Here are a couple of quick examples this week. I am visiting some relatives in Florida and we visited the local Greek Fest. That is an event commonly done in Greek Orthodox churches across the US. The one here is a BIG THING. We had great Greek foods, and listened to great Greek music. They …
Category: Encounters in Mission
Consideration of four (4) encounters in missions. Truth, Allegiance, Love, and Power.
When You Rule the Mountain, the Mountain Rules You (Seven Mountain Mandate)
I am writing a book with the tentative title "Paradoxical Christians Mission: Theology Reflections for Weak, Small, Poor, and Slow Ministry." In case it wasn't clear in the title, I am suggesting that Weak, Small, Poor, and Slow are GOOD qualities in ministry. As I have been writing I feel myself bumping up against the …
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754AD 1st Millennium Missions History. Death of Boniface
In 754 AD, St. Boniface died. He was killed by Frisian robbers. I must admit that, although there is much to commend him in terms of missional fervor and even in terms of innovation (such as supporting women serving in a missionary capacity), I find him rather unlikable. The main thing is his active support …
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Models of Evangelism
I was reading a journal article, "Evangelism, Theology, and the Church" by Thorsten Prill (Evangelical Review of Theology, Vol. 29 No. 4 (2005) p. 303-330). It has several models of evangelism. I find it quite valuable. Here is a brief summary of these. I recommend reading the article to get a deeper look at this: #1. Proclamation …
Does Being Foreign Make You a Better Religious Minister?
I am a foreigner working in the Philippines. My answer to the above question is generally "no." However, there was a time that I would wholeheartedly say "NO." With some reflection, I have had to be a bit more nuanced in my response. #1. Talking with a couple of my students, they felt that in …
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Problem of Polygamy in Christian Missions Practice
Teaching Cultural Anthropology as well as Interreligious Dialogue in a seminary in Southeast Asia means that several times a year the question of polygamy comes up. It comes up in terms of how to address polygamy as a Christian minister. Usually, it is in the context of dealing with Muslim families where polygamy is sometimes …
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Thoughts on the Camel Method
I had asked my students in my Asian Faiths class to read the Camel Method. It is a method for sharing the Christian Gospel to Muslims utilizing a few select passages from the Qur'an. I asked my students to talk about their thoughts on this method. I then responded with the (somewhat amended) posting: I …
The Magi and The Preparation for the Gospel
Praeparatio Evangelica, or preparation for the Gospel, is a term used referring to the belief that God has sown seeds of the gospel message in other cultures that will only fully bear fruit with the arrival of the message of Bible. Don Richardson believes that redemptive analogies, stories or images within a culture that express …
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“Missions in Samaria” Published
I decided to publish my short book "Missions in Samaria." It seeks to address a simple question. Why does Jesus specifically mention Samaria in the Acts 1:8 version of the Great Commandment. The book looks at Samaria as both a historical place and a metaphor for places we may face today. At this time, I …
Holy and Unholy Cultures?? (Part II)
In Part I, we looked at Christians in culture. It seems clear, I hope, that Christians should live on three levels as it relates to the surrounding culture. We should live in many ways like those around us... fitting in quite comfortably with the broader culture. We should live in many ways like what the …