As a Christian and a Hoosier, I take seriously my responsibilities as a citizen and resident of the State of Indiana. For years I have been a default conservative Republican. However, in recent years, I have come to question many of the traditional positions of the party. At the risk of oversimplifications, here is my take on the recent elections:
• Conservative Values. As an Evangelical believer, I submit to the authority of the Scriptures and historic Christian teachings. For me, they inform my position regarding homosexual behaviors and abortion. However, I cannot sympathize with many other so-called conservative positions for one simple reason. North America is not The Kingdom of God; it never has been nor is it today. While I love my country, there are many reasons that Christian should not favor a return to the past nor assume that the world will just get better on its own.
• Critical Issues. I believe that several critical issues were at stake in the recent elections, including the economy and jobs, health care, care of the environment, the inclusion of minorities, and the need for comprehensive immigration reform. (My sense is that the debates regarding homosexuality and abortion are not on the front burner, thus less was at stake in the recent round of elections.) As a citizen of God’s Kingdom, I struggle with the conservative positions on each of the critical issues.
• Equal Opportunity versus White Privilege. My view on many political issues is influenced by a growing awareness of White Privilege. Simply stated, current social realities reflect the scars of our country’s sad history of social and racial preferences. As a result, social inequalities still exist in many subtle ways through the structures handed down to us from our nation's history. On one hand, conservative ideologues imagine that today our country offers a “level playing field.” This “equal opportunity” view presupposes that anyone can rise above their circumstances and succeed. On the other hand, White Privilege reminds us that this is not necessarily true for many people that are still trapped in today’s social structures.
• Regional Differences. It is not a coincidence that Republican conservatives tend to be concentrated in the suburbs, small towns and suburban areas (of course, there are exceptions), while more moderate Republicans, Independents and Democrats are found in our Nation’s cities and along the coasts. Our cities and the coasts have much higher percentages of minorities and immigrants. It makes sense that those in more privileged regions would tend to favor the status quo and less governmental involvement, while the less privileged are hoping for more radical changes.
• Help from our Government or the Church. Some say that Christians should not expect our government to solve our nation’s social problems. This is only partially true. On one hand, God works through governments to accomplish His will on earth. For that reason, Christians ought to participate in the political process. On the other hand, God calls upon the Church to help bring His Kingdom to pass on earth as it is in heaven. So where the government falls short, Christians ought to step in the gap. Unfortunately, churches in America often have fallen far short, allowing the world to squeeze them into its mold.
My prayer and hope is that Christians will step into the gap, especially in light of the recent elections.
• Health care. I for one am willing to pay more so that others can have adequate health care. Even Christians who oppose an expansion of our government’s health care programs are urged to step into the gap for minorities in our cities, seniors in the donut hole, and those with preexisting conditions.
• The economy. All Christians are called to step in the gap for the unemployed among us, especially until our nation’s economy recovers. We ought to make sure that no one goes without food, housing, health care, and the basic needs of life.
• Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Christians ought to support comprehensive immigration reform. I'm convinced this is one of our country's most pressing moral issues. Millions of our brothers and sisters in Christ are marginalized because of our nation’s broken immigration system. (For more on this topic, see the sidebar to the right for the link to my blog entitled "Evangelicals and Illegal Immigrants.")
• Care of the Environment. God has entrusted us as stewards of His creation. This responsibility ought to inform our position on related issues, such as the current debates regarding cap and trade. On a personal level, our responsibility as Christians calls us to change our consumerism lifestyle.
So those are my current views, admittedly oversimplified at many points for the sake of brevity. As a result, there is lots of room for debate and modifications.
To summarize, it comes down to three simple questions:
One, do you agree that Christians are first and foremost citizens of God's Kingdom and thus our priorities will often be in tension with the priorities of this world?
Two, do you agree that “White Privilege” still exists and should inform our positions on many social issues?
Three, do you believe that Christians and churches will step in the gap for millions of our brothers and sisters who are marginalized and in need of a helping hand?
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
What Happens When Everyone’s a Missionary?
In the morning I learned that Jessica, my former student now living in India, had typhoid, and still she was joyfully looking forward to discipling her new Indian friends that evening. Her extraordinary commitment and sacrifice resonated with my definition of a “missionary.” I knew that she had just spent her birthday separated by thousands of miles from her parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. I thanked God for her and asked Him to be her constant companion and help.
Right now I’m listening to another woman that several decades ago had given witness to a call to overseas mission service, but shortly afterward got married and now for years has lived within a five minute drive of her parents and sister in her home town. She’s giving a lengthy explanation of how she considers that she still has fulfilled her missionary call even while living in her hometown, surrounded for all these years by family and friends and celebrating life daily with them. To me it feels like rationalizing, especially as I think about what Jessica is doing today.
Nearly every day I have students in my intercultural studies classes tell me that they have been thinking recently about going back to their hometown here in North America instead of serving God abroad. After all, North America is a mission field too, they remind me.
For several years, we have been told that local churches could be better stewards by supporting “national missionaries” instead of sending North Americans to faraway places. Today there is a constant stream of “nationals” speaking in our local churches and supported as our missionaries. Most of them in reality are what we used to call “evangelists” and “church planters.” While these ministries should not be minimized, most do not represent cross-cultural outreach endeavors that also are crucial to the expansion of our Lord’s kingdom.
A couple of days ago, one of my faculty colleagues proclaimed as he came into the room that another missiologist, referring to himself, had just arrived. In reality, this scholar’s specialization is what we used to call “church growth,” but now he along with many of his colleagues has embraced missional language. Never mind that some (perhaps many) have never lived abroad, nor mastered another language, nor spent countless holidays separated from family and one's home culture, nor struggled with physical afflictions such as typhoid or malaria or hepatitis.
While I celebrate the fresh realization that all churches ought to be missional, still the co-opting of missiological terminology to refer to what we used to call “evangelism and church growth” makes me wonder how pleasing this general picture is to our Lord. I suspect that He would be very disappointed to discover that while growing numbers of his followers are now calling themselves “missionaries,” only a few North Americans today are leaving their home cultures and families and friends for a lifetime of serving Him among the multitudes of unreached people groups that are lost for all eternity and without a single witness for hundreds of miles around. Furthermore, the number of "missionaries" going to those peoples is disproportionatly small, to an embarrassing extreme, when compared to the growing number of others here in North America that also call themselves "missionaries."
For my part, I’m inclined to reserve the term “missionary” for Jessica and others like her who are serving our Lord in far away cultures and places. This is not meant to minimize the commitments and efforts of thousands of others that are extending our Lord’s Kingdom nearer to home. Rather, it is to celebrate and champion the obedience of those like Jessica that are willing to leave their family, friends, home, and everything familiar to serve Jesus.
Right now I’m listening to another woman that several decades ago had given witness to a call to overseas mission service, but shortly afterward got married and now for years has lived within a five minute drive of her parents and sister in her home town. She’s giving a lengthy explanation of how she considers that she still has fulfilled her missionary call even while living in her hometown, surrounded for all these years by family and friends and celebrating life daily with them. To me it feels like rationalizing, especially as I think about what Jessica is doing today.
Nearly every day I have students in my intercultural studies classes tell me that they have been thinking recently about going back to their hometown here in North America instead of serving God abroad. After all, North America is a mission field too, they remind me.
For several years, we have been told that local churches could be better stewards by supporting “national missionaries” instead of sending North Americans to faraway places. Today there is a constant stream of “nationals” speaking in our local churches and supported as our missionaries. Most of them in reality are what we used to call “evangelists” and “church planters.” While these ministries should not be minimized, most do not represent cross-cultural outreach endeavors that also are crucial to the expansion of our Lord’s kingdom.
A couple of days ago, one of my faculty colleagues proclaimed as he came into the room that another missiologist, referring to himself, had just arrived. In reality, this scholar’s specialization is what we used to call “church growth,” but now he along with many of his colleagues has embraced missional language. Never mind that some (perhaps many) have never lived abroad, nor mastered another language, nor spent countless holidays separated from family and one's home culture, nor struggled with physical afflictions such as typhoid or malaria or hepatitis.
While I celebrate the fresh realization that all churches ought to be missional, still the co-opting of missiological terminology to refer to what we used to call “evangelism and church growth” makes me wonder how pleasing this general picture is to our Lord. I suspect that He would be very disappointed to discover that while growing numbers of his followers are now calling themselves “missionaries,” only a few North Americans today are leaving their home cultures and families and friends for a lifetime of serving Him among the multitudes of unreached people groups that are lost for all eternity and without a single witness for hundreds of miles around. Furthermore, the number of "missionaries" going to those peoples is disproportionatly small, to an embarrassing extreme, when compared to the growing number of others here in North America that also call themselves "missionaries."
For my part, I’m inclined to reserve the term “missionary” for Jessica and others like her who are serving our Lord in far away cultures and places. This is not meant to minimize the commitments and efforts of thousands of others that are extending our Lord’s Kingdom nearer to home. Rather, it is to celebrate and champion the obedience of those like Jessica that are willing to leave their family, friends, home, and everything familiar to serve Jesus.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Business Captivity of the Church: Concerns Regarding the Impact on Missions
What does the phrase Business Captivity of the Church suggest to you? In addition, how in particular does it affect our highest vocation as Christians, which is to “make disciples of all nations”? To illustrate what I mean by this phrase, let me give a short list of practices that I have observed by BCCers (Business Captors of the Church) that concerns me. Afterward I will make a few comments and then get your reactions.
• BCCers* value specialists over generalists.
• BCCers prefer information over intuition.
• BCCers over-analyze and dichotomize everything.
• BCCers focus on “the main thing” to the exclusion of seeing the whole picture.
• BCCers obsess with the bottom line.
• BCCers fixate on getting the “biggest bang for the buck.”
• BCCers accentuate projects over enculturation and language learning.
• BCCers emphasize “sticking with the strategy” over flexible responsiveness.
• BCCers elevate completing tasks over building relationships.
Admittedly, this list reflects extreme approaches, and each one can be helpful when implemented in appropriate ways and with moderation and balance.
My primary concern is that BCCers tend to be overrepresented in the church on boards and in administrative positions. Prominent among them are business people, executives and administrators in secular firms, bankers, and professionals in other for-profit endeavors. This tendency should not be a surprise, since the orientations and skills represented in the above bulleted list are crucial to responsible stewardship and administration in the church. In addition, people with predilections in these areas tend to gravitate to administrative and leadership roles because their expertise and successes in personal life seems to commend them to similar roles in the church.
The problem is that the perspectives and opinions of BCCers tend to highjack the mindsets of our boards and leaders and become the controlling orientation, leaving little or no room for faith, hope, mystery, and the opportunity to depend upon God. This happens with other voices are not present to provide more balanced perspectives and approaches.
I have observed the “Business Captivity of the Church” in a many denominations here in North America in recent decades, and of even greater concern to me, in mission organizations with ministries around the world. As a result, mission endeavors tend to be evaluated based primarily and at times exclusively upon short-term results with less consideration for breadth, depth, quality and long-term viability.
Rather than provide a list of specific examples at this point, I would welcome your responses. So please give me your reactions:
• What does the phrase “Business Captivity of the Church” bring to mind for you?
• What else would you add to the bulleted list above about BCCers?
• How are BCCers influencing the ministries of your local church, denomination or mission endeavors?
• Could you share any examples that you have witnessed or experienced personally?
• In what ways can the Church respond to bring balance to this trend?
If you would like to send me a personal response instead of commenting on this blog, please share your thoughts in confidence, at the following e-mail address: norman.wilson@sbcglobal.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you!
“*” BCCers stands for "Business Captors of the Church"
• BCCers* value specialists over generalists.
• BCCers prefer information over intuition.
• BCCers over-analyze and dichotomize everything.
• BCCers focus on “the main thing” to the exclusion of seeing the whole picture.
• BCCers obsess with the bottom line.
• BCCers fixate on getting the “biggest bang for the buck.”
• BCCers accentuate projects over enculturation and language learning.
• BCCers emphasize “sticking with the strategy” over flexible responsiveness.
• BCCers elevate completing tasks over building relationships.
Admittedly, this list reflects extreme approaches, and each one can be helpful when implemented in appropriate ways and with moderation and balance.
My primary concern is that BCCers tend to be overrepresented in the church on boards and in administrative positions. Prominent among them are business people, executives and administrators in secular firms, bankers, and professionals in other for-profit endeavors. This tendency should not be a surprise, since the orientations and skills represented in the above bulleted list are crucial to responsible stewardship and administration in the church. In addition, people with predilections in these areas tend to gravitate to administrative and leadership roles because their expertise and successes in personal life seems to commend them to similar roles in the church.
The problem is that the perspectives and opinions of BCCers tend to highjack the mindsets of our boards and leaders and become the controlling orientation, leaving little or no room for faith, hope, mystery, and the opportunity to depend upon God. This happens with other voices are not present to provide more balanced perspectives and approaches.
I have observed the “Business Captivity of the Church” in a many denominations here in North America in recent decades, and of even greater concern to me, in mission organizations with ministries around the world. As a result, mission endeavors tend to be evaluated based primarily and at times exclusively upon short-term results with less consideration for breadth, depth, quality and long-term viability.
Rather than provide a list of specific examples at this point, I would welcome your responses. So please give me your reactions:
• What does the phrase “Business Captivity of the Church” bring to mind for you?
• What else would you add to the bulleted list above about BCCers?
• How are BCCers influencing the ministries of your local church, denomination or mission endeavors?
• Could you share any examples that you have witnessed or experienced personally?
• In what ways can the Church respond to bring balance to this trend?
If you would like to send me a personal response instead of commenting on this blog, please share your thoughts in confidence, at the following e-mail address: norman.wilson@sbcglobal.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you!
“*” BCCers stands for "Business Captors of the Church"
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Two Enduring Truths about Our Lord's Great Commission
Church growth, Church health, The Missional church, post-modernism, the younger evangelicals, globalization, southern Christianity, multiple Jerusalems... Christians today are bombarded by countless new terms and trends. Many of them can be helpful, as long as they do not confuse or distract us.
Nevertheless, The Great Commission, Jesus’ last words to His disciples, still best expresses our Lord’s passions and priorities.
Our Lord’s words in this passage are simple and direct and still have radical implications for all of us today who choose to follow Him. His message can be summarized by two basic and enduring truths.
FIRST, WE ARE ALL CALLED TO GO.
We are supposed to be a pilgrim people on this earth, going to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the world (Acts 1:8).
A. An Incarnational Approach. Going requires an Incarnational approach, patterning our lives after our Lord’s example, Who came to earth “in the flesh.”
All believers are included and expected to obey, whether from Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, the Pacific area, the Middle East or Asia. No one is exempted. Nor has the day passed for North American missions. Those who say, “Now it’s time to focus primarily on our own nation and let Christians from other countries take our places on the mission fields,” are wrong. Yes, today our own nation is a mission field too. In addition, there are urgent needs all around the world.
Literature and media are wonderful tools to complement our endeavors. Nevertheless, connecting in “virtual reality” cannot offer a handshake and a warm embrace. Nothing can replace the multidimensional ministries that only are possible through physical presence.
B. Global Ambassadors. We are all commissioned to be “Global Ambassadors” for Jesus Christ throughout the entire not-yet-Christian world—both at home and abroad.
The whole world is a mission field.
We praise God for the growth of Christianity in the Caribbean, South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of Asia. However, the need for missionaries in those areas continues, even though their countries of origin and their ministries may need to be different.
At the same time, peoples in many unreached areas desperately need our priority attention—in Northern Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific area, and all Muslim regions.
In addition, North America and Europe are huge mission fields that also call for our focused attention.
We are not asked to choose—between staying “home” and going to “the mission field.” Instead, God's people are called to go across the street, across town, across our country, and around the world whenever and however possible.
Wherever we may temporarily “pitch our tents,” we are all supposed to have eyes, hearts and hands for the whole world. (1) When God calls us to serve Him abroad, our ministry will be authenticated by our pattern and example of reaching across the street at home. (2) And regarding ministry in North America, our witness and service across the street will be enriched and enhanced by our experience of serving our Lord abroad. This is increasingly true and possible in the globalizing world of today.
SECOND, WE ARE CALLED TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL PEOPLES
A. Physical Presence is Essential. Making disciples requires physical presence, personal relationships and holistic ministry.
The goal is that all the peoples of the earth will have contextually appropriate opportunities to be involved in worship, evangelism, teaching, fellowship, and service.
To that end, vibrant self-sustaining, self-governing, and self-propagating communities of Jesus followers are to be established among every people group.
B. We have Greater Means to go than Ever before in History. Our ability to reach peoples all around the world is greater than ever before in the history of the world. It is within our means to go regularly in person to virtually anywhere in the world, and in between we should stay in touch regularly via e-mail, Skype, blogs, web pages, and other media communications.
C. Ministry Opportunities and Resources Abound. Today the opportunities for all believers to obey our Lord’s Great Commission are limitless. There are thousands of people groups and more individuals today than ever before in all history that are still unreached. Moreover, wide varieties of partnerships to reach them are available for all believers and local churches. In addition, resources abound to help us minister in ways that are effective and help to build our Lord’s Kingdom.
So while there are many new ideas about missions in the world today, the urgency and main message of our Lord’s call is just as relevant for us as ever in history. We are all called to go to all the world and make disciples of all peoples.
Nevertheless, The Great Commission, Jesus’ last words to His disciples, still best expresses our Lord’s passions and priorities.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
(Matthew 28:18-20 KJV)
Our Lord’s words in this passage are simple and direct and still have radical implications for all of us today who choose to follow Him. His message can be summarized by two basic and enduring truths.
FIRST, WE ARE ALL CALLED TO GO.
We are supposed to be a pilgrim people on this earth, going to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the world (Acts 1:8).
A. An Incarnational Approach. Going requires an Incarnational approach, patterning our lives after our Lord’s example, Who came to earth “in the flesh.”
All believers are included and expected to obey, whether from Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, the Pacific area, the Middle East or Asia. No one is exempted. Nor has the day passed for North American missions. Those who say, “Now it’s time to focus primarily on our own nation and let Christians from other countries take our places on the mission fields,” are wrong. Yes, today our own nation is a mission field too. In addition, there are urgent needs all around the world.
Literature and media are wonderful tools to complement our endeavors. Nevertheless, connecting in “virtual reality” cannot offer a handshake and a warm embrace. Nothing can replace the multidimensional ministries that only are possible through physical presence.
B. Global Ambassadors. We are all commissioned to be “Global Ambassadors” for Jesus Christ throughout the entire not-yet-Christian world—both at home and abroad.
The whole world is a mission field.
We praise God for the growth of Christianity in the Caribbean, South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of Asia. However, the need for missionaries in those areas continues, even though their countries of origin and their ministries may need to be different.
At the same time, peoples in many unreached areas desperately need our priority attention—in Northern Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific area, and all Muslim regions.
In addition, North America and Europe are huge mission fields that also call for our focused attention.
We are not asked to choose—between staying “home” and going to “the mission field.” Instead, God's people are called to go across the street, across town, across our country, and around the world whenever and however possible.
Wherever we may temporarily “pitch our tents,” we are all supposed to have eyes, hearts and hands for the whole world. (1) When God calls us to serve Him abroad, our ministry will be authenticated by our pattern and example of reaching across the street at home. (2) And regarding ministry in North America, our witness and service across the street will be enriched and enhanced by our experience of serving our Lord abroad. This is increasingly true and possible in the globalizing world of today.
SECOND, WE ARE CALLED TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL PEOPLES
A. Physical Presence is Essential. Making disciples requires physical presence, personal relationships and holistic ministry.
The goal is that all the peoples of the earth will have contextually appropriate opportunities to be involved in worship, evangelism, teaching, fellowship, and service.
To that end, vibrant self-sustaining, self-governing, and self-propagating communities of Jesus followers are to be established among every people group.
B. We have Greater Means to go than Ever before in History. Our ability to reach peoples all around the world is greater than ever before in the history of the world. It is within our means to go regularly in person to virtually anywhere in the world, and in between we should stay in touch regularly via e-mail, Skype, blogs, web pages, and other media communications.
C. Ministry Opportunities and Resources Abound. Today the opportunities for all believers to obey our Lord’s Great Commission are limitless. There are thousands of people groups and more individuals today than ever before in all history that are still unreached. Moreover, wide varieties of partnerships to reach them are available for all believers and local churches. In addition, resources abound to help us minister in ways that are effective and help to build our Lord’s Kingdom.
So while there are many new ideas about missions in the world today, the urgency and main message of our Lord’s call is just as relevant for us as ever in history. We are all called to go to all the world and make disciples of all peoples.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
North American Christianity and The Great Commission: Making Sense of the Big Picture
Countless global challenges face North American Christians and churches today as we endeavor to obey our Lord’s command to “go to the ends of the earth.” Long lists of issues are often cited, including but not limited to the following (Guthrie 2000; Pocock et al. 2005):
• Supporting national workers
• Finances and patron-client relations
• Missionary care and attrition
• Contextualization
• Short-term missions
• Women in missions
• Globalization
• Partnerships
• Technology
• Terrorism
Frequently one may wonder if there is any way to make sense of the big picture and how these issues are interrelated. For these reasons, identifying and analyzing several overarching realities of North American Christianity that interface with a number of the most prominent issues could be very helpful for believers and churches. In this way, vital topics for discussion can be identified and addressed, hopefully leading to more comprehensive and faithful approaches to addressing the current challenges before us.
A Mile Wide and an Inch Deep Abroad?
On one hand, from various perspectives Christianity in North America is prospering. Protestantism, revivalism, the rise of evangelicalism, volunteering, and the modern missionary movement of the past century sensitized and mobilized the laity during the twentieth century to serve as missionaries in unprecedented numbers around the world.
The financial resources available to North American Christians are at record levels. Furthermore, multiple mission organizations now provide administrative infrastructures for a broad spectrum of ministries and represent over a century of institutional memories and wisdom regarding effective management of missionary endeavors. These developments have contributed significantly to the huge global impact of the modern missionary movement during the past century and helped to establish Christianity in many countries around the world.
Even then, at times and in many places around the world, rather shallow expressions of the Christian faith and doctrine were syncretized with local tribal customs, thus failing to penetrate deeply into the host cultures and thoroughly transform the people and their ways of life (cf. Cope 2001; Miller 2001; Sider 1999; Sider, Olson, and Unruh 2002; Stone 2004 and 2007).
Meanwhile Something’s Amiss Back Home
Meanwhile back home in North America, a number of debilitating weaknesses have emerged and are hindering North American Christians from fulfilling our Lord’s command. Worldliness is growing among many who call themselves Christians of the majority culture. Redemption and lift has created a Christian culture that is increasingly wealthy, materialistic, hedonistic, self-absorbed, parochial, and self-serving (Sider 2005).
Furthermore, many who consider themselves Christians allow their perspectives and passions to be formed more by the influences of this world than by a personal relationship with Christ and emersion in the Scriptures. This growing tendency of North American Christians to identify more with the world and its values than with those of our Lord’s kingdom is weakening their ability to be effective witnesses of the Good News at home and abroad.
North Americans, Bellicosity and Fanaticism
Being an American and a missionary can have both positive and negative consequences. Americans around the world are both loved and hated, often for understandable and at times for puzzling reasons. The role of The United States as a world leader often represents a hindrance for Christian missionaries serving abroad. For this reason, discretion is urged regarding discussions about political matters. Otherwise, one’s motives and loyalties can be questioned, even when speaking from commendable perspectives. As a result, in many places one can never know for sure how those of our host countries are thinking and feeling about our presence and ministries.
Due to the rise of fanaticism by those of Muslim backgrounds and otherwise, and also due to North American nationalistic fervor and bellicosity, North American missionaries that live abroad are increasingly at risk. While being a Christian has always meant dying to self and living for Christ, the stakes for North American missionaries in many countries have never been higher. Obeying our Lord’s call frequently means considerable risks to a missionary’s personal safety and that of one’s family. Meanwhile, North American Christians back home need to remember that first and foremost we are citizens of our Lord’s kingdom and only pilgrims in our earthly country.
Missional Churches at Home and Abroad
The call in North America for local churches to be Missional, on one hand, could represent the possibility of a renewal of passion and interest and a welcomed shift of emphasis (Guder 1998; Rusaw and Swanson 2004; Stetzer and Putman 2006; Van Engen 1991). This new focus could motivate and enable local churches to reach outward and engage in transformational ministries in their communities, across the continent, and around the world. The call for local churches to become Missional could prompt one to hope for the coming of an exciting new missionary movement, bringing a breath of fresh air to North American missions, both domestically and globally.
On the other hand, the proposal by some to “subsume missions in mission” (McClaren 2006, 138 ff.) could result in a reductionist approach to the Great Commission. One would hope that North American Christians could become effective as cross-cultural witnesses by first reaching the world that has come to our doorsteps in recent decades and then going around the world. But effective cross-cultural ministries typically do not happen automatically. Today more than ever, specialized training is needed to enhance our endeavors, often including years of missiological training and language learning (Medearis 2008, Pillai 2003).
During the past century, missions organizations provided specialized resources, training, and infrastructures for cross-cultural ministries. Now with the emergence of the Missional church movement, some may imagine that local churches can fulfill the Great Commission both at home and abroad through their own initiatives and endeavors with little or no outside input or collaboration.
Unfortunately, at times local churches end up focusing primarily on their own sub-cultures while minimalizing their cross-cultural Missional outreach efforts across town and around the world. Given that a significant number of evangelical churches today are located in rural, small town and middle and upper class suburban areas, many Christians of the majority culture rarely interact significantly with the diversity of cultures that are found in large urban areas. North American majority culture Christians typically have been slow to identify with strangers, the marginalized, visitors, and immigrants (Carroll 2008; Soerens and Hwang 2009; Wilson 2006 and 2009).
For these reasons, local Missional churches need to supplement their endeavors through partnerships with broader ecclesiastical structures, mission organizations, churches in communities of diverse cultures, and other intermediary organizations for resourcing, training, and networking.
The Global South and International Partnerships
New developments abroad represent emerging opportunities for North American Christians in Great Commission ministries. In recent decades the number of believers has multiplied in the Global south, providing a groundswell of coworkers in the harvest fields from Central and South America, Africa, and Asia, along with others from Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific regions (Jenkins 2002, 2006, and 2007; Johnstone and Mandryk 2001; Mandryk 2009; Miller and Yamamori 2007; Noll 2009). These represent multiple opportunities to work together for greater Missional effectiveness. In response, North American believers must shift from their controlling paradigms of the past century, learn to work in multi-national teams, and enter into mutually submissive partnership relationships.
A willingness to develop partnerships with non-North American workers is crucial in order to respond to the newly opened doors for ministry in previously closed countries and among peoples that increasingly are open to spiritual matters. Even where oppressive political regimes prohibit or severely restrict Christian witnessing, missionaries from other countries continue to go and faithfully serve the Lord. Our partnership with them can make a huge difference in their lives and ministries.
Conclusion
God has blessed North American Christians with a wealth of resources, experiences, organizational structures, and insights, and we are called to give much in return for Christ and His Kingdom. Our greatest internal hindrances to Missional faithfulness are due to our own worldliness, materialism, hedonism, parochialism, and self-centeredness.
Meanwhile opportunities to collaborate with Global Christians are greater than ever before in human history, representing huge opportunities for transformational ministries through cross-cultural partnerships and teamwork. Our effectiveness in these ministries depends in large part on our willingness and ability to cooperate as mutual partners. While the threats in many places also are greater than ever before, God has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. Furthermore, He commands us to go forth in courageous obedience to His call, confident in the knowledge that in Him we are more than victorious.
Works Cited and Selected Resources
Carroll R., M. Daniel. 2008. Christians at the border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.
Clegg, Tom, and Warren Bird. 2001. Lost in America: How You and Your Church Can Impact the World Next Door. Loveland, Colorado.
Cope, Landa L. 2001. “Biblical Reflections: The Old Testament (Part I) and The New Testament (Part II).” Messages presented at Godmission.community, Orlando.
Engel, James F. 1996. Clouded Future: Advancing North American World Missions. Milwaukee: Christian Stewardship Association.
Engel, James, and William Dyrness. 2000. Changing the mind of missions: Where have we gone wrong? Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press.
Guder, Darrell L., Ed. 1998. Missional church: A vision for the sending of the church in North America. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company.
Guthrie, Stan. 2000. Missions in the third millennium: 21 key trends for the 21st century. Waynesboro, Georgia: Paternoster Press.
Jenkins, Philip. 2002. The next Christendom: The coming of global Christianity. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
________. 2006. The new faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the global south. New York: Oxford University Press.
________. 2007. God’s Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe’s Religious Crisis. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Johnstone, Patrick, and Jason Mandryk. 2001. Operation world: 21st century edition. Waynesboro, Georgia: Paternoster Lifestyle.
Mandryk, Jason. 2009. “The state of the Gospel.” (Video and PowerPoint Presentations) Operation World. http://harvestmediaministry.com/State_Gospel_Full.htm ; http://www.joshuaproject.net/great-commission-powerpoints.php
McLaren, Brian D. 2006. The church on the other side: Exploring the radical future of the local congregation. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Marty, Martin. 2007. The Christian world: A global history. New York: The Modern Library.
Medearis, Carl. 2008. Muslims, Christians, and Jesus: Gaining understanding and building relationships. Minneapolis: Bethany House.
Miller, Darrow L. 2001. Discipling nations: The power of truth to transform cultures (2nd Ed.). Seattle: YWAM Publishing.
Miller, Donald E., and Tetsunao Yamamori. 2007. Global Pentecostalism: The new face of Christian social engagement. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Noll, Mark A. 2009. The new shape of world Christianity: How American experience reflects global faith. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press.
Pillai, Rajendra. 2003. Reaching the world in our own backyard: A guide to building relationships with people of other faiths and cultures. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press.
Pocock et al. 2005. The changing face of world missions: Engaging contemporary issues and trends. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Rusaw, Rick, and Eric Swanson. 2004. The externally focused church. Loveland, Colorado: Group Publishing.
Sider, Ronald J. 1999. Good news and good works: A theology for the whole Gospel. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
________. 2005. The scandal of the evangelical conscience: Why are Christians living just like the rest of the world? Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Sider, Ronald J., Olson, Philip N., and Unruh, Heidi Rolland. 2002. Churches that make a difference: Reaching your community with good news and good works. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Soerens, Matthew, and Jenny Hwang. 2009. Welcoming the stranger: Justice, compassion and truth in the immigration debate. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press.
Stetzer, Ed, and David Putman. 2006. Breaking the Missional code: Your church can become a missionary in your community. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman Publishers.
Stone, Bryan P. 2004. Compassionate ministry: Theological foundations. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books.
________. 2007. Evangelism after Christendom: The theology and practice of Christian witness. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press.
Van Engen, Charles. 1991. God’s missionary people: Rethinking the purpose of the local church. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Wilson, Norman G. 2005. “Compassionate ministry and evangelism: Their relationship and expression.” Wesleyan Church Web Site: Leadership Development Journey (July). http://globalambassadors.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-10-31T10%3A27%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7
________. 2006. “Good news for the immigration problem.” Wesleyan Life: Winter. http://evangelicals-and-illegal-immigrants.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-09-24T10%3A13%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7 (Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008)
________. 2009. “Evangelism and social action—revisiting an old debate: Good News for immigrants and Evangelicals too.” Journal of The American Society for Church Growth: Volume 20, Winter, pages 69-83. http://globalambassadors.blogspot.com/2009/06/evangelism-and-social-actionrevisiting.html
• Supporting national workers
• Finances and patron-client relations
• Missionary care and attrition
• Contextualization
• Short-term missions
• Women in missions
• Globalization
• Partnerships
• Technology
• Terrorism
Frequently one may wonder if there is any way to make sense of the big picture and how these issues are interrelated. For these reasons, identifying and analyzing several overarching realities of North American Christianity that interface with a number of the most prominent issues could be very helpful for believers and churches. In this way, vital topics for discussion can be identified and addressed, hopefully leading to more comprehensive and faithful approaches to addressing the current challenges before us.
A Mile Wide and an Inch Deep Abroad?
On one hand, from various perspectives Christianity in North America is prospering. Protestantism, revivalism, the rise of evangelicalism, volunteering, and the modern missionary movement of the past century sensitized and mobilized the laity during the twentieth century to serve as missionaries in unprecedented numbers around the world.
The financial resources available to North American Christians are at record levels. Furthermore, multiple mission organizations now provide administrative infrastructures for a broad spectrum of ministries and represent over a century of institutional memories and wisdom regarding effective management of missionary endeavors. These developments have contributed significantly to the huge global impact of the modern missionary movement during the past century and helped to establish Christianity in many countries around the world.
Even then, at times and in many places around the world, rather shallow expressions of the Christian faith and doctrine were syncretized with local tribal customs, thus failing to penetrate deeply into the host cultures and thoroughly transform the people and their ways of life (cf. Cope 2001; Miller 2001; Sider 1999; Sider, Olson, and Unruh 2002; Stone 2004 and 2007).
Meanwhile Something’s Amiss Back Home
Meanwhile back home in North America, a number of debilitating weaknesses have emerged and are hindering North American Christians from fulfilling our Lord’s command. Worldliness is growing among many who call themselves Christians of the majority culture. Redemption and lift has created a Christian culture that is increasingly wealthy, materialistic, hedonistic, self-absorbed, parochial, and self-serving (Sider 2005).
Furthermore, many who consider themselves Christians allow their perspectives and passions to be formed more by the influences of this world than by a personal relationship with Christ and emersion in the Scriptures. This growing tendency of North American Christians to identify more with the world and its values than with those of our Lord’s kingdom is weakening their ability to be effective witnesses of the Good News at home and abroad.
North Americans, Bellicosity and Fanaticism
Being an American and a missionary can have both positive and negative consequences. Americans around the world are both loved and hated, often for understandable and at times for puzzling reasons. The role of The United States as a world leader often represents a hindrance for Christian missionaries serving abroad. For this reason, discretion is urged regarding discussions about political matters. Otherwise, one’s motives and loyalties can be questioned, even when speaking from commendable perspectives. As a result, in many places one can never know for sure how those of our host countries are thinking and feeling about our presence and ministries.
Due to the rise of fanaticism by those of Muslim backgrounds and otherwise, and also due to North American nationalistic fervor and bellicosity, North American missionaries that live abroad are increasingly at risk. While being a Christian has always meant dying to self and living for Christ, the stakes for North American missionaries in many countries have never been higher. Obeying our Lord’s call frequently means considerable risks to a missionary’s personal safety and that of one’s family. Meanwhile, North American Christians back home need to remember that first and foremost we are citizens of our Lord’s kingdom and only pilgrims in our earthly country.
Missional Churches at Home and Abroad
The call in North America for local churches to be Missional, on one hand, could represent the possibility of a renewal of passion and interest and a welcomed shift of emphasis (Guder 1998; Rusaw and Swanson 2004; Stetzer and Putman 2006; Van Engen 1991). This new focus could motivate and enable local churches to reach outward and engage in transformational ministries in their communities, across the continent, and around the world. The call for local churches to become Missional could prompt one to hope for the coming of an exciting new missionary movement, bringing a breath of fresh air to North American missions, both domestically and globally.
On the other hand, the proposal by some to “subsume missions in mission” (McClaren 2006, 138 ff.) could result in a reductionist approach to the Great Commission. One would hope that North American Christians could become effective as cross-cultural witnesses by first reaching the world that has come to our doorsteps in recent decades and then going around the world. But effective cross-cultural ministries typically do not happen automatically. Today more than ever, specialized training is needed to enhance our endeavors, often including years of missiological training and language learning (Medearis 2008, Pillai 2003).
During the past century, missions organizations provided specialized resources, training, and infrastructures for cross-cultural ministries. Now with the emergence of the Missional church movement, some may imagine that local churches can fulfill the Great Commission both at home and abroad through their own initiatives and endeavors with little or no outside input or collaboration.
Unfortunately, at times local churches end up focusing primarily on their own sub-cultures while minimalizing their cross-cultural Missional outreach efforts across town and around the world. Given that a significant number of evangelical churches today are located in rural, small town and middle and upper class suburban areas, many Christians of the majority culture rarely interact significantly with the diversity of cultures that are found in large urban areas. North American majority culture Christians typically have been slow to identify with strangers, the marginalized, visitors, and immigrants (Carroll 2008; Soerens and Hwang 2009; Wilson 2006 and 2009).
For these reasons, local Missional churches need to supplement their endeavors through partnerships with broader ecclesiastical structures, mission organizations, churches in communities of diverse cultures, and other intermediary organizations for resourcing, training, and networking.
The Global South and International Partnerships
New developments abroad represent emerging opportunities for North American Christians in Great Commission ministries. In recent decades the number of believers has multiplied in the Global south, providing a groundswell of coworkers in the harvest fields from Central and South America, Africa, and Asia, along with others from Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific regions (Jenkins 2002, 2006, and 2007; Johnstone and Mandryk 2001; Mandryk 2009; Miller and Yamamori 2007; Noll 2009). These represent multiple opportunities to work together for greater Missional effectiveness. In response, North American believers must shift from their controlling paradigms of the past century, learn to work in multi-national teams, and enter into mutually submissive partnership relationships.
A willingness to develop partnerships with non-North American workers is crucial in order to respond to the newly opened doors for ministry in previously closed countries and among peoples that increasingly are open to spiritual matters. Even where oppressive political regimes prohibit or severely restrict Christian witnessing, missionaries from other countries continue to go and faithfully serve the Lord. Our partnership with them can make a huge difference in their lives and ministries.
Conclusion
God has blessed North American Christians with a wealth of resources, experiences, organizational structures, and insights, and we are called to give much in return for Christ and His Kingdom. Our greatest internal hindrances to Missional faithfulness are due to our own worldliness, materialism, hedonism, parochialism, and self-centeredness.
Meanwhile opportunities to collaborate with Global Christians are greater than ever before in human history, representing huge opportunities for transformational ministries through cross-cultural partnerships and teamwork. Our effectiveness in these ministries depends in large part on our willingness and ability to cooperate as mutual partners. While the threats in many places also are greater than ever before, God has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. Furthermore, He commands us to go forth in courageous obedience to His call, confident in the knowledge that in Him we are more than victorious.
Works Cited and Selected Resources
Carroll R., M. Daniel. 2008. Christians at the border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.
Clegg, Tom, and Warren Bird. 2001. Lost in America: How You and Your Church Can Impact the World Next Door. Loveland, Colorado.
Cope, Landa L. 2001. “Biblical Reflections: The Old Testament (Part I) and The New Testament (Part II).” Messages presented at Godmission.community, Orlando.
Engel, James F. 1996. Clouded Future: Advancing North American World Missions. Milwaukee: Christian Stewardship Association.
Engel, James, and William Dyrness. 2000. Changing the mind of missions: Where have we gone wrong? Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press.
Guder, Darrell L., Ed. 1998. Missional church: A vision for the sending of the church in North America. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company.
Guthrie, Stan. 2000. Missions in the third millennium: 21 key trends for the 21st century. Waynesboro, Georgia: Paternoster Press.
Jenkins, Philip. 2002. The next Christendom: The coming of global Christianity. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
________. 2006. The new faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the global south. New York: Oxford University Press.
________. 2007. God’s Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe’s Religious Crisis. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Johnstone, Patrick, and Jason Mandryk. 2001. Operation world: 21st century edition. Waynesboro, Georgia: Paternoster Lifestyle.
Mandryk, Jason. 2009. “The state of the Gospel.” (Video and PowerPoint Presentations) Operation World. http://harvestmediaministry.com/State_Gospel_Full.htm ; http://www.joshuaproject.net/great-commission-powerpoints.php
McLaren, Brian D. 2006. The church on the other side: Exploring the radical future of the local congregation. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Marty, Martin. 2007. The Christian world: A global history. New York: The Modern Library.
Medearis, Carl. 2008. Muslims, Christians, and Jesus: Gaining understanding and building relationships. Minneapolis: Bethany House.
Miller, Darrow L. 2001. Discipling nations: The power of truth to transform cultures (2nd Ed.). Seattle: YWAM Publishing.
Miller, Donald E., and Tetsunao Yamamori. 2007. Global Pentecostalism: The new face of Christian social engagement. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Noll, Mark A. 2009. The new shape of world Christianity: How American experience reflects global faith. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press.
Pillai, Rajendra. 2003. Reaching the world in our own backyard: A guide to building relationships with people of other faiths and cultures. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press.
Pocock et al. 2005. The changing face of world missions: Engaging contemporary issues and trends. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Rusaw, Rick, and Eric Swanson. 2004. The externally focused church. Loveland, Colorado: Group Publishing.
Sider, Ronald J. 1999. Good news and good works: A theology for the whole Gospel. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
________. 2005. The scandal of the evangelical conscience: Why are Christians living just like the rest of the world? Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Sider, Ronald J., Olson, Philip N., and Unruh, Heidi Rolland. 2002. Churches that make a difference: Reaching your community with good news and good works. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Soerens, Matthew, and Jenny Hwang. 2009. Welcoming the stranger: Justice, compassion and truth in the immigration debate. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press.
Stetzer, Ed, and David Putman. 2006. Breaking the Missional code: Your church can become a missionary in your community. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman Publishers.
Stone, Bryan P. 2004. Compassionate ministry: Theological foundations. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books.
________. 2007. Evangelism after Christendom: The theology and practice of Christian witness. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press.
Van Engen, Charles. 1991. God’s missionary people: Rethinking the purpose of the local church. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Wilson, Norman G. 2005. “Compassionate ministry and evangelism: Their relationship and expression.” Wesleyan Church Web Site: Leadership Development Journey (July). http://globalambassadors.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-10-31T10%3A27%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7
________. 2006. “Good news for the immigration problem.” Wesleyan Life: Winter. http://evangelicals-and-illegal-immigrants.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-09-24T10%3A13%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7 (Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008)
________. 2009. “Evangelism and social action—revisiting an old debate: Good News for immigrants and Evangelicals too.” Journal of The American Society for Church Growth: Volume 20, Winter, pages 69-83. http://globalambassadors.blogspot.com/2009/06/evangelism-and-social-actionrevisiting.html
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Global Challenges for North American Christians
Many global challenges face North American Christians and churches today, and a plethora of helpful books is available on the subject (Guthrie 2000; Pocock et al. 2005; and “works cited” and “other recommended resources” below). The list of issues is extensive and their relationships are multifaceted and complex, causing one to wonder if there is any way to make sense of the big picture. For these reasons, analyzing several key issues could be very helpful, both for believers and churches in North America as well as for Global Christians. A clearer understanding of the following challenges for North American Christians in particular will provide readers with some key perspectives for understanding the contemporary situation and our role as North American Christians in the world today.
Missional Churches in a Global Context
While the term Missional church is a hot buzzword and perhaps represents a passing fad, the call in North America for local churches to be Missional suggests the possibility of a positive and welcomed shift of emphasis. On one hand, in theory this new focus could motivate and enable local churches to reach outward and engage in transformational ministries in their communities and beyond. Many local churches in North America historically have been myopic in their vision and preoccupied with their own affairs. Meanwhile in recent years, denominational and parachurch mission agencies have experienced growing crises on various fronts, causing some to wonder if missions will become outdated (Engel 1996 and 2000; McClaren 2006, 126 ff.). Given these realities, the call for local churches to become Missional could prompt one to hope for the coming of an exciting new missionary movement, bringing a breath of fresh air to North American missions, both domestically and globally.
On the other hand, the proposal to “subsume missions in mission” may not be as helpful as one would envision (McClaren 2006, 138 ff.). The basic idea is that each local church can be Missional in a balanced and effective way, presumably flowing in large measure out of its own local initiatives. However, there are several important reasons to wonder if this picture can actually become a reality as a number of theoreticians currently portray it. The slowness of Western Christianity throughout history to go into all the world for Christ and the difficulties that many contemporary “Missional” churches have in reaching the world for Christ underscore the inadvisability of discarding the historic emphasis on world missions without a comprehensive assessment of the implications of such a transition.
The History of Western Christianity and Global Outreach
Reflecting on the history of Christian missions in Western culture can be very instructive. The explosive expansion of early Christianity after our Lord’s death and resurrection lasted for barely three centuries. It was accelerated by persecution and the Diaspora, and nurtured and guided by missionaries that traveled throughout the Roman Empire, of which Paul was the apostolic model. Nevertheless, once Christianity became the preferred faith of the Western church and Christendom set in, churches and religious leaders became preoccupied with their own internal affairs. As a result, for over a thousand years afterward the Missional outreach of Western Christianity for the most part was limited to the peoples and lands of present day Europe. Neither local churches nor their higher ecclesiastical leaders provided visionary leadership for Missional outreach beyond their own shores.
Roman Catholic missionaries were the first from the West to go to faraway lands around the world. Meanwhile, Protestant missionary outreach to other peoples and lands did not happen in a significant way until the nineteenth century and then only as a trickle for several decades. One would have hoped that the growing religious freedoms afforded by the Reformation would have been accompanied from the beginning by a passionate missionary movement. Instead, Protestant missions abroad during those early years were virtually non-existent. Sadly, nearly four hundred years passed after Martin Luther posted his ninety-five point theses on the door in Wittenberg, Germany, before a broad Missional movement of obedience to the Great Commission took place. Not until the last century did North American believers and churches finally catch a vision and passion for world evangelism, resulting in the Modern Missionary Movement.
In recent years some are suggesting that this great missionary movement should be declared obsolete along with the patterns and structures that it produced and that the new answer is for local churches to become Missional. From a pragmatic perspective, this may seem to be a reasonable suggestion. Admittedly, the current problems that missions agencies are facing seem monumental. However, to presume that local churches on their own will respond today in a very different way, in contrast with twenty centuries of local church patterns to the contrary, is quite a stretch of the imagination. In this fallen world, the past is one of the best predictors of the future. This also applies in a significant way to the dispositions, habits, and practices of local churches. It is true that Christ is very much at work in and through His Body, The Church. Nevertheless, She still has her spots and wrinkles.
Reaching the World at our Doorstep and Beyond
A closer examination of the realities and tendencies of contemporary local churches can also provide some helpful insights. Missional churches are encouraged to see the world around them as a mission field, often with the presumption that they will transition naturally and seamlessly from Missional outreach in their own communities to global ministries. Seeing the world around their local church as a mission field is both biblical and appropriate. Nevertheless, it is presumptuous to think that a transition to broader ministries will be natural and seamless. One only needs to look around at people while worshipping in many churches on Sunday to realize that reaching other cultures and ethnicities generally does not happen without extraordinary planning and initiatives. Far too often local churches and believers allow their values and patterns to be shaped more by the world than by the Scriptures and Kingdom principles.
Many reasons can be cited for these disconnects between popular Missional theory and practice. Taken together they underscore the unlikelihood that a local “Missional” church can minister effectively at home and abroad through her own initiatives and resources alone. The genuine desire to be Missional can easily mutate from a priority focus on the local community to an exclusive one. Often one hears the following myopic and parochial question in many churches that are the most vocal about becoming Missional: “Why send our resources elsewhere and go abroad when there are so many needs in our own local mission field?” These disconnects and tendencies underscore the fallacy that subsuming missions in mission can enable a local church to fulfill her own unique mission and thus obey our Lord’s command to take the Good News to the ends of the earth. Foremost among these reasons are six global challenges for North American Christians, each that merits further exploration:
• Nationalism and Latent Ethnocentrism and Racism
• Intercultural Competencies and Cultural Relevance
• North American Believers as Partners in Ministry
• Balancing Proclamation Evangelism and Holistic Ministries
• Finances and Patron-Client Relationships
• Effective and Appropriate Uses of Technology in Diverse Contexts
Taken together a strong case can be made for the ongoing need of missions as a unique and special focus for all local churches. The reasons for this need and possible options for the future will become clearer in the following discussions.
Works Cited
Engel, James F. 1996. Clouded Future: Advancing North American World Missions. Milwaukee: Christian Stewardship Association.
Engel, James, and William Dyrness. 2000. Changing the mind of missions: Where have we gone wrong? Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press.
Guthrie, Stan. 2000. Missions in the third millennium: 21 key trends for the 21st century. Waynesboro, Georgia: Paternoster Press.
McLaren, Brian D. 2006. The church on the other side: Exploring the radical future of the local congregation. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Pocock et al. 2005. The changing face of world missions: Engaging contemporary issues and trends. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
OTHER RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Borthwick, Paul. 2003. Stop witnessing and start loving. Colorado Spring: NavPress.
Burney, Bob. 2007. “A shocking confession from Willow Creek Community Church leaders.” Baptist Press: http://www.baptistpress.com/bpnews.asp?id=26768
Carroll R., M. Daniel. 2008. Christians at the border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.
Carter, Craig A. 2006. Rethinking Christ and culture: A post-Christendom perspective. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press.
Choung, James. 2008. True story: A Christianity worth believing in. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
Clegg, Tom, and Warren Bird. 2001. Lost in America: How You and Your Church Can Impact the World Next Door. Loveland, Colorado.
Coleman, Robert. 1964. The master plan of evangelism. Old Tappan, New Jersey: F. H. Revell Company.
Coleson, Joseph, Ed. 2007. The Church Jesus builds: Dialogue on the Church in the 21st century. Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House.
Conn, Harvie M., and Manuel Ortiz. 2001. Urban ministry: The Kingdom, the city, and the People of God. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
Conrad, Chris. 2007. 5 things anyone can do to introduce others to Jesus. Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House.
Cope, Landa L. 2001. “Biblical Reflections: The Old Testament (Part I) and The New Testament (Part II).” Messages presented at Godmission.community, Orlando.
Donaldson, Dave, and Carlson-Thies, Stanley. 2003. A revolution of compassion: Faith-based groups as full partners in fighting America’s social problems. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Elmer, Duane. 1993. Cross-cultural conflict: Building relationships for effective ministry. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Elmer, Duane. 2002. Cross-cultural connections: Stepping out and fitting in around the world. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Evangelical Manifesto Steering Committee. 2008. An Evangelical manifesto: A declaration of Evangelical identity and public commitment. Washington, D.C.: http://www.anevangelicalmanifesto.com/
Foster, Richard J. 1998. Celebration of discipline: The path to spiritual growth. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
Frost, Michael and Hirsch, Alan. 2003. The shaping of things to come: Innovation and mission for the 21st century church. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.
Gailey, Charles R. and Howard Culbertson. 2007. Discovering missions. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press.
Gallagher, Robert L., and Paul Hertig, eds. 2004. Mission in Acts: Ancient narratives in contemporary context. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books.
Garrison, V. David. 1990. The Nonresidential Missionary: A New Strategy and the People it Serves. Monrovia, California: MARC.
________. 1999. Church Planting Movements. Richmond, VA: Office of Overseas Operations, International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Glasser, Arthur F.; Van Engen, Charles E.; and Gilliland, Dean S. 2003. Announcing the kingdom: The story of God’s mission in the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Glover, Robert Hall. 1946. The Bible basis of missions. Chicago: Moody Press.
Gornik, Mark R. 2002. To live in peace: Biblical faith and the changing inner city. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Grenz, Stanley J., and John R. Franke. 2001. Beyond foundationalism: Shaping theology in a postmodern context. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.
Guder, Darrell L., Ed. 1998. Missional church: A vision for the sending of the church in North America. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company.
Hall, Steven. 1999. Peter, Paul and Engel—Evangelism as a process not an event. Living Waters Christian Fellowship: http://www.lwcf.org.uk/evangelism.pdf
Harf, James E., and Mark Owen Lombardi, eds. 2009. Taking sides: Clashing views on global issues, 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies.
Hesselgrave, David J. 1991. Communicating Christ cross-culturally (2nd Ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
________. 2000. Planting churches cross-culturally: North America and beyond. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
________. 2005. Paradigms in conflict: 10 key questions in Christian missions today. Grand Rapids: Kregal Publications.
Hiebert, Paul G. 1985. Anthropological insights for missionaries. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Hiebert, Paul G., and Eloise Hiebert Meneses. 1995. Incarnational ministry: Planting churches in band, tribal, peasant, and urban societies. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Hull, Bill. 1990. The disciple-making church. Grand Rapids: Baker.
Hunter III, George G. 1996. Church for the unchurched. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
________. 2000. The Celtic way of evangelism: How Christianity can reach the west…again. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
________. 2003. Radical outreach: Recovering apostolic ministry and evangelism. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
Hybels, Bill. 2006. Just walk across the room: Simple steps pointing people to faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Hybels, Bill, and Mark Mittelberg. 1994. Becoming a contagious Christian. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Jenkins, Philip. 2002. The next Christendom: The coming of global Christianity. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
________. 2007. God’s Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe’s Religious Crisis. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
________. 2006. The new faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the global south. New York: Oxford University Press.
________. 2008. The lost history of Christianity: The thousand-year golden age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia—and how it died. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
Johnstone, Patrick, and Jason Mandryk. 2001. Operation world: 21st century edition. Waynesboro, Georgia: Paternoster Lifestyle.
Kaiser, Walter C. 2000. Mission in the Old Testament: Israel as a light to the nations. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Kimball, Dan. 2003. The emerging church: Vintage Christianity for new generations. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
________. 2004. Emerging worship: Creating new worship gatherings for emerging generations. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Klauger, Martin I., and Scott M. Manetsch. 2008. The Great Commission: Evangelicals and the history of world missions. Nashville: B & H Publishing.
Koschorke, Klaus, Frieder Ludwig, and Mariano Delgado, eds. 2007. A history of Christianity in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, 1450-1990: A documentary sourcebook. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Kretzmann, John, and McKnight, John. 1993. Building communities from the inside out: A path toward finding and mobilizing a community’s assets. Chicago: The Asset-Based Community Development Institute.
Lingenfelter, Sherwood G. 1992. Transforming culture: A challenge for Christian mission. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Lingenfelter, Sherwood G., and Mayers, Marvin K. 1986. Ministering cross-culturally: An incarnational model for personal relationships. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Lo, Jim. 2002. Intentional diversity: Creating cross-cultural ministry relationships in your church. Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House.
Lo, Jim, and Boyd Johnson, eds. 2006. Intercultural ministry: Readings on a global task. Indianapolis: Precedent Press.
Mandryk, Jason. 2009. “The state of the Gospel.” (Video and PowerPoint Presentations) Operation World. http://harvestmediaministry.com/State_Gospel_Full.htm ; http://www.joshuaproject.net/great-commission-powerpoints.php
Marty, Martin. 2007. The Christian world: A global history. New York: The Modern Library.
Mayers, Marvin K. 1987. Christianity confronts culture: A strategy for cross-cultural evangelism. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
McIntosh, Gary L., Ed. 2004. Evaluating the Church growth movement: 5 views. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
McKaughan, Paul, Dellana and William O’Brien. 1998. Choosing a Future for U.S. Missions. Monrovia, California: MARC.
McLaren, Brian D. 2001. A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
________. 2002. More ready than you realize: Evangelism as dance in the postmodern matrix. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
________. 2006. The church on the other side: Exploring the radical future of the local congregation. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Medearis, Carl. 2008. Muslims, Christians, and Jesus: Gaining understanding and building relationships. Minneapolis: Bethany House.
Miller, Darrow L. 2001. Discipling nations: The power of truth to transform cultures (2nd Ed.). Seattle: YWAM Publishing.
Miller, Donald E., and Tetsunao Yamamori. 2007. Global Pentecostalism: The new face of Christian social engagement. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Mittelberg, Mark. 2000. Building a contagious church: Revolutionizing the way we view and do evangelism. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Moreau, A. Scott, Gary R. Corwin, and Gary B. McGee. 2004. Introducing world missions: A biblical, historical and practical survey. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Morgenthaler, Sally. 1999. Worship evangelism: Inviting unbelievers into the presence of God. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
Myers, Bryant L. 1996. The new context of world mission. Monrovia, California: MARC.
________. 1999. Walking with the poor: Principles and practices of transformational development. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books.
Nees, Thomas G. 1996. Compassion evangelism: Meeting human needs. Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill Press.
Newbigin, Lesslie. 1989. The gospel in a pluralist society. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans.
________. 1995. The open secret: An introduction to the theology of mission. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans.
Nida, Eugene A. 1957. Learning a Foreign Language: A Handbook Prepared Especially for Missionaries. Friendship Press.
Niebuhr, H. Richard. 1951. Christ and culture. New York: Harper & Row.
Noll, Mark A. 1992. A history of Christianity in the United States and Canada. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
________. 2009. The new shape of world Christianity: How American experience reflects global faith. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press.
Oden, Thomas C. 2007. How Africa shaped the Christian mind: Rediscovering the African seedbed of Western Christianity. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
O’Donnell, Kelly, Ed. 2002. Doing Member Care Well: Perspectives and Practices from Around the World. Pasadena: William Carey Library.
Olson, David T. 2004. The American Church. (A PowerPoint Presentation).
Perkins, John M. 1993. Beyond charity: The call to Christian community development. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
________., ed. 1995. Restoring at-risk communities: Doing it together and doing it right. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Pillai, Rajendra. 2003. Reaching the world in our own backyard: A guide to building relationships with people of other faiths and cultures. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press.
Pippert, Rebecca Manley. 2003. How to lead a seeker Bible discussion. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
Poole, Garry. 2003a. Seeker small groups: Engaging spiritual seekers in life-changing discussions. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
________. 2003b. The three habits of highly contagious Christians: A discussion guide for small groups. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Rainer, Thom S. 2003. The unchurched next door: Understanding faith stages as keys to sharing your faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Richardson, Don. 1984. Eternity in their hearts (Rev. Ed.). Ventura, California: Regal Books.
Rogers, Glenn. 2006. Evangelizing immigrants: Outreach and ministry among immigrants and their children. Mission and Ministry Resources.
Roxburgh, Alan J. and Fred Romanuk. 2006. The missional leader: Equipping your church to reach a changing world. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Rusaw, Rick, and Eric Swanson. 2004. The externally focused church. Loveland, Colorado: Group Publishing.
Schwarz, Christian A. 1996. Natural church development: A guide to eight essential qualities of healthy churches. Carol Stream, Illinois: ChurchSmart Resources.
Sider, Ronald J. 1999. Good news and good works: A theology for the whole Gospel. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
________. 2005. The scandal of the evangelical conscience: Why are Christians living just like the rest of the world? Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Sider, Ronald J., Olson, Philip N., and Unruh, Heidi Rolland. 2002. Churches that make a difference: Reaching your community with good news and good works. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Simpson, Michael L. 2003. Permission evangelism: When to talk—when to walk. Colorado Springs: Cook Communications Ministries.
Smith, James K.A. 2006. Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
________. 2009. Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, worldview, and cultural formation. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Snow, Donald B. 2001. English teaching as Christian mission: An applied theology. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press.
Soerens, Matthew, and Jenny Hwang. 2009. Welcoming the stranger: Justice, compassion and truth in the immigration debate. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press.
Stetzer, Ed, and David Putman. 2006. Breaking the Missional code: Your church can become a missionary in your community. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman Publishers.
Stevenson, Phil. 2004. The ripple church: Multiply your ministry by parenting new churches. Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House.
Stone, Bryan P. 2004. Compassionate ministry: Theological foundations. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books.
________. 2007. Evangelism after Christendom: The theology and practice of Christian witness. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press.
Taylor, William D. 1997. Too Valuable to Lose: Exploring the Causes and Cures of Missionary Attrition. Pasadena: William Carey Library.
Van Engen, Charles. 1991. God’s missionary people: Rethinking the purpose of the local church. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Van Rheenen, Gailyn. 1996. Missions: Biblical foundations and contemporary strategies. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Vinay, Samuel, and Chris Sugden, eds. 1999. Mission as transformation: A theology of the whole gospel. Oxford: Regnum Books International.
Walls, Andrew F. 1996. The missionary movement in Christian history: Studies in the transmission of faith. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books.
Ward, Ted. 1984. Living Overseas: A Book of Preparations. New York: The Free Press.
Warren, Richard. 1995. The purpose driven church: Growth without compromising your message and mission. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Webber, Robert E. 2002. The younger evangelicals: Facing the challenges of the new world. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Whiteman, Darrell, and Gerald Anderson. 2009. World mission in the Wesleyan spirit. Franklin, Tennessee: Providence House Publishers.
Wilson, Norman G. 2005. “Compassionate ministry and evangelism: Their relationship and expression.” Wesleyan Church Web Site: Leadership Development Journey (July). http://globalambassadors.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-10-31T10%3A27%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7
________. 2006. “Good news for the immigration problem.” Wesleyan Life: Winter. http://evangelicals-and-illegal-immigrants.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-09-24T10%3A13%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7 (Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008)
________. 2009. “Evangelism and social action—revisiting an old debate: Good News for immigrants and Evangelicals too.” Journal of The American Society for Church Growth: Volume 20, Winter, pages 69-83. http://globalambassadors.blogspot.com/2009/06/evangelism-and-social-actionrevisiting.html
Winter, Ralph D., and Steven C. Hawthorne, eds. 1999. Perspectives on the world Christian movement: A reader. Pasadena: William Carey Library.
Wright, Christopher J. H. 2006. The mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s grand narrative. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
Wright, Nicholas Thomas. 2008. Surprised by hope: Rethinking heaven, the resurrection, and the mission of the Church. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
Young, William Paul. 2007. The shack. Los Angeles: Windblown Media.
Zacharias, Ravi, and Norman Geisler, eds. 2003. Is your church ready? Motivating leaders to live an apologetic life. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Missional Churches in a Global Context
While the term Missional church is a hot buzzword and perhaps represents a passing fad, the call in North America for local churches to be Missional suggests the possibility of a positive and welcomed shift of emphasis. On one hand, in theory this new focus could motivate and enable local churches to reach outward and engage in transformational ministries in their communities and beyond. Many local churches in North America historically have been myopic in their vision and preoccupied with their own affairs. Meanwhile in recent years, denominational and parachurch mission agencies have experienced growing crises on various fronts, causing some to wonder if missions will become outdated (Engel 1996 and 2000; McClaren 2006, 126 ff.). Given these realities, the call for local churches to become Missional could prompt one to hope for the coming of an exciting new missionary movement, bringing a breath of fresh air to North American missions, both domestically and globally.
On the other hand, the proposal to “subsume missions in mission” may not be as helpful as one would envision (McClaren 2006, 138 ff.). The basic idea is that each local church can be Missional in a balanced and effective way, presumably flowing in large measure out of its own local initiatives. However, there are several important reasons to wonder if this picture can actually become a reality as a number of theoreticians currently portray it. The slowness of Western Christianity throughout history to go into all the world for Christ and the difficulties that many contemporary “Missional” churches have in reaching the world for Christ underscore the inadvisability of discarding the historic emphasis on world missions without a comprehensive assessment of the implications of such a transition.
The History of Western Christianity and Global Outreach
Reflecting on the history of Christian missions in Western culture can be very instructive. The explosive expansion of early Christianity after our Lord’s death and resurrection lasted for barely three centuries. It was accelerated by persecution and the Diaspora, and nurtured and guided by missionaries that traveled throughout the Roman Empire, of which Paul was the apostolic model. Nevertheless, once Christianity became the preferred faith of the Western church and Christendom set in, churches and religious leaders became preoccupied with their own internal affairs. As a result, for over a thousand years afterward the Missional outreach of Western Christianity for the most part was limited to the peoples and lands of present day Europe. Neither local churches nor their higher ecclesiastical leaders provided visionary leadership for Missional outreach beyond their own shores.
Roman Catholic missionaries were the first from the West to go to faraway lands around the world. Meanwhile, Protestant missionary outreach to other peoples and lands did not happen in a significant way until the nineteenth century and then only as a trickle for several decades. One would have hoped that the growing religious freedoms afforded by the Reformation would have been accompanied from the beginning by a passionate missionary movement. Instead, Protestant missions abroad during those early years were virtually non-existent. Sadly, nearly four hundred years passed after Martin Luther posted his ninety-five point theses on the door in Wittenberg, Germany, before a broad Missional movement of obedience to the Great Commission took place. Not until the last century did North American believers and churches finally catch a vision and passion for world evangelism, resulting in the Modern Missionary Movement.
In recent years some are suggesting that this great missionary movement should be declared obsolete along with the patterns and structures that it produced and that the new answer is for local churches to become Missional. From a pragmatic perspective, this may seem to be a reasonable suggestion. Admittedly, the current problems that missions agencies are facing seem monumental. However, to presume that local churches on their own will respond today in a very different way, in contrast with twenty centuries of local church patterns to the contrary, is quite a stretch of the imagination. In this fallen world, the past is one of the best predictors of the future. This also applies in a significant way to the dispositions, habits, and practices of local churches. It is true that Christ is very much at work in and through His Body, The Church. Nevertheless, She still has her spots and wrinkles.
Reaching the World at our Doorstep and Beyond
A closer examination of the realities and tendencies of contemporary local churches can also provide some helpful insights. Missional churches are encouraged to see the world around them as a mission field, often with the presumption that they will transition naturally and seamlessly from Missional outreach in their own communities to global ministries. Seeing the world around their local church as a mission field is both biblical and appropriate. Nevertheless, it is presumptuous to think that a transition to broader ministries will be natural and seamless. One only needs to look around at people while worshipping in many churches on Sunday to realize that reaching other cultures and ethnicities generally does not happen without extraordinary planning and initiatives. Far too often local churches and believers allow their values and patterns to be shaped more by the world than by the Scriptures and Kingdom principles.
Many reasons can be cited for these disconnects between popular Missional theory and practice. Taken together they underscore the unlikelihood that a local “Missional” church can minister effectively at home and abroad through her own initiatives and resources alone. The genuine desire to be Missional can easily mutate from a priority focus on the local community to an exclusive one. Often one hears the following myopic and parochial question in many churches that are the most vocal about becoming Missional: “Why send our resources elsewhere and go abroad when there are so many needs in our own local mission field?” These disconnects and tendencies underscore the fallacy that subsuming missions in mission can enable a local church to fulfill her own unique mission and thus obey our Lord’s command to take the Good News to the ends of the earth. Foremost among these reasons are six global challenges for North American Christians, each that merits further exploration:
• Nationalism and Latent Ethnocentrism and Racism
• Intercultural Competencies and Cultural Relevance
• North American Believers as Partners in Ministry
• Balancing Proclamation Evangelism and Holistic Ministries
• Finances and Patron-Client Relationships
• Effective and Appropriate Uses of Technology in Diverse Contexts
Taken together a strong case can be made for the ongoing need of missions as a unique and special focus for all local churches. The reasons for this need and possible options for the future will become clearer in the following discussions.
Works Cited
Engel, James F. 1996. Clouded Future: Advancing North American World Missions. Milwaukee: Christian Stewardship Association.
Engel, James, and William Dyrness. 2000. Changing the mind of missions: Where have we gone wrong? Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press.
Guthrie, Stan. 2000. Missions in the third millennium: 21 key trends for the 21st century. Waynesboro, Georgia: Paternoster Press.
McLaren, Brian D. 2006. The church on the other side: Exploring the radical future of the local congregation. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Pocock et al. 2005. The changing face of world missions: Engaging contemporary issues and trends. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
OTHER RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
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________. 2003. Radical outreach: Recovering apostolic ministry and evangelism. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
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Hybels, Bill, and Mark Mittelberg. 1994. Becoming a contagious Christian. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
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________. 2007. God’s Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe’s Religious Crisis. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
________. 2006. The new faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the global south. New York: Oxford University Press.
________. 2008. The lost history of Christianity: The thousand-year golden age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia—and how it died. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
Johnstone, Patrick, and Jason Mandryk. 2001. Operation world: 21st century edition. Waynesboro, Georgia: Paternoster Lifestyle.
Kaiser, Walter C. 2000. Mission in the Old Testament: Israel as a light to the nations. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Kimball, Dan. 2003. The emerging church: Vintage Christianity for new generations. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
________. 2004. Emerging worship: Creating new worship gatherings for emerging generations. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Klauger, Martin I., and Scott M. Manetsch. 2008. The Great Commission: Evangelicals and the history of world missions. Nashville: B & H Publishing.
Koschorke, Klaus, Frieder Ludwig, and Mariano Delgado, eds. 2007. A history of Christianity in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, 1450-1990: A documentary sourcebook. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Kretzmann, John, and McKnight, John. 1993. Building communities from the inside out: A path toward finding and mobilizing a community’s assets. Chicago: The Asset-Based Community Development Institute.
Lingenfelter, Sherwood G. 1992. Transforming culture: A challenge for Christian mission. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Lingenfelter, Sherwood G., and Mayers, Marvin K. 1986. Ministering cross-culturally: An incarnational model for personal relationships. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Lo, Jim. 2002. Intentional diversity: Creating cross-cultural ministry relationships in your church. Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House.
Lo, Jim, and Boyd Johnson, eds. 2006. Intercultural ministry: Readings on a global task. Indianapolis: Precedent Press.
Mandryk, Jason. 2009. “The state of the Gospel.” (Video and PowerPoint Presentations) Operation World. http://harvestmediaministry.com/State_Gospel_Full.htm ; http://www.joshuaproject.net/great-commission-powerpoints.php
Marty, Martin. 2007. The Christian world: A global history. New York: The Modern Library.
Mayers, Marvin K. 1987. Christianity confronts culture: A strategy for cross-cultural evangelism. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
McIntosh, Gary L., Ed. 2004. Evaluating the Church growth movement: 5 views. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
McKaughan, Paul, Dellana and William O’Brien. 1998. Choosing a Future for U.S. Missions. Monrovia, California: MARC.
McLaren, Brian D. 2001. A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
________. 2002. More ready than you realize: Evangelism as dance in the postmodern matrix. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
________. 2006. The church on the other side: Exploring the radical future of the local congregation. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Medearis, Carl. 2008. Muslims, Christians, and Jesus: Gaining understanding and building relationships. Minneapolis: Bethany House.
Miller, Darrow L. 2001. Discipling nations: The power of truth to transform cultures (2nd Ed.). Seattle: YWAM Publishing.
Miller, Donald E., and Tetsunao Yamamori. 2007. Global Pentecostalism: The new face of Christian social engagement. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Mittelberg, Mark. 2000. Building a contagious church: Revolutionizing the way we view and do evangelism. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Moreau, A. Scott, Gary R. Corwin, and Gary B. McGee. 2004. Introducing world missions: A biblical, historical and practical survey. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Morgenthaler, Sally. 1999. Worship evangelism: Inviting unbelievers into the presence of God. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
Myers, Bryant L. 1996. The new context of world mission. Monrovia, California: MARC.
________. 1999. Walking with the poor: Principles and practices of transformational development. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books.
Nees, Thomas G. 1996. Compassion evangelism: Meeting human needs. Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill Press.
Newbigin, Lesslie. 1989. The gospel in a pluralist society. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans.
________. 1995. The open secret: An introduction to the theology of mission. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans.
Nida, Eugene A. 1957. Learning a Foreign Language: A Handbook Prepared Especially for Missionaries. Friendship Press.
Niebuhr, H. Richard. 1951. Christ and culture. New York: Harper & Row.
Noll, Mark A. 1992. A history of Christianity in the United States and Canada. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
________. 2009. The new shape of world Christianity: How American experience reflects global faith. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press.
Oden, Thomas C. 2007. How Africa shaped the Christian mind: Rediscovering the African seedbed of Western Christianity. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
O’Donnell, Kelly, Ed. 2002. Doing Member Care Well: Perspectives and Practices from Around the World. Pasadena: William Carey Library.
Olson, David T. 2004. The American Church. (A PowerPoint Presentation).
Perkins, John M. 1993. Beyond charity: The call to Christian community development. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
________., ed. 1995. Restoring at-risk communities: Doing it together and doing it right. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Pillai, Rajendra. 2003. Reaching the world in our own backyard: A guide to building relationships with people of other faiths and cultures. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press.
Pippert, Rebecca Manley. 2003. How to lead a seeker Bible discussion. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
Poole, Garry. 2003a. Seeker small groups: Engaging spiritual seekers in life-changing discussions. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
________. 2003b. The three habits of highly contagious Christians: A discussion guide for small groups. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Rainer, Thom S. 2003. The unchurched next door: Understanding faith stages as keys to sharing your faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Richardson, Don. 1984. Eternity in their hearts (Rev. Ed.). Ventura, California: Regal Books.
Rogers, Glenn. 2006. Evangelizing immigrants: Outreach and ministry among immigrants and their children. Mission and Ministry Resources.
Roxburgh, Alan J. and Fred Romanuk. 2006. The missional leader: Equipping your church to reach a changing world. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Rusaw, Rick, and Eric Swanson. 2004. The externally focused church. Loveland, Colorado: Group Publishing.
Schwarz, Christian A. 1996. Natural church development: A guide to eight essential qualities of healthy churches. Carol Stream, Illinois: ChurchSmart Resources.
Sider, Ronald J. 1999. Good news and good works: A theology for the whole Gospel. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
________. 2005. The scandal of the evangelical conscience: Why are Christians living just like the rest of the world? Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Sider, Ronald J., Olson, Philip N., and Unruh, Heidi Rolland. 2002. Churches that make a difference: Reaching your community with good news and good works. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Simpson, Michael L. 2003. Permission evangelism: When to talk—when to walk. Colorado Springs: Cook Communications Ministries.
Smith, James K.A. 2006. Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
________. 2009. Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, worldview, and cultural formation. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Snow, Donald B. 2001. English teaching as Christian mission: An applied theology. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press.
Soerens, Matthew, and Jenny Hwang. 2009. Welcoming the stranger: Justice, compassion and truth in the immigration debate. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press.
Stetzer, Ed, and David Putman. 2006. Breaking the Missional code: Your church can become a missionary in your community. Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman and Holman Publishers.
Stevenson, Phil. 2004. The ripple church: Multiply your ministry by parenting new churches. Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House.
Stone, Bryan P. 2004. Compassionate ministry: Theological foundations. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books.
________. 2007. Evangelism after Christendom: The theology and practice of Christian witness. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press.
Taylor, William D. 1997. Too Valuable to Lose: Exploring the Causes and Cures of Missionary Attrition. Pasadena: William Carey Library.
Van Engen, Charles. 1991. God’s missionary people: Rethinking the purpose of the local church. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Van Rheenen, Gailyn. 1996. Missions: Biblical foundations and contemporary strategies. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Vinay, Samuel, and Chris Sugden, eds. 1999. Mission as transformation: A theology of the whole gospel. Oxford: Regnum Books International.
Walls, Andrew F. 1996. The missionary movement in Christian history: Studies in the transmission of faith. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books.
Ward, Ted. 1984. Living Overseas: A Book of Preparations. New York: The Free Press.
Warren, Richard. 1995. The purpose driven church: Growth without compromising your message and mission. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Webber, Robert E. 2002. The younger evangelicals: Facing the challenges of the new world. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Whiteman, Darrell, and Gerald Anderson. 2009. World mission in the Wesleyan spirit. Franklin, Tennessee: Providence House Publishers.
Wilson, Norman G. 2005. “Compassionate ministry and evangelism: Their relationship and expression.” Wesleyan Church Web Site: Leadership Development Journey (July). http://globalambassadors.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-10-31T10%3A27%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7
________. 2006. “Good news for the immigration problem.” Wesleyan Life: Winter. http://evangelicals-and-illegal-immigrants.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-09-24T10%3A13%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7 (Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008)
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Winter, Ralph D., and Steven C. Hawthorne, eds. 1999. Perspectives on the world Christian movement: A reader. Pasadena: William Carey Library.
Wright, Christopher J. H. 2006. The mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s grand narrative. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.
Wright, Nicholas Thomas. 2008. Surprised by hope: Rethinking heaven, the resurrection, and the mission of the Church. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
Young, William Paul. 2007. The shack. Los Angeles: Windblown Media.
Zacharias, Ravi, and Norman Geisler, eds. 2003. Is your church ready? Motivating leaders to live an apologetic life. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Facilitating Freedom for Effective Ministry
How can a growing awareness of our cultural context help us to be more effective and obedient in Christian ministry? This question guided our discussions all last week in the course that I had the privilege of teaching, entitled "Cultural Contexts of Ministry." Today I'm grading papers, so I can afford only a few moments to share my thoughts here. But I wanted to express my excitement and optimism for this new Wesleyan Seminary, especially in light of the quality of students that God has brought into this first cohort. All of them are engaged in ministry and eagerly desire to grow in every way possible. The diversity in the student body enhances every discussion.
For more information about this course, check out the following link.
http://wesleyanseminary.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/first-two-intensives-done/
In addition, be sure to follow the "Dean's Blog" (see this link in the sidebar to the right).
Your continuing prayers for the Seminary leaders and students will be greatly appreciated.
For more information about this course, check out the following link.
http://wesleyanseminary.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/first-two-intensives-done/
In addition, be sure to follow the "Dean's Blog" (see this link in the sidebar to the right).
Your continuing prayers for the Seminary leaders and students will be greatly appreciated.
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