by Patrick O. Cate
How many people from your church have gone out of the country on a short-term mission trip in the last five years? Make a quick estimate. Now, how many of them are preparing to be career missionaries?
William Carey Library, P.O.Box 40129, Pasadena, CA 91114, 2004, 150 pages, $16.99.
—Reviewed by David Mays, Great Lakes Regional Director, ACMC (Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment).
How many people from your church have gone out of the country on a short-term mission trip in the last five years? Make a quick estimate. Now, how many of them are preparing to be career missionaries?
If short-term missions is the single greatest impetus to career missions service, why are not more missionaries going into this kind of service? Perhaps many have not been seriously challenged.
One way to challenge your short-termers to consider career missionary service is to include this workbook as part of their preparation.
It is designed to “help the next generation catch a glimpse of God’s passion for all peoples and to better help them understand God’s direction for their lives.” It is a major in-depth study for the serious inquirer about missions. It can be used in a small group or on your own. Due to the postmodern bent of the younger generation, some may want to begin with chapter nine, “What About Those Who are Not Reached with the Gospel?”
The study begins with chapters on the Old Testament, where Cate draws principles from the call of Moses, Joshua and Isaiah; Christ’s perspective; and the early Church. The book then continues with a number of both theological (the Second Coming, the gospel) and practical (who must be reached, what is required) issues.
Several maps and charts show where the needs are the greatest. Each chapter concludes with reflection questions. There are several pages of biographical sketches and an excellent annotated bibliography at the end.
Cate lists twenty-five categories of people groups and asks which Christ wants us to reach “exclusively or primarily.” He then asks which groups the church has succeeded in reaching. Cate’s point is that we have spent the majority of our efforts on groups that are friendly, safe and stable, and he encourages readers to consider going to the more difficult people groups and areas.
God has a passion for this world. He gives us a variety of motivations for missions in scripture and those who work through this Bible study may gain a better sense of his direction for their lives.
Check these titles:
Lewis, Jeff. 2002. God’s Heart for the Nations. Littleton, Colo.: Caleb Project.
Borthwick, Paul. 2000. Missions: God’s Heart for the World. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
Chole, Alicia Britt. 2000. Until the Whole World Knows—Discovering Our Part in the Plan Near God’s Heart. Fordland, Mo.: onewholeworld.
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