Whatever one thinks of these numbers, one thing is clear: despite 225 years of Protestant missionary advance, the world is still largely unevangelized...
Flying Again - Interview with Gracia Burnham
Annual IBMGlobal Candidate Conference
This week I have been participating in an annual training conference for cross-cultural missionaries. I serve as the Africa Director for a mission agency, IBMGlobal.
This year we have missionary candidates heading to South Sudan, Costa Rica, the jungles of Peru, Zambia and Liberia.
I’m always challenged by the interaction with men and women who are committed to taking the gospel around the world. The workshops are incredibly refreshing.
Mark Vowels, is the missions prof at BJUniversity. On Monday Mark brought workshops dealing with cross-cultural ministry, strategy and cultural adaptation.
On Tuesday Dr. Sam Horn helped us with a theological foundation for suffering and trials that will enable us to minster to others in their pain. Later in the day we discussed managing conflict biblically.
The Wednesday sessions with Dr Dave Doran focused on principles for evaluating what is acceptable and not acceptable in the host culture and the implications of this on indigenous ministry.
Neal Cushman and Steve Stadtmiller handled the nuts and bolts of ministry in the Thursday sessions: Developing a field strategy, Deputation, Funding & the Family and Ministry.
This has been a great week of fellowship and ministry refreshment. I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve with this board, the churches sending these missionaries, and the faithful men and women heading out to serve Christ.
What Is Your Definition of Missions?
Zanzibar
Though officially a part of Tanzania, Zanzibar has its own government and run the island in a semi-autonomous way. Zanzibar has a few "Christian" churches these include Catholic, Anglican and Pentecostal congregations. There is an underlying level of Islamic resistance and persecution of "Christian" religions.
The Consequence Of The Great Commission
Modern believers have convinced themselves that spiritual maturity is based on information and that it takes a long time. However, if one follows the New Testament pattern, mature disciples were made in short order. They were tested by persecution and stood! The secret was the absolute insistence on personal obedience to the demands and expectations of Scripture. This is the forgotten side of the Great Commission in many churches today.
The Content Of The Great Commission
Many contemporary approaches to the Great Commission have focused on the Lord’s instruction to go to all nations. In other words, for them, the dominant responsibility of the commission is to go to the nations. However, the grammar of the Lord’s statement makes clear that the central imperative of the Commission is the making of disciples. That central imperative will be accomplished by three accompanying activities – going, baptizing, and teaching.
The Context Of The Great Commission
Great Commission Living Is A Way of Life
Five children seems an extraordinarily high price to pay for any ministry, much less one that seemed as fruitless as the Goforth’s appeared at the time. What could possibly have motivated Jonathan and Rosalind to suffer such devastating loss and count it but a small thing in their service to Christ? Perhaps the answer lies in the words Jonathan would later inscribed in the flyleaf of his bible. “In all things seek to know God’s Will and when known obey at any cost.
Empowered Non-Staff Leadership Marks Church Planting Movements Around the World
Practical Suggestion for Ministry Connections
A God-Exalting Ambition
VIDEO: Off The Grid: South Sudan
IBMGlobal partnered with RealTimeNetwork.tv to shoot a documentary recording the spiritual need and opportunities for the gospel in South Sudan. On January 9, 2011 a vote for the independence of South Sudan was held with 98% voting in favor. On July 9, 2011 South Sudan became the newest country in the world and the 54th country on the continent of Africa. Learn about the exciting ministry opportunities in S. Sudan...