January 2008

1/31 ~ CHALLENGES ~ Top Missions Challenges in the Changing U.S. Church by David Mays (davidmays.org) (From the January 10, 2008 MissionExchange Webinar) Challenge #1. Keeping “lostness” in view. Challenge #2. Reaching both the community and the world. Challenge #3. Maintaining Focus. Challenge #4. Balancing new strategies with commitment to long-term missionaries. Challenge #5. Maximizing Mission Trips 1/30 ~ E-MAGAZINE ~ Singing in the Chains by Mark Buchanon (Christianity Today) Let's go back to its early days, when the Good News was new news. Let's go back to a jail in the city of Philippi, to two men sitting in the inner cell, bound in manacles. Paul and Silas. They're bleeding. Their flesh blooms with welts bright as red roses, bruises dark as purple dahlias. And they're singing. 1/29 ~ FOR MISSIONARIES ~ Support-Raising Training Conference & Seminar Dates Every support-raising missionary should seriously consider participating in one of these training events. You've no excuse with so many to choose from! » People Raising 2008 Schedule » The Body Builders 2008 Boot Camp Schedule 1/28 ~ MISSIOLOGY/VIDEO ~ Jesus: The Ultimate Gift (Bluefish TV) An excellent mini-"Peace Child" video depicting Don and Carol Richardson's experience with the Sawi tribe of Irian Jaya. Great for showing what a "redemptive anology" is as well as a great video for spreading mission vision. Additional related resources: Peace Child: Book ~ DVD 1/26 ~ STRATEGIC MINISTRY ~ Roundtable Discussions on How To Promote Future Missionary Fellowships in the USA (Pre-Candidate Fellowships) Sixteen roundtable discussions are being held across the US to elevate the prospect of Future Missionary Fellowships to come together city-by-city. If your agency or church is interested in learning more about this concept and providing helpful feedback, these meetings are for you. The above link will take you to the invitation and meeting schedule. Click here for the main web site. 1/26 ~ URBAN MINISTRY ~ Former gang members, addicts share life stories as Bible Society launches Urban Outreach New Testament called My City My God (Assist News Service) "... the My City My God urban New Testament is so unique and critically needed ... Because the cover and full-color testimonies grab the kids’ attention, they are more likely to crack it open. Time and again when we’ve given these custom-designed urban Scriptures to our youth, they immediately look over the pictures and then start to read the testimonies. After their interest has been piqued, they start to read the words of Jesus and His disciples. Then the stories in the gospel hit home.” 1/25 ~ MISSION TRENDS ~ Changing Church Dynamics and Missions by David Mays (davidmays.org) Many of these bullet points, some good and some negative, are signficant topics that make the reader hungry for greater exploration and discussion. 1/24 ~ MISSION EXPLORATION RETREATS ~ The Journey Deepens ~ 2008 Schedule (askamissionary.com) Called to be a missionary or a sender? The Journey Deepens is an excellent way to find out! Dates and locations for 2008: » Mar 7-9 in Davis, Oklahoma at a retreat center two hours north of Dallas » Apr 18-20 near Chicago, Illinois at the ITeams conference center » Oct 17-19 in Pasadena, California at the U.S. Center for World Mission » Nov 14-16 near Atlanta, Georgia at the Operation Mobilization conference center 1/23 ~ MEMBER CARE ~ Ethne Member Care January Update (ethne.net) A great newsletter ... with an especially helpful pdf article, Wise Doves and Innocent Serpents, from EMQ/December 2007 1/22 ~ STEWARDSHIP RESOURCE ~ 40-Day Spiritual Journey to a more Generous Life by Brian Kluth (generouslife.info) This is an excellent downloadable and hard-copy booklet for churches, small groups, couples and individuals to use for a sustained "soaking" in the biblical foundations of stewardship. To learn more about it's author, pastor Brian Kluth, click here. 1/21 ~ RACIAL JUSTICE ~ Don't Waste Martin Luther King Weekend by John Piper (Desiring God Ministries) A portion from Martin Luther King Jr's Letter from a Birmingham Jail speaks for itself. Don't miss it. 1/19 ~ DISCIPLESHIP ~ Inductive Bible Study by David Watson (CPM Training Ministries) "In the last 15 years, over 40,000 churches sprang up in an area in North India known as the ‘graveyard of missions and missionaries.’ Some of these churches are tenth generation church plants and studies show that the tenth generation is as mature and Biblically sound as the first ... Although many are illiterate, they study the Bible inductively. They believe we have a choice – we read or listen to God’s Word, believe, and obey Him or we don’t. There is no middle ground." 1/18 ~ THE POOR ~ Top Christian Artists Write Songs to Benefit Poor Countries (Christian Today) "Top Christian music artists who gathered for a retreat in Scotland this week to compose songs for charity are surprised yet exhilarated after writing almost double the number of songs they initially set as a goal." (Click here then go to "Press Release" to see Compassionart's version of this story) 1/17 ~ TECH NEWS ~ January Tips from Missionary Geek (Missionary Geek) » Language Study Tools: Express Scribe - Transcription Playback » Skype To Go: Make calls from any phone, including your mobile » Google Extra gives you more in your search » Xobni getting good press, offers Outlook plug-in » Typeroom Simplifies Web Page Editing Online 1/16 ~ ORALITY/WORKSHOPS ~ The Orality Bible, Bible Storytelling for Today (Globe International) » DVD Workshop One - "TELLING GOD'S STORIES" ... a hands-on introductory workshop for those who want to learn to share God's Word in story with others. (55 min.) » DVD Workshop Two - "MULTIPLYING STORYTELLERS" ... chronicles the Oral Bible program in South Asia where participants learned 125 stories, telling the Bible--story by story--from Genesis through Acts in chronological order. (55 min.) 1/15 ~ MISSION VIDEO / CLASSIC ~ Ee Taow! (MAF Netherlands) Posted by permission on Youtube, Ee Taow! is still one of most gripping and insightful mission videos of our day. This is one you should definitely consider linking to from your church's web site. 1/14 ~ PERSPECTIVES COURSE ~ Perspectives: God Changing Austin ~ God Changing the World (Mission Frontiers) From the January/February 2008 issue of Mission Frontiers comes the best Perspectives Course overview and preview of things to come in years. If you are a mission mobilizer, and not connected to Perspectives, you will want to be a part of the increasing vitality and usefulness of this course — not only for ramping up mission vision and involvement in your own church, but for helping to network and mobilize local churches and campuses throughout your entire city. 1/12 ~ PRAYER ~ Church Planting Essentials - Prayer (David Watsons Blog) "In a recent meeting of the top 100 church planters in our ministry, we looked for common elements among these high producing leaders. Each of these church planters, along with the teams they led, started more than 20 churches per year, each. One group started more than 500 churches in the previous year. The only common element we found in all these church planters was their commitment to prayer." 1/11 ~ NET-GEN ~ Facebook Helps Young People Reach Out Around the World (Mission Network News) "Facebook is a social Web site that allows you to add friends and add applications such as causes. That's where Bright Hope is holding their 10-day fundraiser called Injustice Undone." 1/10 ~ STEWARDSHIP ~ I Am "The Rich" by Heather Koerner (Boundless Webzine) "If you had told me then that I was wealthy, I would have probably laughed. But all I could see were those immediately around me." 1/09 ~ MISSIONARY BIOGRAPHY SERMON ~ You Will be Eaten by Cannibals! Lessons from the Life of John G. Paton by John Piper (Desiring God) This very powerful message from the Bethlehem 2000 Pastor's Conference is best listened to on MP3. John G. Paton was not only a great missionary, he was a great mission mobilizer. Since this was presented at a pastors conference, it's ideal for passing on to any pastor you know. 1/08 ~ BOOKNOTES ~ Revolution of Character by Dallas Willard with Don Simpson (davidmays.org) "Dallas Willard is a philosophy professor at the University of Southern California and the author of several highly recognized books on the spiritual life. Don Simpson is a senior developmental editor for NavPress. Simpson has simplified and adapted Willard’s work (Renovation of the Heart) to make it more accessible and practical for application. The aim of the book is spiritual change. It includes meditation questions." —David Mays 1/07 ~ PERSPECTIVES / VIDEO ~ Ravi Zacharias -- The Grand Weaver (Godtube) "Listen to Dr. Ravi Zacharias describe his meeting with UN officials and his new book, The Grand Weaver." (Also, here's a link to Annie Flint's hymn, He Giveth More Grace, as quoted by Ravi) 1/05 ~ ORALITY ~ Taking the Orality Plunge: Confessions of a Print Addict Unawares by Phill Butler (Lausanne World Pulse) "Long steeped in print-based systems, you can imagine my surprise when Jim Bowman approached us and asked, 'Can you folks help us develop an oral partnership training course?'" 1/04 ~ LOCAL OUTREACH ~ Starting a Motel Outreach (DualReach) » FEATURE: A church uses its small groups to minister to the homeless in local motels. » TOOL PACKAGE: Discover useful tools for help in starting a motel ministry such as that of this church, or one of a different model. » GREAT IDEAS: Learn about ideas and principles this church used in beginning a motel outreach. 1/03 ~ THE MIDDLE EAST ~ Jesus in Turkey by Tony Carnes (Christianity Today) An informative look into the history of the Church in Turkey blended together with precious insights into the moving of God's Spirit taking place there today. 1/02 ~ THE DALITS ~ India: The Dalit Story (Heart Sounds Int'l) "This video is an excerpt from a documentary that Heart Sounds completed by invitation of a ministry within India. It reveals the plight of the Dalits as they struggle to find freedom in the midst of a very difficult situation. Many are finding this freedom through the good news of Jesus Christ Whom the Dalits also recognize as a Dalit, or outcast." 1/01 ~ LEADERSHIP ~ Restructuring Local Church Missions by Ellen Livingood (Catalyst Services) "Quite frankly, the average missions committee meeting doesn’t stir missions passion in much of anybody. So what are the alternatives?" December November October September August July June May April March <div class="statcounter"><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/" target="_blank"><img class="statcounter" src="http://c39.statcounter.com/3412978/0/6eb69ecc/1/" alt="website metrics"></a></div>