Across the Street, Across the Sea
Faith CRC's experience in local and global missions.
Faith CRC's experience in local and global missions.
El Salvador is experiencing an average of thirteen homicides a day. These homicides are visible symptoms of a society and church deeply fractured along economic, political and religious lines. Yet it was not “death” but “life” that I will remember from my visit to El Salvador.
I came to Grand Rapids from Scotland to work as part of the co-opted staff with the news team here, to cover the unification of the two main ecumenical groups of Reformed churches throughout the world. And here's my story!
What are your resources and what are the resources of those with whom you wish to partner? Use these questions to help recognize the varied diversity of resources which can be found in a person, a church, a group or a community.
As we begin to think of the heart and scope of the Gospel and embracing a missional understanding of the church, the ramifications for the local church will be subtle but significant.
This article gives a thumbnail sketch of the state of global mission and provides links to other resources that will enable you to dig deeper into those areas that are most interesting to you.
Let's learn some of Peter Senge’s (an MIT professor) key ideas about learning organizations followed by a few ideas of how to deliver this within ministry clusters in the CRCNA.
Could this have been avoided? Could the committee or church council have made different choices, leading to a different result?
If you are a first-time member of the group in your congregation that is responsible for global mission, you are trying to start such a group, or you are simply looking for ways to revitalize the global outreach of your church, this article is for you.
Whether you’re a carpenter or cattle rancher, pastor or plumber, bookkeeper or baker, typist or teacher…or just have a passion for missions, there’s a place for you in God’s mission.
Your life is part of a bigger story and we all have a role to play in the building up of God’s Kingdom. The CRCNA has opportunities for you, providing you with a place to serve and to be part of various transformational ministries.
Here is a summary of an in depth research paper written by Roland Hoksbergen about how North-South NGO partnerships contribute to development.
This paper comes out of personal experience and observation of missionaries of many nationalities working with West Africans who are Muslim Background Believers, in several Sahelian, francophone, predominantly Muslim countries (Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Guinea.)
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.
You may have noticed an exchange in the "How is it?" suggestions section about the absence of local mission from this site. If not, I hope you take a look and offer your thoughts. At the risk of oversimplification I'll venture a few thoughts on the relation of local and global mission as a former pastor and a former missionary...
The appearance of this site created some interesting conversation about the relation of global and local mission. Some use global as a synonym for international. This site was developed with this understanding, but change is coming.
As I wrote to one of our missionaries, "Our job is done, but yours is just beginning." Over the months and years to come there will be lots of work for our Haiti team, which is called Sous Espwa (Source of Hope).
Introducing Kevil Schutte. He will be providing articles, resources, and guest blogs that will help this site embrace the North American piece of Christ's mission.
Dr. Randy Rowland has produced several articles on clustering that will be appearing over the next weeks here. I hope you will read them and that they will spark ideas and action as we seek to be a denomination that plants churches which help people meet the Lord Jesus.
Flexibility is vital in missions. The unexpected happens, more often than not. Serving God in the mission of the church requires a readiness to adapt to the roadblocks and the opportunities that unexpectedly arise.
At Pentecost God creates a grace-filled unity in Jesus Christ that extends to "every tribe, language, people, and nation" — including Muslims. What is your church doing to share the Good News about Jesus with Muslims in your community and around the world?
The staff at Christian Reformed World Missions produces a number of materials on Pentecost and missions. We hope that local churches and mission committees are also exercising their creativity to inspire and remind their members to be involved in God's missions.
Finding the right people for your missions committee or GO (Global Outreach) team is key to a vibrant missions program. What are you doing in order to discover and attract excellent committee members? Here are a couple of thoughts.
Pentecost is past; the school year is winding up; and summer is upon us. Before you know it fall will be here. Many churches have a mission emphasis celebration between mid-September and mid-November, and now is a good time to plan those events. The scope of mission emphasis celebrations runs all the way from prayer and the collection of Faith Promise pledges to a nine day period with four worship services and mid-week events that cover ...
Although there is still much that North American churches can contribute to the world in terms of ministry among unreached peoples, leadership training, and the application of Christian worldview, there is also much that we can learn and receive from our brothers and sisters in the Majority World (Asia, Africa, and Latin America).