of migrants coming across the border has been constant these last few weeks. It happens every year at this time, but this year we have had a long, warm fall season, so I’ve been outside a lot, hearing them and seeing one group after another. I’ve been wondering what on earth they say to each other, but imagine them saying, “Look! A place we can rest!”

I’m referring, of course, to Canadian feathered friends who are heading south for the winter.

But if I come into the house to warm up a bit, I see another group of migrants on the TV. One million Gazans heading south hoping to cross a border and find rest. Millions of others are like them, fleeing other conflicts or migrating due to one pressure or another.

I am pretty sure that when the geese fly over my house in years to come, I’ll think of these migrants, too, and wonder: What are they saying? Where are they now? Did they get to go home?

It might be a strategic time to read the recent Lausanne Occasional Paper, People on the Move. If you don’t have time to read it all I suggest this part: World on the move: We are all migrants.

When it comes to Canada geese, I’ve heard it is especially tiring to be in front, so they take turns leading the flock. I am praying for a new leader in Gaza. I have a name in mind but I won’t mention it. He was a visiting professor I met years ago. I sensed he was a real man of peace and I’ve prayed for him ever since to be a gospel light in his part of the world. Please join me in praying for him as you pray for this region.

For the gospel and the homeless people of the world,

Pat Noble

Israel: Hamas Attacks Israel and Triggers War

Source: Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin, October 11, 2023

At 11:30pm on Friday, October 6, Gaza-based Islamic terror group Hamas started firing the first of 5,000 rockets into Israel. At 1:15am Saturday October 7, Hamas announced the start of a military operation dubbed “Al-Aqsa Flood.” By 1:45am, Israel was returning fire; and at 3:34am, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was at war. As the sun rose on Israel, some 1,000 Hamas terrorists invaded the “Gaza envelope” (populated area within seven kilometers of Gaza) by land, sea, and air.

By Monday, the death toll had risen to over 1,500 including some 900 Israelis, mostly civilians (including whole families, even infants) who were slaughtered in cold blood. A further 2,500 Israelis had been wounded and around 150 abducted—including small children and an elderly holocaust survivor.

On October 8, HizbAllah official Hashem Salhab delivered a speech in Lebanon where he claimed that “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” is just a maneuver in advance of a larger and multi-arena operation that will eliminate Israel, indicating that what we have seen is just the beginning.

Read the full story with links and analysis. It also addresses ways this war puts many vulnerable Christians in danger. Other news channels are full of developments related to this situation. Other news channels are full of developments related to this situation. Thanks for praying.

Spain: Evangelical Christian Numbers on the Rise

Source: Christian Today, September 20, 2023

An update from the Observatory of Religious Pluralism in Spain [reveals] some of the challenges and opportunities facing Christians in the traditionally Catholic country.

The latest release of data collected across a municipal level has revealed that while Catholicism continues to be the dominant Christian expression, with three-quarters of the places of worship recorded in the report belonging to that tradition, evangelical Christianity has continued to grow over the last two decades.

Of the almost 31,000 places of worship across the nation, the vast majority were either Catholic or evangelical, with 22,947 and 4,259 churches respectively, with Muslims following in third with 1,749.

The number of evangelical churches has shown a significant increase since 2011, when there were only 2,944.

The growth in the numbers of evangelical Christians has been driven by an influx of believers from Latin America, but a 2019 report from Evangelical Focus Europe pointed to their numbers being concentrated in urban centers, with only Madrid (420), Barcelona (220), and Valencia (112) having over 100 evangelical churches. This leaves over 90% of towns and villages across Spain without an evangelical place of worship.

Read the full article.

For another snapshot of religious data, see More Singaporeans Are Choosing Christianity or No Religion at All.

Pakistan: Mosque Broadcasts Scripture over Loudspeakers

Source: Mission Network News, October 4, 2023

A Muslim mosque, especially in volatile Pakistan, is the last place you’d expect to broadcast the Bible. Yet, nothing is impossible with God.

In an Afghan refugee village in northern Pakistan, the tribal chief’s son was known as a bit of a troublemaker. But eventually, this boy’s rebellious attitude softened. He began to show more respect and kindness and even stayed out of trouble.

When his father asked what changed, the boy told him about a Keys for Kids Storyteller he received and had been listening to. The Storyteller is a solar-powered mp3 player containing an audio Bible and Keys for Kids devotionals. The boy told his chieftain father that he believed in Jesus.

Greg Yoder, Executive Director of Keys for Kids Ministries shares, “The Muslim village chief said, ‘If this can change my son’s heart, we need to have more in this village.’ So I believe it was about 200 of them that were delivered into this Muslim village.”

Yoder says, “The village chief was just so amazed at what was happening within his village, he decided that… accompanying the Muslim call to prayer, they were going to play Keys for Kids in audio over these loudspeakers from the mosque itself.”

Read the full story.

See also Christian Persecuted in Pakistan Has Life Changed by Bible (Global Christian Relief).

Laos: Local Officials Shut Down Worship Service and Threaten Christians

Source: Morning Star News, October 3, 2023

In Savannakhet Province’s Khampou village, Assaphone District, the village deputy village chief and local security officials on Sunday [October 1] disrupted the service and ordered church leader Sard Onmeunsee and 17 other Christians to stop worship, according to Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF).

“They were threatened with arrest and a huge fine if they did not follow the officials’ order to discontinue exercising their religious freedom or belief to worship,” HRWLRF said in a press statement.

On the supposition that the church members had angered spirits or gods by leaving them for Christianity, the officials also threatened to impose large fines on the Christians if other people in the village became ill or died. In addition, two Christians from a nearby village who had come to the service were threatened with automatic arrest if they rejoined the church for worship, according to HRWLRF.

After a family in the animist village became the first Christians there in 2019, about 180 Lao villagers accepted Christ over the next two years, HRWLRF stated.

“Thus began pressures and threats from the local government upon Christians, coercing them to give up their religious faith,” the group stated. “The local government subjected Christians to intimidation, threats, and coercion throughout 2022 and 2023, forcing them to abandon their Christian religion until today; only three families (15 Christian believers) from around 180 Christians remained in the Christian faith, led by Mrs. Sard Onmeunsee.”

The full story also reports on a family of seven whose house was destroyed and have been barred from returning to their village unless they give up their Christian faith.

It’s worth noting that times are tough for many in Laos. See “I Feel Hopeless,” Living in Laos on the Brink (BBC).

Practical Mobilization: Remembering Those Who Came Before Us

Youth With a Mission founder Loren Cunningham saw waves of young people sharing the gospel in every nation (Mark 15:16).

A Morbid Confession

It may be strange to admit it. But I do enjoy a good funeral. What about you? It’s not the music, flowers, or stained glass that gets me. And the death of a child or someone who died prematurely can be brutal.

But I love to see people gather to celebrate a long life well lived, especially when it’s the life of someone who stayed focused on honoring God and loving people their whole life long, not giving up or hindered long by the setbacks and struggles they faced or their own hang-ups and handicaps.

Maybe they made a big splash in the world. Maybe not. But they lived for what matters, and when they’re gone—and probably before that, too—people saw it and said, “Yes, that’s right.”

The death of such a saint, now at rest, calls me to question my habits and refocus on things that count more than killing time or meeting deadlines.

Losses and Legacies

The mission community and the Church have lost many senior leaders in the last few years. Some of those deaths have brought an outpouring of articles celebrating that person’s legacy in the lives of others. Think Billy Graham, George Verwer, and Tim Keller.

Last week, the mission community lost another, Youth with a Mission founder Loren Cunningham. He died October 6 at the age of 88.

Into All the World and Now Beyond

A YWAM press release reports, “Loren was the first person in history to travel to every sovereign nation on earth, all dependent countries, and more than 100 territories and islands for the sake of Christ and the Great Commission (Mark 16:15). Now he has added one more “stamp” to his well-worn passport: HEAVEN!”

That Mark 16 verse (“go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”) was part of the bedrock of Loren’s life and had been since 1948 when he was 13, and it rang in his ears at an altar call. Then, at age 20, Loren heard the call confirmed. In prayer, he saw a picture of a world map with waves crashing on every coast, waves of young people from all over who would go share the gospel all across the globe. In the early 1960s, Loren’s vision led to the launch of Youth With a Mission.

YWAM and the Short-Term Mission Movement

Loren had a gift to mobilize young people to respond to the gospel and offer themselves up in service. Yet, he saw the years of schooling they’d have to complete to become missionaries as an unnecessary barrier to unleashing them on the world. Loren was ready to disrupt traditions and remove obstacles. So he looked for new pathways. Created them, really.

His early experiments with sending short-term missionaries (like some of his later efforts) had mixed results. There were controversies and failures. But Loren and those who joined him learned as they went. By 1985, YWAM was discipling and sending out more than 15,000 young people every year. The impact of these trips on their lives and the lives of those who received them and served alongside them was significant.

YWAM went on to become one of the world’s largest mission organizations. Loren always brushed off that claim lest it take away from God’s glory, the urgency of the task remaining, or the great work done by others. Yet, through YWAM, millions have been discipled and shared the love of Jesus with people everywhere.

That’s no small thing. And it started with a man who listened to and was led by God and who wouldn’t give up.

“Remember your leaders,
who spoke the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life
and imitate their faith.”
– Hebrews 13:7

Practical Mobilization Takeaways

  1. Think about leaders who have impacted you, directly or indirectly. Is there a parent, grandparent, pastor, mentor, or ministry leader whose influence helped set the trajectory of your life? If you can, thank them for their faithfulness. Ask God to help you recognize opportunities to pour into someone else’s life like that.
  2. Life verses have fallen from fashion, but maybe you have a favorite passage (or a few) that you hang your hat on in the way Loren Cunningham held onto Mark 15:16. If not, ask God to show you a Bible verse, story, or principle that might help you set your course or make sense of how he’s led you so far.
  3. How would God have you encourage the next generation and walk with them through the challenges and obstacles they face in following God’s plans for them, close to home or across the world? What would help you persevere as a sender, mentor, or mobilizer?

Links for Learning More