What happens when missionaries get rerouted?Many missionary biographies tell the stories of men and women who persevered for decades in a single context. Today, though, God seems to be moving His workforce around the globe with growing frequency. Items May Have Shifted is a collection of stories of missionaries who left everything and moved across the world to serve among the unreached-and then were rerouted, often without much warning or explanation.Their experiences illustrate an inherent tension missionaries must maintain in our chaotic world: the commitment to go deep in difficult contexts as if it's forever and the openhandedness to accept that plans may change at any time.You (or missionaries you care about) may be on the move by necessity or by choice. Either way, these stories remind us all that God's people are called to a flexible, responsive faithfulness, tenaciously clinging to the God of the unexpected.
The missionary task remains essentially the same from century to century. Fire & Ice traces common threads in tales of missionary adventure from the 1800s. Glimpse the lives of pioneer missionaries and local Christians in locations ranging from the Arctic Circle to just beyond the southern tip of Patagonia, from the coral islands of Fiji to the Himalayan plateau of Tibet.The diversity of people God called and equipped to carry out His worldwide mission in the 19th century is just as staggering as the variety of places He sent them. Kapi'olani, a Hawaiian chief, climbed a volcano to prove the power of her God. George Mackay, a Canadian, pulled teeth in Taiwan to prove the exact same thing. Coley Patteson, grandnephew of the poet Coleridge, and Allen Gardiner, a former navy captain, died on two beaches 7,500 miles apart for exactly the same reason: they believed that the gospel of Jesus Christ is for every person on earth.Fire & Ice condenses and updates John C. Lambert's 1907 text for modern readers. You won't find any perfect models to emulate in this book, but you might find faith that convicts, courage that inspires and adventures that excite you to strike out on a similar path of missionary intention. If you do, you'll find yourself in good-if unusual-company. The unity of purpose and faith among God's people across the centuries stands out all the more for the diversity of our backgrounds and circumstances.
In their first book, When Everything Is Missions, Denny Spitters and Matthew Ellison called us to refocus our gaze on the gospel and the Great Commission. The authors raised seven questions that shape how we think about and carry out the global mission of the Church.In this followup book, Conversations on When Everything Is Missions, more than 15 contributors add their voices. Each brings research, analysis and experience to the table. They reflect on how we got to the place where many sincere Christians believe everything is missions and address what it might take to put the gospel and the Great Commission back at the center of our global outreach efforts.
This is a story about a man who had achieved success, but wasn’t content. Ted had a vision for the world, a vision for all people to have an opportunity to learn about Jesus. Ted reasoned, “Why should some hear the life-giving message many times before some had the chance to hear it once?” Ted and his wife, Peggy, applied to become missionaries, but were declined. They were too old, had too many kids, and did not have the right education. All avenuesfor personal involvement in world evangelization seemed closed, so the Fletchers founded their own organization. Drawing on Ted’s experience as a Marine and as a corporate executive, they stepped out in faith to send others to places in the world where missionaries were not welcome. Despite the odds, the mission grew beyond any of their expectations. This updated edition of When God Comes Calling includes two new chapters by Pioneers’ cofounder,Peggy Fletcher, who writes about the growth of the mission among the unreached since the first edition was published in 2001 and since Ted’s homegoing in 2003.
Discover God's Heart for Muslims: Investigate Islam through this positive and hopeful 640-page book. Encountering the World of Islam explores the Muslim world and God's plan for Muslims. Read from a collection of writings about the life of Muhammad, the history of Islamic civilization, Islamic beliefs, Muslims today, and the everyday lives of Muslims from Morocco to Indonesia. Gain insight from 80 different practitioners into diverse Muslim cultures and worldviews as well as Christian outreach toward Muslims, our response to Islam, and prayer for the Muslim world. This book is used as the textbook for the Encountering the World of Islam course. See encounteringislam.org for more information on the book, course, and companion website. - Revised, updated, and expanded for 2014. 640 pages. - Fifty-seven new articles, highlights, maps, and tables. - Fully indexed and cross-referenced. - Over 100 additional pages of free online articles at the companion website, encounteringislam.org - Electronic editions for Kindle, iBook, and other formats available Fall 2014.
Zeven vragen die wereldwijde betrokkenheid definiërenIn een tijdperk van deconstructie en herijking zal het de kerk niet moeten verbazen dat woorden als zending, missie en zendingswerker verwarring opleveren. Sommigen worstelen om deze categorieën te definiëren, sommige eisen ze terug, terwijl anderen ze volledig verwerpen zonder dat ze nieuwe termen kiezen die ons verder kunnen helpen.Maar woorden en hun betekenis zijn van belang. Onze verwarring heeft een kostprijs. Concurrerende prioriteiten dwingen ons om onze zendingsdefinities zoveel mogelijk op te rekken, zodat mensen op creatieve wijze waar dan ook kunnen dienen. Sommigen kerken keren zich geheel af van traditionele zending en geven voorkeur aan een lokale bediening en evangelisatie terwijl ze crossculture zending outsourcen aan degenen die waarschijnlijk effectiever 'business as 's zit in de lift; zijn dan zij. Een ongelukkig resultaat van deze tendensen is dat het kerken ontbreekt aan een overtuiging die verwoordt hun betrokkenheid met de wereld eruit zou moeten zien. Als we onze Bijbelse ankers loslaten, hoever raken onze zendingsactiviteiten dan op drift?Matthew Ellison en Denny Spitters roepen ons op om onze visie op het evangelie en de Grote Opdracht opnieuw scherp te stellen. Zij verklaren dat denken komt voor doen en dat dat onze mondiale zendingspraktijk en prioriteiten moet bepalen. Wanneer Alles Zending is, is voor kerk en bedieningsleider die zoeken naar opheldering over vragen zoals deze: - Wat is de missie van God?- Wat is de missie van de kerk?- Is iedereen een zendeling?
Sojourners are people who venture far from home to live in a foreign place and culture. They have amazing adventures and experience significant fulfillment, but along with the adventure and fulfillment comes a unique set of stressors, losses, and struggles: struggles in understanding a different culture, a new language, a new identity and in figuring out how to balance many demands with legitimate personal needs. Fatigue is a frequent and understandable result.This workbook is designed to help the new sojourner, or an experienced one, to develop personal skills for managing the stress, mourning the losses, and crafting a lifestyle that leads to sojourner health on every level.Throughout each chapter, psychologically based coping skills are integrated with Scriptural truth and spiritual disciplines to provide a foundation for healthy cross-cultural living and effective relationships that last for the long term.
Our eternal, compelling goal is to see all peoples worshiping Jesus. As missionaries take the gospel to all people, the questions that quickly rise to the top of their list almost exclusively have to do with themselves. But rather than beginning with issues specific to missionaries, we must begin with a focus on unreached people. We need to lift our eyes beyond ourselves and ask, "How will new believers in this people group worship?" "What will an inviting, relevant church look like?" Essentially, "How will these unreached people follow Christ?"Exploring the Land is designed to help you answer these important questions. Since 1988, numerous research teams have been sent to support ministries in North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. The method followed by these teams is available to you in this easy-to-use manual. Exploring the Land is also used by churches, agencies, and universities throughout the world. It will equip you to understand complex urban situations, to discern unreached people groups, and to develop culturally relevant church-planting strategies.
The world is full of many people--more than 7.5 billion, in fact. They speak different languages, wear different clothes, eat different foods, and live in homes that often look very different from ours. Scripture tells us that this beautiful diversity reflects God's creativity and love for humanity, and that He has placed each person within the context of their individual culture, "so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us" (Acts 17:27).As children grow and explore the world around them, they will encounter people with beliefs and practices that may seem strange and foreign. As they learn to follow Jesus, they will also discover that He calls us to love our neighbor--whether he or she is next door or on the other side of the world.Loving our neighbors means both seeking to understand what they believe, as well as sharing with them what we believe. This privilege is not exclusive to missionaries. It's something we are all called to do--whether in the coffee shop, at our workplace, or even on the playground.Developed as a partnership between Pioneers, a global missions agency, and Sonlight, a homeschool curriculum company, WorldViews is an engaging, interactive introduction to the five major religous blocs in the world today. Arranged around the acronym "THUMB" (Tribal, Hindu, Unreligious, Tribal, Muslim, Buddhist), WorldViews uses videos, crafts, activities, recipes and other interactive tools to help parents teach their children about global religions.Children will develop a biblical perspective on other faiths and learn about God's love for all the peoples of the world. They will better understand the beliefs and practices of other religions and be equipped to share what they believe with sensitivity and conviction.This resource is to be used alongside videos and other resources available at World-Views.com.
The world is full of many people--more than 7.5 billion, in fact. They speak different languages, wear different clothes, eat different foods, and live in homes that often look very different from ours. Scripture tells us that this beautiful diversity reflects God's creativity and love for humanity, and that He has placed each person within the context of their individual culture, "so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us" (Acts 17:27).As children grow and explore the world around them, they will encounter people with beliefs and practices that may seem strange and foreign. As they learn to follow Jesus, they will also discover that He calls us to love our neighbor--whether he or she is next door or on the other side of the world.Loving our neighbors means both seeking to understand what they believe, as well as sharing with them what we believe. This privilege is not exclusive to missionaries. It's something we are all called to do--whether in the coffee shop, at our workplace, or even on the playground.Developed as a partnership between Pioneers, a global missions agency, and Sonlight, a homeschool curriculum company, WorldViews is an engaging, interactive introduction to the five major religous blocs in the world today. Arranged around the acronym "THUMB" (Tribal, Hindu, Unreligious, Tribal, Muslim, Buddhist), WorldViews uses videos, crafts, activities, recipes and other interactive tools to help parents teach their children about global religions.Children will develop a biblical perspective on other faiths and learn about God's love for all the peoples of the world. They will better understand the beliefs and practices of other religions and be equipped to share what they believe with sensitivity and conviction.This resource is to be used alongside videos and other resources available at World-Views.com.
When newlyweds Steve and Arlene Richardson arrived in Southeast Asia, they were full of hopes and dreams of befriending their neighbors and sharing the gospel in a Muslim-majority country of nearly 175 million and very few believers. From learning a new language to making a home in a crowded city neighborhood, the cultural barriers seemed enormous. The Richardsons were often overwhelmed with the economic needs of their new neighbors, as they observed their friends struggling to provide for their families in the face of crushing poverty. Even greater were the spiritual strongholds that held them in the grip of religious tradition. How could they even begin to help? The unexpected answer came in the form of a cardboard box of quilts from North Carolina and a tiny village woman who became a treasured member of the family. Arlene, who had never sewed a quilt in her life, launched a business venture that brought Muslim and Christian employees under one roof, designing, cutting and sewing quilts for beds 7,000 miles away in America. Threads recounts the Richardsons' journey--the sorrow, joy and unbelievable answers to prayer that sustained them in their labors and drew their family into a story that only God could write.
God's Heart for the Nations rips apart the old, traditional understandings of God's plan and purpose for our lives. In eight lessons, author and global activist, Jeff Lewis, lays bare the heart and mind of God as he combines powerful Bible passages with challenging and provocative questions. Each lesson is followed by a time of meditation (Selah) and a focus on an unreached people group. If you really knew the heart and mind of God, would you dare to follow him?
When Taylor Murray arrived in Japan, she felt like she was on an adventure-an adventure that God had called her family to take. The unique food, the strange language and the foreign culture were exciting and new. But the novelty of life overseas wore off, and Taylor became overwhelmed with frustration, loneliness and the sorrow of leaving everything she knew-the States, her home, her extended family-for everything she didn't know. She kept these emotions hidden in her heart until they reached a boiling point. Written as a series of individual prayers to God, Hidden in My Heart tells Taylor's story as she transparently unloads her grief and anger on Him and, surprisingly, finds Him willing to listen and bring her to a place of healing and-ultimately-joy. Taylor, a homeschooler, became a TCK when she was nine years old. She realizes that TCKs live between two worlds and often experience unique struggles. Her desire is to help other TCKs reflect on their emotions and pursue God's perspective. Taylor currently resides in Hiroshima, Japan. She enjoys writing and playing the piano. To connect with Taylor, visit Facebook.com/HiddeninMyHeartBook.
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