IBMGlobal News

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.

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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.

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Deputation And The Local Church

We hadn’t meant to fall in love with this church plant; we’d meant to come to Denver, get some church planting experience and leave for the mission field a year later. God’s way was different, and the first thing that our new pastors did was slow us down. Actually, they told us we weren’t ready three different times. Those delays were critical for the development that we needed, but they were hard. First, the pastors invited me to become a pastoral intern so that I could be developed in leading a church and then be sent out as a pastor if God wanted me to plant churches.

Giving Online

In an effort to provide the highest level of financial service, IBMGlobal now has the ability to process pre-authorized ‘automated giving’ - either through EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) or through recurring credit card transactions. To get started, simply click on this link and follow the instructions to register. Registering online will give you the ability to manage your online donations and access your gift history.

Prayer For the Persecuted

An unexpected knock interrupted the house church meeting. The believers inside, still grieving over the death of one of their leaders, had been on their knees into the night praying for the release from prison of another one of their pastors. Then came a knock at the door in the dead of night. Was it the police, or just a stranger who had lost his way and saw a light in the window?

A Challenge To The Next Generation

God intends every one of us to be engaged in His Great Mission - My intention is not to put you on a guilt trip - some of you will prayerfully re-evaluate your life and come away with a clear affirmation that you are right where you should be, pursuing what God has for your life. If God has blessed you with a good job, given you a purpose and a place in His plan - Rejoice! I pray that for you God will press upon you your responsibility to sacrificially give and aggressively pray for the evangelization of the world in our generation.

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...