Global Mission
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Posted on June 18, 2013, 8:01 am
Topics: Global Mission
From time to time I receive emails from concerned church members over controversial Bible translations. The translations in question are seven Wycliffe/SIL projects in Muslim contexts where the translators sought to put the Word of God into language that could be easily understood by the intended audience. This kind of translation is called a Muslim Idiom Translation. At the center of this controversy are the names God the Father and Son of God, which we call divine familial terms.
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Posted on June 11, 2013, 8:01 am | 1 comment
Topics: Global Partnerships
One of the key principles of global partnerships is reciprocity. Partnerships are a two-way street. Usually when I meet with churches, they want to do something or send money for something. They might even have glossy brochures detailing all the buildings they have provided throughout the world or how many children they have sponsored.
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Posted on June 4, 2013, 8:01 am | 1 comment
Topics: Global Mission
“We help Christians and Muslims; what matters is the need, not the background of the person,” explained Pastor Jihad.
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Posted on May 28, 2013, 8:01 am
Topics: Global Mission
“We are partnering locally with Latter Rain Ministries (Pastored by Bishop Reginald Blackmon) to share the gospel in Fort Wayne, why don’t we partner with a CRC church in El Potrero, Honduras to share the gospel of Jesus Christ globally?” Pastor Jim Halstead challenged the Community CRC church family during a Sunday morning worship service in the summer of 2011.
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Posted on May 22, 2013, 8:01 am | 3 comments
Topics: Global Partnerships
Much of my work involves helping churches discover their unique gifts and talents that they can contribute to the work of World Renew. Sometimes I hear, "my church is too small to really get involved," or "we have a hard enough time paying our ministry shares; we can't take on another offering or missions project."
Sometimes I want to say, "Yours is exactly the kind of church I want to work with!"
How much easier is it to relate to churches in developing countries when you DON'T have all the financial resources or answers?
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Posted on May 13, 2013, 1:51 pm
Topics: Global Mission
Owning the task does not mean that missionaries are abandoned—quite the opposite. When a missions team workswith their missionaries to discover a common purpose, the partnership and commitment to the task deepen. To use asports metaphor, the church shifts from merely cheering on the sidelines to being a part of the team.global
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Posted on May 7, 2013, 10:18 am | 2 comments
Topics: Short-term mission
Cultural Intelligence is a crucial skill not just for short term mission teams, but for everyone in today's society.
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Posted on April 29, 2013, 8:01 am
Topics: Short-term mission
To reach children cross-culturally, you must listen carefully to what your hosts need and adapt your ministry approach to the local context. Wherever possible, resource local teachers rather than do it for them.
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Posted on April 23, 2013, 12:48 pm | 3 comments
Topics: Global Mission
Every year America receives new immigrants, and many are Muslim. These immigrants need our help and hospitality - help with English, help with the challenges of immigration, help with the struggles that come with adapting to a new culture.
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Posted on April 16, 2013, 10:32 am | 11 comments
Topics: Global Mission
As the CRCNA undertakes more of an active role in inter-religious dialogue in North America, we can learn a lot from our Christian and Muslim friends in Egypt. Egypt has a long history of Christian-Muslim interaction, and in the end, most Egyptians, whether Muslim or Christian, see themselves as Egyptians first.
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Posted on April 9, 2013, 8:01 am | 1 comment
Topics: Short-term mission
When I was asked to join the steering committee for the 2008 Sea to Sea ride, I was skeptical. Hundreds of middle to upper income white folks taking the summer off of work to ride bicycles that cost more than some people make in a year was going to “end the cycle of poverty?”
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Posted on April 1, 2013, 9:42 am
Topics: Missional Church
It’s one thing to do things for people, or give things to people... but it’s a tremendously people-building thing to work with people to build self-reliance!
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Posted on March 25, 2013, 12:47 pm
Topics: Global Mission
At World Renew we talk a lot about asset based community development; that is, discovering the assets that God has already placed in a community rather than focusing on perceived needs. This approach works with churches, too! What hidden assets might be in your church, just waiting to be deployed for missions?
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Posted on March 21, 2013, 7:49 am | 1 comment
Topics: Missional Church, Pastors
In our enthusiasm for missional living, do we too often encourage people to “go all the way” without taking the time to first build a relationship with the neighborhood? In our desire to be missional, I wonder if have raced too quickly, too naively into bed with our neighbourhoods, without taking the time to really get to know each other ..
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Posted on March 11, 2013, 2:20 pm | 2 comments
Topics: Global Mission
Over the past decade or so of working with churches, I've noticed a curious tendency for leaders to think of things in either/or terms. For example, "should we invest in local outreach OR global missions?" "Should our ministry focus on word OR deed?" "Should we reach out to get new members OR should we take care of our own members?" My answer to many of these questions is, "yes."
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