Insights on Arts and Mission in Oral Cultures
By Rocelyn A. Madinger | After personally experiencing the power of the arts in my own life, I’ve discovered how the arts can be helpful and transformative tools for workers to bring the good news to oral cultures. The arts reflect the values of and dynamics in a community, bridge generations, and aid in discipleship. They also provide avenues for the hearers of the gospel to creatively and meaningfully express their understanding of the gospel, their growing faith, and their worshipful response to God.
The Arts in Conversation with First Nations Peoples
By Jhonny A. Nieto Ossa | Finding and encouraging Indigenous cultural expressions that harmonize with Christian faith rather than bringing in and teaching established Western cultural expressions has proven to be a far more effective means to spread the gospel. As Indigenous arts are encouraged, they are reshaping global Christianity and fulfilling God’s diverse, multicultural vision of the body of Christ.
Reimagining the Arts in Mission
By Heather Pubols | The arts have long been an important part of missions. Yet a historical preference for importing Western art forms into non-Western contexts left Christianity feeling culturally foreign. A shift towards encouraging local arts is inspiring authentic global Christian expressions across cultures and transforming missions.
Evangelism
By Evelyn Hibbert | The gospel is more than words. It encompasses all the riches of Christ in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Too often evangelism has neglected the importance of relationships, context, and Christ’s lordship. Communicating the gospel includes how we live, according to where we live. From a place of belonging in each context, Jesus welcomes people in. As we embrace the people and culture of the context we serve in, we are more able to give answers to the questions they are asking.
The Good News of Re-Inheritance and Disability
By Chris Masiscoming* | As a Christian working in disability ministry, I’ve discovered profound connections between Psalm 82, Jesus’s mission, and our call to justice. This psalm reveals how God is reclaiming his inheritance – including people with disabilities – from rebellious spiritual authorities.
Disability Outreach Breaks Karma’s Chains in Thailand
By Joseph Tell | As a missionary in Thailand, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of disability ministry. In a context where Christianity’s message often falls flat, disability outreach can revitalize churches, change community perceptions, and communicate the gospel in ways that overcome cultural barriers.
Contextualization Can Be Messy
By John Devalve | My wife and I lived in a remote predominantly Muslim region of West Africa with few believers for more than a decade. Not long after we arrived, I faced a new challenge: contextualizing a rite of passage ceremony for a new community of Christ followers.
Beyond Barriers: Embracing Disability in the Church
By Erna Möller and Muna Abu Ghazaleh | Evangelism, discipleship, and church planting among persons with disabilities worldwide is hampered by challenges. Our research and experiences in South Africa and the MENA region offer insights and solutions to overcome these barriers and reach this community searching for a place of belonging.
Repurposed Wheelchairs Renew Lives
By Mitch Tani and Mary Esther Penner | A vision for recycling wheelchairs gave birth to a ministry in Japan that provides wheelchairs to people in several countries who desperately need them. The ministry has brought God’s transforming hope not only to wheelchair recipients, but also to volunteers working to refurbish the chairs.
From Cursed to Co-Laborers: Reframing Disability in African Churches
By Jackie Nyamutumbu Kimani | The theology of the prosperity gospel in African churches often mirrors animistic beliefs especially as it relates to people with disabilities. It undermines God’s sovereignty and excludes disabled individuals from ministry.