Occasionally, I contribute to Answers.com. When I do, it is because I am really bored. This is one of my better answers I guess (although reading it, I probably should clean up the grammar sometime. Link and answer below: Question: What is the Impact of Globalization on the Contemporary Christian Mission? A. The "Southern Shift" …
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There has been many concerns about Christian missions and its role in RELIEF and in DEVELOPMENT. Much of this is in the area of perception. Here is some variety regarding perspective regarding these forms of social ministry. 1. Perspectives regarding the relationship between these forms of social ministry and "spiritual" ministry in mission work. Jerry …
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I consider myself to be a missionary. However, my biggest single role is the administrator of a pastoral counseling center. There are forms of counseling that are distinctly evangelistic. But “normal” pastoral care, counseling, and chaplaincy typically work within the “faith context” of the client/patient and assume (to a large extent) that the person already …
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There is a big disagreement about whether someone can “lose” their salvation. Jesus seemed to set up a stark separation between those that were in God’s hand and those that weren’t. John certainly expressed doubt that the elect could ultimately be deceived. On the other hand, the writer of Hebrews seemed to suggest that perhaps …
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Roland Allen's classic book, "Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours?" is an important book that examines how we do missions. It certainly has good points. If I wanted to be honest about it... the obvious answer to the question of Roland Allen is "Ours". That is because we always need to tailor our methods to …
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I have written on this topic before, but here are a few more targeted thoughts. How can a family be prepared for Christian Missions, even before being sure that they are going to go? 1. Food. Don't just feed children on spaghetti and hamburgers (speaking to Americans here). The world is full of good food. …
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The following is an excerpt from Successful Mission Teams: A Guide for Volunteers by Martha Van Cise (New Hope Publishers, 1999) Excerpt from pages 145-147. A good book, definitely worth owning. "When my husband and I were serving as full-time missionaries in Haiti, we took a group of volunteers to a remote area in Northern …
Missional churches are churches that are driven to support worldwide missions through resources and manpower. Missionary churches are churches started by missionaries. Are they the same thing? Protestant churches have only been in the Philippines (where I live) for a little over 100 years. Many Protestant churches are 1st-generation missionary churches. That is, foreign missionaries …
Some of the following I have personal experience with as pertaining to missionaries and missions. Others I have heard from others. One major challenge in missions is the various expectations that come from others as to what your role and activities should be. Here are a few (in no particular order): 1. Money. People on …
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Back in 2001, after the "9-11" incident, US President George W. Bush described the zealots (or perhaps terrorists) who flew airplanes into the World Trade Center towers as "cowards." This led to some interesting conversations. After all, people who fought off fear and self-preservation could hardly be called cowardly, right? Part of the problem lay …
Continue reading The Ambiguities of Courage, and Christian Missions