- 4/30 ~ RESOURCES ~ Resource Reviews: Special Edition Focused on China by Marti Smith (Missions Catalyst E-Magazine)
» Note to Readers » History, Biographies, and Prayer Materials from OMF » Videos, Kid Stuff, and Prayer Guides from Caleb Resources » Free Stuff from the Southern Baptists' International Mission Board » Material for Children from Voice of the Martyrs
- 4/29 ~ RECOMMENDED BOOK / STUDENT MOBILIZATION ~ Brown Like Coffee (brownlikecoffee.com)
Brown Like Coffee is not only a book for discipling and mobilizing high school and college students for local and global impact, its also an attractively done web site with a sporadic but stimulating blog. Additionally, if you order 150 copies a hefty portion of the profits will go towards the support of your favorite missionary. This is definitely one book, web url and awareness campaign you'll want to plug your students into. Click here to see the Covers (multiple choice!), FAQs and Table of Contents.
- 4/28 ~ TECH ~ New Research Describes Use of Technology in Churches (Barna.org)
"The new study explored the presence of eight technologies and applications in Protestant churches. Those tools included large screens used for showing video imagery; showing movie clips and other video segments during church events; sending email blasts to all or portions of the congregation; operating a church website; offering a blog site or pages for interaction with church leaders; maintaining a page on behalf of the church on one or more social networking sites; providing podcasts for people to listen to; and receiving programming and training via a satellite dish."
- 4/26 ~ JAPAN ~ In Japanese, Gospel Gradually Blooms (Baptist Press)
"God's love is making inroads into Japanese lives. Through Sunday School classes started in the 1950s and '60s, relationships built with missionaries or through experiences abroad, Japanese are hearing about Jesus. That knowledge eventually blooms into belief -– though it may take years for the Gospel seed to come to fruition."
- 4/25 ~ CITY REACHING ~ Cityreachers Renew their Passion for City Transformation (Mission America)
"Braintree, Mass (April 18) – More than 180 Christian leaders from across the nation came together near Boston this week for the Tenth Anniversary National City Impact Roundtable—“Mobilizing a Diverse Church for City Transformation."
- 4/24 ~ RESOURCES ~ Resource Reviews - April 23, 2008 by Marti Smith (Missions Catalyst E-Magazine)
» DVD - State of the Gospel » DVD - Why Europe? Why Now? » BOOKLET - Praying through the Arabian Peninsula; Other Prayer Guides » BOOK - Waking the Giant: The Resurgent Mission Movement » EVENTS - New Items on the Missions Events Calendar; Networking Tips
- 4/23 ~ WAKE UP CALL ~ World Vision Cuts Back Food Aid, Sounds Alarm (Christian Post)
"It's one of the largest and jost trusted humanitarian organizations in the world that leverages compassion and generosity to help the jost needy. Yet on Tuesday, World Vision announced a cutback on the number of people it can feed this year as it feels the effects of a slowing economy." (Compare this story with our April 3 entry, Silent Famine)
- 4/22 ~ FIGHTING DISEASE ~ World Malaria Day: What's All the Buzz About? (World Vision)
"World Malaria Day is April 25. Malaria remains a leading cause of death among African children under 5."
- 4/21 ~ THE SENDING CHURCH ~ Example of Pre-Field Support by a Local Church (ABWE)
"Pastor Tom Wright and Memorial Baptist Church, Columbus, Ohio, were an outstanding example of involvement with Tom and Nancy Wolf and children who now serve in South Africa! Here is how they helped as told by Tom Wolf."
- 4/19 ~ MISSIONARY CARE ~ 101 Ways to Love Your Missionary (BGC World)
Here's a great "loving on your missionaries" list from the Baptist General Conference, filed under four categories: When Missionaries are on the Field, on Home Assignment, Any Time and when they Visit Your Church.
- 4/18 ~ RAISING THE NEXT GENERATION ~ The Tempter is the TV by R. Albert Mohler Jr. (Baptist Press)
Two crucial decisions we make as disciplers of the next generation is what we allow our kids to watch on TV and where they get to watch it. Obviously, the same is true for the internet.
- 4/17 ~ DOUBLE TRIBUTE ~ The Chain of Blessings by David Rogers (Love Each Stone)
"It would be hard to calculate the number of individuals around the world who are serving God in world missions today as a result of the ministry of George Verwer. But George himself was first impacted for God by the ministry of Billy Graham." (Read on and then click the Youtube video link at the bottom of George Verwer and Billy Graham who recently met together at The Cove.)
- 4/16 ~ CELEBRATE! ~ Great Things from a Small Beginning: Celebrating 25 Years of Ministry to Muslims by Greg Livingstone (missionfrontiers.org)
This past month my wife and I were greatly blessed to attend one of Frontiers' 25 year celebrations in Pasadena. Since many of our readers weren't able to be there, how great to find Mission Frontiers providing a little glimpse into some of what we heard that night. Additionally, you'll get to read Bob Blincoe's article, "The Remaining Task" , following Greg's article.
- 4/15 ~ OLD TESTAMENT ~ Prophets to the Gentiles by Chuck Missler (khouse.org)
"Did you realize that there are at least three prophets in the Old Testament that were called specifically to prophesy regarding the Gentiles? Obviously, jost of the Bible deals with history - both past and future - through the "lens" of Israel. But these three short books focus on Gentile history and each has a specific application to you and me today."
- 4/14 ~ SEEKING GOD'S MERCIES ~ 2008 National Day of Prayer - Video (ndptf.org)
The National Day of Prayer Press Room page offers an introductory video to help our prepare hearts for the upcoming National Day of Prayer this coming May 1. May the Lord grace this day of humbling to be widely recognized, fervently participated in and a great means of helping to turn our hearts back to Him and to His mandate to disciple all peoples.
- 4/12 ~ AWAKENED CHURCHES ~ Churches Filling Missions Gaps by Mark Kelly (Baptist Press)
"Southern Baptist churches are catching a vision of taking the Gospel to people groups that have never heard –- even when there is no missionary to help them, International Mission Board trustees were told during their April 7-9 meeting in Dallas, Texas. In the past two years, about 125 congregations have accepted the challenge of taking the Gospel to unreached people groups in West Africa."
- 4/11 ~ MISSIONARY TEAMS ~ Building Resilient Teams: The CACTUS Kit by Kelly O'Donnell (ethne.net)
There are three sure ways to undermine a team--or a family. In a phrase--don't talk, don't share feelings, and don't trust. Teams, like families, need intentional care to be healthy. Every struggling team that I have worked with has had the above three "don'ts" in common. In each case there was the clear absence of a regular, acceptable forum for dealing with concerns about team relationships and tasks.
- 4/10 ~ STEWARDSHIP & MISSION ~ Funding Local Ministries by David Mays (davidmays.org)
David often uses analogies to help local churches think practically and strategically about their involvement in world mission. In this particular vignette his analogy exposes the erosion of funds towards the unreached and least evangelized peoples due to the ever increasing number of opportunities for funding local ministries and the failure to distinguish any difference between the two.
- 4/09 ~ LEADERSHIP TRAINING ~ Webinars for Church Missions Leaders - April/May 2008 (themissionexchange.org)
(Note: Webinar listings under this link are subject to change as it keeps up with the jost current listings) April 10: On-Site Facilitators: The Pivotal Link for Global Church Partnerships — Sherri Heintz Kerr, President, Cahoots Communications Inc. April 24: Ministry in the Shadow of the Cross: Exploring a Theology of Suffering — Glenn Penner, Canadian Director, Voice of the Martyrs May 15: Great Expectations: Helping Short-termers Live Out their Commitments — Steve Moore, President and CEO, The Mission Exchange
- 4/08 ~ GREAT MISSIONARY STORIES ~ Fields of Honor (Every Tribe Entertainment)
Eric Liddell's God-honoring track and field story (captured so well in Chariot's of Fire), will find it's continuation in the upcoming film, Fields of Honor. Though it's still in the pre-development stage, the film will depict Eric's later life as a missionary to China and then his imprisonment in a Japanese prison camp during World War II. If you don't mind getting all the details before seeing the movie, there's a well written account of Eric's life on Wikipedia.
- 4/07 ~ CAST THE VISION ~ Pursue the 20 and 30 Somethings by Marc McCartney (WorldconneX)
I heard Marc deliver this insightful (and sometimes painful) message at the Unreached and Least Evangelized Peoples forum in Dallas last November and was blessed to see WorldConneX get it into print. This should be essential reading for agency and church mission mobilizers over forty whose task it is to reach across the generational divide and join hands with the younger generations for fulfilling the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. Obviously, from this account, way too many balls have been dropped and opportunities lost.
- 4/05 ~ INTRO TO MISSIONS / BOOK ~ Discovering Mission by Charles Gailey & Howard Culbertson
"According to the preface of the book, The primary audience of this volume is students at the university and seminary level.' However, don't let that fool you. It has been written with pastors and laity in mind, and it is easy to understand, covering the major topics mission leaders are facing in the local church." (Extract from Missions Connection ~ Spring 2008) See also Amazon customer reviews.
- 4/04 ~ MISSION AVIATION ~ Mission Aviation Planes Grounded Due to Lack of Fuel by Michael Ireland (Assist News Service)
"... a shortage of aviation fuel -- or "av gas" -- has grounded missionary pilots of MAF, a faith-based, non-profit ministry that serves missions and isolated people around the world ... Because of the shortage, some 150 air strips currently are without service ..." (Do read on as there's an answer -"waiting in the wings" - to this dilemma!)
- 4/03 ~ GLOBAL NEWS ~ "Silent" Famine Sweeps the Globe (WorldNetDaily)
Interesting that I should come across this article shortly after reading a number of scriptures relating to famines in the Old Testament. One comforting thing that stood out from the scriptures was that these particular famines were from God's own hand and that He warned His people (and gentile non-believers) beforehand (see: Gen. 41:25, II Kings 8:1). Two questions: What should God's people do in times like these? And, are we regular supporters of ministries like World Vision, Samaritan's Purse and Food for the Hungry, dedicated to bringing serious help to famine victims? If this article is an indicator of what's to come for more of our planet, there's no better time than now to get involved. (Note: for a more complete list of relief and development agencies, see AERDO)
- 4/02 ~ EVENT CALENDARS ~ Regional Calendars for US Mission Events (goconnect.org)
Now it's possible to find missions-related events, region by region throughout the US. Thanks to Marti Smith (editor of Missions Catalyst's Events Calendar) Go Connect was given a green light to use MC's calendar postings to serve as the bulk of the entries). Eventually Go Connect's Citywide Networking pages will each be linked to their respective regional calendars.
- 4/01 ~ AFRICA / BOOK ~ African Friends and Money Matters: Observations from Africa by David E. Maranz
"The author deals with everyday life in Africa. He first introduces the very different goals of African and Western economic systems and then presents ninety observations of African behaviors related to money matters. Explanatory comments are given that show how each one works out in real life. He illustrates his and others' experiences with anecdotes from across the continent. Drawings by two African artists add further clarity to the text as they capture Africans and Westerners in authentic situations. The result is that the reader is able to make sense of customs that at first seem incomprehensible." (Extract from editorial review)
2007
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