As with any buzzword there are varieties of meaning attached to the word "missional," and sometimes people talk past each other because each has different connotations in mind when saying "missional."
Christian Reformed World Missions has been working with World Renew and other agencies to offer webinars on a variety of topics including The Changing Face of World Missions, The Millenium Development Goals, and When Helping Hurts.
The practice of mission work has changed dramatically in recent decades, and the pace of change seems to constantly accelerate. The way that we celebrate missions in the churches should also be dynamic. The idea of a mission emphasis week, often connected to a Faith Promise program for mission support, goes back several decades in CRC history.
Many have criticized John Calvin and his fellow Reformers as being indifferent to the cause of missions outside the bounds of what was considered Christendom in the 16th century. A Latin American missiologist will be
In the last few years I've heard a lot of pessimistic statements about the state of Christianity in America. Evangelical leaders in the Global South, however, see growth in the influence of Evangelical Christianity in their countries. Take a look at the news release and the survey link below.
I’ve had the opportunity to see what the Father is doing in India through the careful distribution of simple, paper tracts. The numbers are so vast, they can only be believed when I recognize the immense power of God to use a low-caste slum dweller with a Gospel tract to bring a Hindu to faith in Jesus.
Where do you begin in developing a robust active missions effort in your church? How do you reinvigorate a program that has run out of steam after decades of faithful effort? The Mission Toolkit contains a variety of resources such as Bible study materials, mission emphasis ideas, great books on Islam, missionary care.
Can you imagine being a motivational speaker named Boring? Christian Reformed Home Missions hosted an event on June 6 in which Nick Boring spoke of his journey from a career as a corporate executive into ministry, and his passion to help churches plant churches. This event brought together
This article describes the movement of North American churches seeking relationships with Majority World churches. Instead of bopping in for a quick fix or throwing money at problems, it describes early attempts at truly connecting.
This question is often asked, and not just by skeptics who have always been outside the orbit of the Christian church. Instead, it is often asked by young people, raised in a Christian context, who accept the idea that God is and that He spoke through Jesus.
Saturday morning I attended an event in which a missionary family spoke face to face with their US home church from their living room in Vienna. Has your church used Skype to connect with missionaries at a distance? What would you think of having a moment for missions by Skype as part of the regular worship service?
Some see support raising as a great opportunity to connect with people, tell ministry stories, and call people to faithful use of the resources that God has given them. Others consider it “begging,” and see it as demeaning to the missionary. What do you think?
Dearborn, Michigan, has become the center of Arab-American settlement in the United States. The arrival of this primarily Muslim group has created ministry opportunities that used to exist only overseas.
Missionaries George and Ruth Young live in a port city northeast of Tokyo, closer to the quake epicenter and more at risk from tsunami. Although Ruth left for the U.S. to welcome a new grandchild just before the quake, George was home when it happened ...
Community development and mission efforts have sometimes caused more problems than they've solved. One thing that we are learning is that the way we go about trying to help is key to whether the results are actually good.
In many cases men have immigrated ahead of their families. They face loneliness and have time on their hands. Encountering culture shock may enable them to reconsider long-held beliefs and practices. There too, sharing Christ must come in the context of a relationship of love and concern for the person.
It's so easy to say, "I'll pray for you" or "I'll pray about that." Actually praying in a disciplined and passionate way is a great deal harder. In addition to good intentions and the Spirit's work in our hearts and minds, tools for prayer can come in very handy.
When I mention to people that I was a missionary for six years in Eastern Europe, one of the first questions I am often asked is, "Did you have your family with you?" At least sometimes this question has another behind it. "Doesn't raising your children overseas impoverish your children, or put them at risk?"
A couple of years ago Pastor Jon De Bruyn approached Christian Reformed World Missions with a proposal to jointly sponsor prayer trips to various mission sites around the world. But a prayer mission trip was new to many. What would that look like?
Prayer Missions International grew out of the ministry of a pastor who was passionate about prayer and about missions. As you read this article from another pastor who participated in a recent trip, I hope you will be encouraged to check out www.prayermissions.org and consider participating in an upcoming trip.
Prayer is the foundation for mission, whether that activity happens across the street or around the world. This January, Christian Reformed congregations are being called to a 28-day prayer vigil by Home Missions and World Missions with a focus on the workers and the work of evangelism.
Missions are typically not much on the minds of people or the calendar of congregations in Advent. The focus typically shifts to the coming of Jesus to our world as a baby born in humble circumstances for our good. But Advent is also a season to remember...
Over the last thirty years this innovative idea of short term missions has become a standard part of the annual cycle for many churches. Youth teams within the US have been supplemented by international and intergenerational trips of many kinds: hurricane relief, sports and musical teams, mime, etc. Much of the focus has been on making use of such trips in
I am in the midst of a tour on the West Coast which aims to resource the churches, schools and mission leaders in this area. Yesterday, we were in Portland, Oregon at Park Lane CRC. Pastors and others from the area who are interested in missions
"We are all missionaries and our mission field is right out that door." I must confess some mixed feelings about that.