The modern mission compound is alive and well. Its walls aren’t of stone or mud brick, but they are just as real. The distance between missionary and local is just as great, and the unintended insult is even greater.
“You’ve gotta take the bull by the horns,” I declared. The students looked puzzled. As an “English as a First Language” (EFL) speaker, I was talking to my class of twelve students who were all “English as a Second Language” (ESL) speakers from around the globe. Since they all spoke English, I assumed that they fully understood everything I said.
One of the earliest editions of “Missions on the Web” offered tips and techniques for those developing their agency’s first website. Surprisingly, most of the principles discussed there still apply.
Seldom have I been as enthused about a book as I am about this inside peek at one of the most extraordinary acts of the Holy Spirit among Muslims ever chronicled.
Toward a Relevant Theology
Ziya Meral’s article, “Toward a Relevant Theology for the Middle East,” in the April EMQ was such a breath of fresh air!
Steve Bevans and Roger Schroeder of the Catholic Theological Union have written a wonderful new overview of the history and theology of missions.
It was not long ago that ministry adultery and family idolatry received a lot of attention in mission personnel circles as the most common shortcomings of the builder and boomer generations respectively.
Why should anyone read a biography of a man who believed that he lived a “worse than useless life”? There are no tales of heroic achievements, no stories of a champion overcoming obstacles and triumphing over all opposition.
We in the missions community think of ourselves as being in the church planting business. But somehow I often wonder if we are deceived. Jim Collins’ book Good to Great, inspired me to think about what we are good at and what we are deeply passionate about. What really is our raison d’etre?
Allen Hertzke brings us a readable and interesting account of a recent and surprising phenomenon: conservative evangelicals engaging in the traditionally liberal arena of international humanitarian and human rights advocacy.
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