A friend of mine is a pastor of a church in Mabalacat, Pampanga. His church is going through the book of Joshua and using it as a guide for missional growth and outreach. It got me thinking a bit. Joshua 5:13-15 has a great scene. Joshua sees a warrior. Joshua asked a very reasonable thing... …
Tag: missions
Missions and Ambitions
Missionary Sam was a machine. He could go into a new community, set up an event, form up the respondents, place a pastor in charge, and be onto the next community in a matter of weeks. After a few years of such stunning success, he wrote up his dissertation on his methodology, and “retired” to a life of …
Courage and Missions
Back in 2001, after the "9-11" incident, US President George W. Bush described the zealots (or terrorists) who flew the 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 …
Another Kind of “Power Encounter”
Missionary Tom comes in and wants to start up a new ministry. Where does he go to get manned with the most competent, driven people? To other local ministries, of course. Tom has more money and so can lure the best people away from other local ministries. Maybe Tom’s group is effective, maybe it isn’t. …
Indispensable?
Missionary Ron is a great organizer and a great planner. He has a good local network and is discipling them to be effective parts of the team. Good things are happening. The ministry is growing and missionary Ron is fulfilled in leading such a fine group. But one day, Missionary Ron is gone. The captain …
Missions “Rule #2”
While in the Navy, I had to learn the US Coast Guard Rules of the Road. This provides rules for navigation of vessels on the water. I thought it was a masterful booklet. Part of its greatness is its brevity. It is not hugely detailed. It provides guidelines, with flexibility. This Rules of the Road …
Church Acculturation in Missions
J.W. Berry (1980) described 4 modes of acculturation. Assimilation. One's cultural identity is lost in the dominant culture Integration. One Seeks to integrate one's cultural identity with the dominant culture. Separation. One maintains one's unique cultural identity, rejecting the dominant culture. Marginalization. One loses important parts of own cultural identity, while having those parts …
What Role Does Phatic Communion Have in Christian Missions
According to Bronislav Malinowski, "Phatic communion serves to establish bonds of personal union between people brought together by the mere need of companionship and does not serve any purpose of communicating ideas." This is sometimes called "small talk", chit-chat, and terms and expressions of courtesy and social convention. In some ways phatic communion (or phatic …
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“Missio” Theology?
There is disunity in theology. Pannenberg, Ebeling, Farley, and others have pointed this out. In some sense, this is obvious, but I would like to discuss this from the point of missions. Traditionally, the 4-fold model of theology is accepted. The four are: 1. Biblical Theology. 2. Historical Theology. 3. Systematic Theology. 4. Practical …
A Church Built to Last? Part Two
<Part 2> Part One of this topic pointed out that a major problem where regional churches have died (such as in North Africa and Central Asia) was due to a lack of enculturation. The church remained as a church of outsiders. In North Africa, the church was Roman, rather than North African. In Central Asia, …