This is some material from my dissertation, STRATEGIC USE OF MEDICAL MISSION EVENTS IN LONG-TERM LOCAL CHURCH OUTREACH: A CONSULTANT-STYLE FRAMEWORK FOR MEDICAL MISSION PRACTITIONERS IN THE ILOCOS REGION, PHILIPPINES. I will give a bit of a top-level look in this post, and some propositional work in Part IV. The characteristics of "REAL" Medical Missions: Right …
Continue reading Research on Medical Mission Events (Philippines), Part III
Why NOT to Do Medical Missions To fully go into all the reasons not to do medical missions would take too long. So here is a short version. NOTE: I think there are reasons why medical missions should be done, and can be done successfully... but one must honestly face problems. 1. Strategic Problems. Medical …
Continue reading Research on Medical Mission Events (Philippines), Part II
We just got a box of goods from our home church. It had a couple of books, some vitamins, Old Bay Seasoning, clarinet reeds, a table cloth, some letters from children and friends at our home church, and a couple of bottles of Screaming Hornets Hot Sauce. The box reminded me of a few things …
Continue reading Missionary Life: Screaming Hornets and Letters from Home
2. Challenges Associated with the Philippines A. Cultural Factors. While there are cultural factors that greatly promote community development in the Philippines, including "bayanihan" and the barangay system, this section will focus on traits that (while they may demonstrate themselves positively in certain ways) can inhibit community development. Cultural Factor #1. "Utang na loob". This …
Continue reading Challenges of Church-Based COMDEV in the Philippines (Part 2)
This is a brief summary of issues brought up from interviews with community development specialists and church leaders in the Philippines in 2007. I have seen nothing to suggest that things have changed. Community Development, I believe, is a critical component for the church and church members in being salt and light to the world. And... assuming the …
Continue reading Challenges of Church-Based COMDEV in the Philippines (Part I)
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 …
One of the frustrations I (personally) have in evangelism is the lack of separation between sharing God’s message and sharing one’s denominational message. Not only do Christian witnesses connect these two but often: don’t see the two messages as being different. And relatedly… don’t see the inappropriateness of linking the two messages. As I have …
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 ultimately effective, or perhaps …