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Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou DonnieLewisThurman (1)
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The term "Every person (from every where) outside the kingdom is our priority" is a powerful statement. We as Christians must be able to reach out to the people that are scattered because we are all part of the diaspora communities. We must maximize every opportunity that we have to be a light in a dark world. 

Donnie Thurman Sr.

Gardner Webb University

05.06.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou zephora_waiters (1)
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@ DonnieLewisThurman:

Hi Brother Donnie,

How true! How true! We as Americans have forgotten that we are immigrants or decedents of immigrants, specifically scattered peoples.  Many of the American forefathers came here to find religious freedom.  African Americans are the definition of a scattered people. People still come here today seeking freedom so in essence America is the Diaspora.  What we have failed to realize is that we are free to spread the gospel to whomever and wherever we please here in the US.  The price of this freedom is the responsibility we have as God’s chosen people to seek out and uplift the unsaved, sharing the Good News of Christ unencumbered by the government interference and violence that Christians in other countries face every day.  How awesome it is to be free to worship God!  But we must worship God with our actions of participation in God’s mission to redeem humanity.   God in his wisdom has brought the people of the world to America where there is freedom to share the gospel.  We CANNOT lose these opportunities to minister to others. Every moment we exist is an opportunity to show God’s love, God’s light and God’s grace in our actions and in our testimony.  Every soul is important to God and I felt the reality of that statement when we went into the neighborhood around PGBC to minister to God’s people saved, unsaved and uncertain.  What joy there is for a saved soul, a person reconnected to God.  

06.06.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
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What I have experienced in both congregations and in theological study is that in the Southern US especially, it is assumed that people go to church, know about church, and are churched.  There is such a long history of the prevalence of Christianity, the region has even been termed the "Bible Belt."  Congregations, especially older established traditional ones, do not see the need to reach the community, because in their minds the community was reached years ago.  They know the world around them is changing, they know their neighbors are not the same, but they continue to do church as usual, because there is a sense that since this is the "Bible Belt" everyone knows and is part of a congregation.  There is more emphasis on style of worship than community outreach.  Many congregations are not trying to reach "unreached people groups" living around them because they don’t realize that is what is happening.  They are trying to change their style of worship so that people will come worship with them instead of the congregation across town.  It is a competition, because everyone is already ASSUMED to be a Christian, simply because they reside in the "Bible Belt."  Well, we all know what happens when we assume, and many congregations are being made to look just like one because of their assumptions.

20.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou harek (1)
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@ modelk66:

You make several excellent points here and I could not resist commenting.  I admit I did not see it before I responded to your other post.  I think in the Bible belt, there is a bubble.  Christianity is so common and expected, that it may not mean anything when it comes to a person’s heart.  A friend of mine from church once told me that she met someone who said that yes, he was a Christian because he was born here.  He thought that being an American equated with being a Christian!  I personally never went that far, but growing up I thought church was what everyone did.  It was “weird” if someone did not go to a church building on Sunday morning.  My world was limited to what I saw in my hometown and surrounding areas.  I am thankful that I am no longer in that bubble, but I think that a lot of churched people in the Bible belt are.  Everyone they know may go to church, and no one has told them about how many people are in their communities that need Jesus.  I will confess that sometimes I do not expect much out of some churches.  I think that some of them are full of hypocrites who really do not care about really loving God or his people (which includes everyone because every soul is precious to God).  I think that there are people who are like that, because I know a few of them and have heard stories of others.  However, I really don’t believe everyone in churches in the Bible belt is like that. 
I think it is unintentional ignorance.  No one has told them.  They did
not see the diaspora within their communities because they were too busy to stop and look.  Perhaps they did not know what to look for, and they never will unless tells them.  I do realize some people will ignore it when they are exposed to this information but some may begin to see the opportunity to participate in God’s mission in the diaspora when they know it is there. 

25.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
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@ harek:

Harek, there is the phenomenon of people equating being American with being Christian.  It comes from so many across all the religious spectrum proclaiming how America is a Christian nation.  It becomes assumed that if American is a Christian nation, and I am an American, therefore I am a Christian.  And many will believe that and profess that they are Christians yet have no idea what they are professing.  It is almost that since God is on our money and in our Pledge of Allegiance, then we are automatically Christians by being born here.  We know that it not the case, but they don’t.  And many a congregation turns a deaf ear when they hear that, and refuses to believe that someone could take that stance.  But they do.

Your other point was how "They did not see the diaspora within their communities because they were too busy to stop and look."  Wow.  How many congregations are in this scenario?  We stay plenty busy with work, family, and social activities that keep us so occupied, and then we find church busy-ness to add more to our hectic schedules such that we do not know our own family members, much less the new family that moved in across the street.  As Americans, we have become so preoccupied with ourselves that we don’t see the diaspora, because we don’t have time to stop except to sleep.  Goes back to how Jesus lived counter culturally.  He did not get caught up in the busy-ness of life...he got caught up in the business of people.  If we are going to be true followers of Christ and hence fulfill the Great Commission, we will HAVE to let some things in this world go, so that we can indeed "stop and look" at the diaspora around us.

26.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou winner (0)
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@ harek:

I understand what you are saying.  It is as though we are going through the motions, when we look at church attendance.  Sunday is the day we go to church and we block out that time.  Are we focused on the service while we are there or are we thinking about what we will do once we get out?

28.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
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@ winner:

Good question Winner.  I am afraid it is the latter.  Yes, there are those who are fully engaged during the worship time of the congregation, but often you can hear during a break or some other down time of folks discussing their plans after "church" is over.  Folks are setting up lunch times, supper times, giving their agendas for attending birthday parties, funerals, weddings, reunions, etc.  It is no wonder the average congregant has no recollection of the Sunday sermon on Monday morning.  And how we change that is a centuries old question.  Even the Apostle Peter had a man fall asleep during his sermon and fell out of the window, so keeping the congregation’s attention has always been problematic.  I am just afraid that in the modern age we live in in America, congregants are paying less attention to the sermons than ever before.  I wonder if a pastor typed out a sermon and preached the exact same sermon word for word for an entire month of how many people would actually notice and say something?  It is no wonder pastors burn out so quickly.  They get a passion, get a congregation, and then the congregation destroys the pastor over the most trivial of things.  In America, we have been so "blessed" with technology and achievements and "success" that even good sincere Christians are sucked into a life of being busy of just sustaining a certain lifestyle.  We claim to have progressed so much and so far beyond many other nations but I wonder if we have progressed at all?  There was a day and time when people knew by name every person living on their entire street.  Now, we don’t even know the person living right next door.  Friends gather at a person’s house for a cookout or other gathering, but they all come from the other side of town or other subdivisions, and the people sitting on the deck right next door are not even acknowledged or a higher fence is put up to keep them from looking in.  Yet, the same people may be "friends" with their next door neighbor on facebook because they are the friend of a friend of a friend, none of which they do not really know.  I certainly do not want a curse to fall upon America or destruction or anything horrible, but sometimes I wonder if we were’nt better off without the technology.  Granted, it is technology that allows us to talk here, but it is also technology that is distracting us in so may ways and at so many times to keep us from focusing on what is truly important.  There was a time when a pastor was listened to intently on Sunday mornings and the Bible was accepted for Truth.  Now, the pastor’s sermon is obliged for sake of routine or kindness and Wikipedia and facebook are looked to for truth.  Just watch and see how many people at "church" take notes on the pastor’s sermon as compared to those doing the last minute text or facebook update just before the sermon, and some even DURING the sermon.

24.05.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou harek (1)
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The fact that people who are a part of a UPG or hostile nation, etc are coming to us certainly gives reason to re-evaluate old strategies.  Christians can in essence "go to the ends of the world" (when talking about people groups) in one’s hometown.  Though new strategies will need to be developed and implemented, more Christians, when prepared and equipped, will have the opportunity to fulfill their role in the Great Commission.  There is great potential here.  I am shocked that the article points out that many UPG communities "live near churches, Christian schools, and near Christian neighbors" but no one is evangelizing or discipling them.  This is a tragedy!  How do we equip people in our churches to corporate missions in their daily lives?

15.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
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@ harek:

Your ending question is exactly the issue before us.  The key word in your question is "equipping."  That is the role of the pastor.  Instead, in most US congregations, the pastor is assigned every task under the sun such that he/she has very little time if any to "equip the saints for ministry."  This comes back, especially in SBC life, to a congregation’s understanding of what missions is.  Many of the traditional congregations see missions as nothing more than taking up offerings or sending monthly support to missionaries halfway around the world.  Evangelization is what happens at home, and that is the pastor’s job.  I cannot tell you how many congegations I have set amongst and heard this mentality spouted from both the pulpit and the pew.  Many congregations have the idea that once they have a "salvation experience" there is nothing else for them to do.  They are to just live their lives cleanly, attend church regularly, pay their tithes, contribute to a missions offering, serve if the congregation asks and it fits in their schedule, and thats pretty much it.  The Scripture that identifies all believers as ministers is rarely expounded, and when it is, is expounded with deep tradtion coloring the exposition.  How do we equip the congregants to reach the unreached?  Sadly, we may need to reach the congregants first.  They may have "heard" the Gospel, but they are not living in the "power" of the Gospel.  And there is a major difference that the majority of congregants are not aware of.  So first, is the daunting task of getting congregations to accept and adhere to a new understanding of what missions is, and that missions is what EVERY person who claims to be a Christian is supposed to be doing, whether it be in the mission fields of foreign countries, or on the assembly line at the factory, or while waiting in the checkout lines of wal-mart.  It may be easier to identify the UPG in your community, go reach them with the Gospel, mentor them and teach them how to follow Christ, and then let them go reach someone else in the same manner.  Wait - isn’t that the Great Commission?  Hmmmm.

16.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou harek (1)
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@ modelk66:

Thank you for your insights! Unfortunately I am also all too
familiar with idea of how many people in churches view missions as a check to write every once in a while.  My personal experience is limited to America.  I wonder if this attitude or rather misconception of missions is unique to America or does it exist elsewhere as well? 
I totally agree that in cases like this we must first reach the people
in our congregations before we send them to others.  I doubt, however, that another “program” will work.  Many churches I know of are full of programs but not much change is happening from it.  I realize that pastors play an important role in this equipping process, if they are not too busy doing everything else as you said.  Obviously, pastors cannot fulfill the Great Commission alone.  Some sort of discipling process needs to take place, like you mentioned at the end of your comment.  It would be a matter of becoming intentional in your relationships, being prayerful in starting to disciple a few, teaching them under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and all the same time preparing them to repeat the process for someone else in their “oikos” or circle of influence.     

16.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
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@ harek:

Like you, I only know of American congregations, so I don’t know if other regions of the world have this same mindset or not.  You did say one thing that to me is the absolute key to all of missions.  You mentioned being "intentional in our relationships."  Thats where i believe our technology has gotten in the way.  We dont know anyone anymore, we know about them from facebook.  People will post all of their life on facebook, but you do not know someone by reading a few lines about going grocery shopping or having a party or that their sister died and by perusing photos of everything from birth to giving birth.  Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines relationship in no less than 2 ways that do not concern blood or kinship.  They are "The quality or state of being related; connection" and "A continuing attachment or association between persons."  The question could then be posed, "Can you really have a relationship without being intentional?"  What caught my attention from the definition are the words connection and continuing attachment.  You do not have those things with another person without being intentional about it.  And "liking" or "friending" someone on facebook is not a relationship.  It isnt even a reasonable facsimile.  It is a good tool for people to keep in contact with family or friends or classmates or other acquaintances, but if facebook or some other technological social network is the only way I know someone, I really do not know them.  Relationship is work and takes time together to develop that connection.  Continuing attachment carries the connotation that a relationship is something pursued, something cherished, something nurtured.  I cant cherish or nurture anyone through facebook.  Oh, I can offer comments, give advice, even write a prayer as a post, but that is not nurturing a relationship.  Spending time with them, holding them while they cry, laughing with them in their joy, discussing in person their fears, hopes, dreams, and ideas.  That is what makes the connection.  The conversation we are participating right now is a prime example.  I can talk and share and discuss things with people from all over the world.  But am I in a relationship with everyone I dialogue with - absolutely not.  However, there are some on here who I have as classmates.  Some of them I have talked with face to face, heard their plans, shared their fears, even stood beside their vehicle and held hands and prayed with them over concerns in their life.  We have a connection that was developed because of face to face interaction.  I may never meet you in person Harek, and if our extent of "connection" is through this conversation, I cannot say we have a relationship.  But, if I were to find out who you are, where you are, and make an effort to meet and talk and get to know you, then we would have a relationship.  Our present world has taken the intentionality out of having relationships.  Many of us will talk with strangers around the world and call them "friends" but yet have no idea the name, number, or ages of the people living in the house behind us.  Being a disciple or follower of Christ means we care more about a relationship than we do an acquaintance.  I am afraid in our world today, thanks to facebook and others, we care more about an acquaintance than we do a relationship.  I overhear many people talking about trying to get 1,000 or 10,000 "friends" on their facebook page, yet they have no interest in having a relationship with even one of them.  We will often hear from the pulpit that we have to be intentional in our relationship with God.  Well, God doesn’t have a facebook page.  Instead, God has given us a book full of pages where His face can be seen if we intentionally look for it, and then allow our prayers and the Holy Spirit to make that "connection" and keep the "continuing attachment" growing.  We have to do the same thing with human beings.  We have to want and desire to be connected with people and make a concerted effort to make a continuing attachment with them, so that they will see Christ in us and desire to follow Him along with us.  Now, all of this sounds like I have it all figured out and have it all together when it comes to being a follower of Christ.  I do not.  I am as weak and frail and pitiful a disciple as any Christ has ever had.  But there is a simplicity to the Great Commission, so simple a child can understand it and do it.  The thing is, I may think I know what it is, but will I do what it is?

17.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou harek (1)
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@ modelk66:

Thank you for your comment! It was a breath of fresh air!  I agree that technology has lowered the standard of relationships.  Granted there are benefits to it; mainly aiding when relationships temporarily become long-distance.  In cases such as someone in the military stationed across the world, technology has provided a way to at least communicate to each other quicker and skype helps as well.  Then technology should be used only as an aid, not as a replacement.  To answer your question about whether one could really have a relationship without being intentional, I say no.  With our busy lifestyles and multiple “obligations,” we let stuff get in the way too easily.  These days we have to make a decision to set aside time to nurture relationships and be serious enough about it to say no when the “stuff” tries to get in the way.  The definition you provided for relationship encompasses it all.  Having a genuine connection with someone is special that requires work to be maintained; otherwise it atrophies so to speak.  I totally agree that if an entire relationship is through technology, then it is superficial.  Here, we both are only providing insights to each other which is a good thing (I don’t want to invalidate that) but it is not developing a relationship.

It is funny that you said that “God doesn’t have a facebook page.”  It is so very true, but the funny thing is that I have often joked that I wish He did.  Then I could “message” Him and when he responds back I would have a more concrete answer, thus “making life easier.”  I really don’t believe that entirely, but it is so easy to wish at times when His voice isn’t very clear during the more difficult times in life.  I want to thank you for being transparent enough to confess that you don’t have it all figured out.  That spirit of humility is a beautiful gift!  It has become rare these days so I praise God for your honesty.           

17.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
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@ harek:

Thank you for the kind words and encouragement.  Yes, it would be nice if God had facebook, or an IM program, or better yet a skype account.  Oh to see and talk with God via video and get the answers to things instantaneouly.  Unfortunately, that is not what God does.  God is intentional about having a relationship with us, so God makes it to be work for us to see if we are intentional about a relationship with Him.  That’s another part of this whole relationship idea.  It cannot be one-sided.  God may desire a relationship with us, but if we do not desire a relationship with God, then there is no relationship at all.  The same goes for trying to make disciples of Christ in this world.  I can be intentional about having a relationship with my next door neighbor, but if they do not want or are not interested in having a relationship with me, then there is no relationship at all.  Now, this does not excuse me from giving up and not trying.  But it does indicate an obstacle to be overcome in making relationships with people.  God has given me everything I need to have a relationship with Him.  He is willing to be just as intentional in our relationship as anyone could be.  What He does not do is to coerce or force a relationship when it is not there.  He does His part and then waits to see how intentional I am.  The same could be true with my relationships with my neighbors.  If I give them everything they need to have a relationship with me, then it is up to them to be intentional about having a relationship back.  In the majority of cases, I am probably putting the burden of responsibility of making provisions for a relationship on them, waiting to see what about it they have to offer, what will benefit me, and then decide to pursue a relationship based on its usefulness or value to me.  Jesus never did that.  He made every provision necessary for anyone to have a relationship with Him if they so desired to have one.  He knew Zaccheus was curious about Him, so He called him down from the tree, went to his house, shared a meal with him, gave him all the provisions necessary for a relationship, and then let Zaccheus decide what to do with it.  I may be intentional about my relationships, but I cannot force them on anyone.  When I reach out to my neighbor, I can only be intentional about desiring a relationship with them and give them the tools they need to have one with me if they desire.  But, if I am anything less than genuine and authentic in my efforts, I am wasting my time and will do more harm than good.  This is where in another post I mentioned a passion for people.  If I am just trying to grow a congregation and get numbers, my efforts are useless and in vain.  If I truly care about them as a person, truly desire the best for their life, truly desire for them to be a disciple of Christ, then I have a passion for them and will be intentional about any efforts to develop a relationship.  But the passion has to be God-given, just as it was for William Carey.  When God gives the passion for a person or a group of people, God is preparing the way for a relationship, and we have to be intentional in our efforts.  

17.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou harek (1)
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@ modelk66:

I think you hit the nail on the head so to speak especially when you talked about how Jesus made it possible for everyone to have a relationship with him, instead of evaluating the potential benefits or usefulness of this relationship which is what we are guilty of so many times.  It reminds me of the story of the rich man coming to Jesus asking him how to have eternal life.  Jesus told him at the end of the conversation to sell his possessions, give them to the poor aka give up his wealth (or potential benefit to the relationship).  I think if some Christians today were there, we would think Jesus is crazy and try to advise him to take this rich man along with his money.  We would rationalize it by how the church would benefit from this influx of money.  Jesus was not concerned about that, he saw that man’s heart and knew what he needed to do in order to be free from the chains to his stuff.  In short, we look at relationships wrong sometimes.  I agree with you that basically it is not what people can do for you, but what can you do for them.  I once heard a pastor say something that I try
to practice (some days it is easier to do than in others); he said that we need to ask ourselves a question every single time we meet, see, or interact with someone: “How can I love this person right now?” and try to listen for God’s guidance.  It is not about being able to do the big things, but loving people where they are in a practical way.  Asking this question multiple times a day requires us to be intentional and to open our eyes to the people around us.  This can be applied to friends,
family, and strangers.  I think this intentionality is an important factor that is missing in churches today that is needed to reach out the diaspora in their communities.       

25.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou zephora_waiters (1)
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@ harek:

In answer to your last question, we must first change the words we use in our churches.  Today’s churches, even non-denominational churches are full of labels that create hierarchies.  We have pastors, ministers, deacons, deaconesses, elders, apostle-elects(?), and many others.  Each of these title creates in the minds of the congregation the idea that they the average person has no responsibility in the church.  In essence members are not “the church”, members are “churched to”.  I always remind people that church is an action word not a noun.  The church is alive.  It can reach out, it can grow, in can impact the lives of others.  1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” God did not tell us that only pastors are a royal priesthood, or deacons only, and so on.  All are called to the great commission.  Therefore we are all ministers and disciples.  What a different expectation a person will have when you call them Disciples of Christ instead of church members.  What a different view of their responsibility to humanity people will have when you say all are ministers. Words have power because they create pictures of expectation within our minds.  It’s a small thing I know.  Some will embrace it and others will utterly reject it.  But it is a start in changing the mindset of a church that sits and waits for its leaders to do. 

25.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
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@ zephora_waiters:

Zephora, you are right when it concerns using new language when it comes to getting people to understand what church is.  This semester in seminary has been fully engulfed in mission from classes and my pastor’s teaching.  In one class this semester, I had to define "church."  Here is what I said: "Church is more than just people of God; it is people of God on the move and participating in God’s mission to redeem the world."  "Church" has too long been seen by many as somewhere to go or something to belong to.  I have wondered if we shouldn’t take the word "church" out of our congregations’ names and replace it with "congregation."  Sadly, this would be more correct as to who we are.  There are many congregations in existence who are nowhere close to being the church.  In the current world and technological age we live in, we have made the Great Commission too convenient to participate in to really discover what it really means to carry it out.

Another point that you made which is one my pastor has made is the difference in being a Christian and being a disciple.  We will gladly stand tall and thrust out our chest proudly and claim to be a Christian.  But how many of us are willing to admit to being a disciple of Christ?  We are afraid to, because Christian sounds all pious and holy, but being a disciple means we are following Christ in every aspect of our life.  It means loving God and loving our neighbors.  It means loving one another with a real and genuine love.  It means more than just going into a building and gathering with other people for a little while one day a week.  Which is why I am beginning to believe we have plenty of congregations but very few churches.

25.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou akarnett (0)
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@ harek:

In so many cases, local congregations have managed to get it absolutely wrong--not just a little wrong. The majority of our ministries are aimed at maintaining and entertaining our current membership, rather than seeking to save that which is lost. I know that in my own life, I must develop and nurture a mentality that says I am neglecting my Christian duty if I fail to-on a daily basis-seek to lead someone to Christ somehow. While there are tons of ways to accomplish this, the key is in adopting that Jesus type of a mindset that recognizes that folk are fainting and scattering abroad, like sheep having no shepherd. As Matthew 9:35-38 mandates, this recognition should cause us to be "moved with compassion on them".

26.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou akarnett (0)
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@ harek:

We do so by challenging ourselves to recognize that the first item on our job description is the Great Commission

26.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou akarnett (0)
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@ modelk66:

Let us pray that every church congregation neverywhere would choose to adopt as their official vision/statement of purpose the Great Commission, and that every ministry effort would be measured according to whether or not it promotes and is consistent with said mission/vision statement. How bout that?

26.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
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@ akarnett:

Akarnett, I totally agree with that sentiment!!  What a profound difference it would make in our congregations to adopt the Great Commission as our vision/purpose statements.  And it would also need to be a local focus as well as global, especially since we are discussing how the world is changing around us due to diaspora.  God is making it so easy for us to fulfill the Great Commission by bringing the nations to our own doorsteps.  If we could expend our energy and efforts in reaching our local communities, regardless of their ethnic or cultural makeups, we could then have a global impact by simply taking care of business right outside our own doorsteps.  it goes back to having a passion for people.  many of our congregations are not reaching their communities because they simply have no passion or concern for their community.  We go to our social club on Sunday morning, pay our tax-deductible dues, send money to support missionaries in foreign countries, so that we can feel good about "doing the work of God" and pat ourselves on the back for being such good club members, hoping to gain some recognition for our efforts.  It seems that most of the efforts of a local congregation are focused more being attractive to others so that they will "come and see" instead of being about the Great Commission and "going and doing."  Maybe that is why many congregations do NOT have the Great Commission as their vision/purpose statement.  It is too much work and would turn their congregation upside down and they would lose their Sunday morning social club.

26.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou tgraham (3)
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@ modelk66:

Modelk66, if we could change the thinking of churches who do not participate in helping to promote the Great Commission, we could see a change in the outreach around the world. I am not sure that we can change churches until we begin to change people.  If we could start on a local level to train and build ministry teams in communities to go out and encourage churches to generate mission to the nations, life for many who are struggling could change. We must start dialogue anywhere before we can reach everywhere.

27.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou tgraham (3)
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@ modelk66:

With all the technological advancements around the worlld, there should be a plethora of information that churches should offer pertaining to mission. The conventions and local associations must take responsibility for helping make it a priority for churches to get involved in mission.  I wonder if pastors around the world have made God’s mission a priority or the priority. There is so much technology in the churches of America that is often used to help to promote the image of the local churches, while ministry to the nations is limited.   

27.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
Estados Unidos
@ tgraham:

That’s just it Tgraham...what are churches or congregations made up of?  People.  And people are creatures of habit.  They like things to stay the same, knowing they live in a world that is always changing, unless of course the change is beneficial to them, then they will work themselves to death making the change to come about.  For a congregation to change and be a Great Commission church, it will have to start with the mindsets of people.  Something or someone will have to be able to reach them through words or deeds or something to convince them there is more to what they are doing and motivate them to find it and do it.  For most congregations in the US, church has been so institutional and the Great Commission has been so "hands off" concerning the labor of it, I don’t think most of them have a clue what they are supposed to be doing.  Not that I do either, but until we get the US churches out of the institutional mindset, they are not going to be able to participate in the Great Commission other than sending money to other institutions.  And to get them out of the institutional mindset means we may have to get them out of the institutions.  For older established congregations, this is going to be some of the hardest work that will ever be attempted, for there will be so much opposition and push back, the congreagations will balk at every turn.  BUT - hope springs eternal - there will be individuals who will catch on, who will see the true charge of the Great Commission, who will get a passion for people as Carey did, and will change their mindset concerning church.  And that is about all we can really hope for.  It is possible that they could encourage or persuade others to join them on the journey, to get others to come along.  Then, maybe something that started in the hearts of a few individuals could spread to the entire congregation.  But you are right.  It has to start with individuals before a congregation can even consider it.

27.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
Estados Unidos
@ tgraham:

You’re right Tgraham, there is no excuse for churches not presenting more information about the mission of God than what they do...except one...we are more concerned with our own mission than we are with God’s mission.  One thing my first seminary experience connected me to was various websites concerning missions in the world.  Sites like the Joshua Project, Operation World, Ethne to Ethne, the IMB, and others.  All of these sites offer ways to get connected and gain information and insight concerning world missions.  Then, there is this site and this convesation and this thread specifically talking about the diaspora happening in our own front yards.  We will spend thousands of dollars upgrading our video and audio systems in our church buildings to do little more than use it to replace hymnbooks, share announcements between service times, and allow the minister to be bigger than life while preaching.  Why not use one of these sites to bring awareness to the lostness of this world during the actual worship service?  Why not find out where the missionaries a congregation supports are serving and give updates or interced for them?  Why not use the statistics from these sites and others to show the need for getting out of our comfort zone when it comes to the mission of God?  Why not?  It reminds me of the Scripture "to whom much is given, much is required."  We have more technology and tools available to properly educate congregations about the Great Commission and Diaspora and yet, it seems, we are doing less than ever.  If I remember correctly,William Carey labored with the Indians for seven years before he saw any fruit from his labor.  Yet, he did more in those seven years than most US congregations have done in seventy.  Why?  Passion.  A God-given passion for people.  What are our congregations passionate about?  Whatever it is, that is where our time, money, energy, and focus will be.  

27.04.2012

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@ modelk66:

As we have been taught this semester, churches must see missions as ministry rather than a "department."  Effective missions will require an new way of thinking about missions. 

28.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou winner (0)
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@ zephora_waiters:

Using the word disciple rather than member creates a different kind of expectation within us.  I have intentionally used the word "disciple" in classes designed for new converts at my church.  The bottom line is that we are disciples of Christ and he has commanded us to go and make additional disciples.

28.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou winner (0)
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@ tgraham:

I agree,  change starts with changing people. Specifically, changing our hearts.  Once we get a vision for missions, there is so much for us to do.

28.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou winner (0)
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@ akarnett:

You said a lot when you used the word "entertaining". It appears that a lot of people do come to church for just that- to be entertained.  As leaders how should we respond to this mindset? I believe our duty as leaders is to strive for the spiritual growth and dvelopment of disciples.  Can funny jokes keep us rooted and grounded in Christ, when we have storms and trouble in our lives?

28.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou harek (1)
Estados Unidos
@ zephora_waiters:

Zephora, you are so right that we a hierarchy has taken over our mindset in making many of us believe that we are observers rather than crucial participants in the life the church (not building but community and mission).  We have gotten comfortable with our Christianese language, I would say probably too comfortable.  Correct me if I am mistaken, but it seems to me that words loose meaning over time when used frequently.  I know several words have suffered from this atrophy of meaning and it does not have the impact it once possessed.  I would venture to argue that ‘Christian’ and ‘Church’ has lost meaning.  I have talked about how being a Christian is now confused with being an American (other comments within this same article).  What I haven’t heard in churches is ‘disciples.’  My church personally discusses and encourages us to make disciples, but they have never directly referred to us as Disciples of Christ.  I am not really sure why.  As Christians we should already be disciples, why can we claim it?  I agree with what modelk66 and akarnett have discussed about church.  We have congregations (not churches)  who focus on getting larger by entertaining its members.  It is interesting how I think at one time numbers were an accurate way to gauge the health of the church.  Some people still think it is still like that but really, these days it is possible to fill a church building if you have the right songs and a gifted speaker. In those cases, God is not necessary, but then that church is not really a church (must less a healthy one).  Growing in numbers is needed because so many need Jesus, but having people in pews is not a mark a church’s spiritual health.  I have some doubts that church members will embrace their responsibility in humanity and God’s mission, but I am sure that Jesus’ disciples will take hold.  Even if they are not actively participating in it right now for whatever reason (and a reason could be because they did not know they could) they will wake up and be enthusiastic enough to make some change in the world.        

28.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou harek (1)
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@ modelk66:

I feel that a major hindrance for the North American Church is convenience and inconvenience.  It is easier to go to church on Sunday morning for an hour, pay tithes and ‘go the extra mile’ by giving money to the ‘spiritual’ people known as missionaries.  That is a lot less demanding and burdensome than acting on the fact that all Christians’ (or better yet should I say Disciples of Jesus) call commanded to obey the Great Commission.  Once people realize that what they were doing is not their calling, they have to make a choice.  They can no longer be ignorant.  It is really a scary and difficult decision if they were never exposed to the idea.  It was very likely not what they ‘signed up for’ when they said yes to Jesus (assuming that they did in the first place).  Anyway, I think that we are lacking in the discipleship department within our community of believers.  With that said, pastors and other church leaders are not bringing up missions during church.  Like you talked about getting up grades on our stuff to make the services bigger and better, why don’t we talk about countries who need prayer, or pray for the missionaries that the church is sponsoring or even talk about mission opportunities at home?  Not all of us can go out to do missions when we think that it takes place overseas, but if they understood that it is here too, we may have a different outcome.  I feel that exposure and teaching the congregation can only help.  People will open their eyes when they really see how big the world is (and hopefully how it is coming to their hometown through the diaspora).  The church here needs to re-center its focus on God, then and only then will minds and hearts change and be open to the mission of God. 
            

28.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
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@ winner:

Exactly winner. Getting congregations to see missions in a different light is going to be the key for American congregations to contiue to have a positive impact on this world.  I do not want to take anything away from our mission organizations and the outstanding work they have done for many years, for much if not all of the work they have accomplished would not have been done otherwise.  However, what it has done has created a mindset in many American congregations that only those who announce a call to be a missionary can or should participate in doing mission work.  We have also allowed the "teach" or "make disciples" part of the Great Commission to mean "evangelize" so all most Christians understand about the Greaqt Commission is that they are to tell others about Jesus and get "converts" or "professions of faith."  Yes, as has been mentioned before in other posts, we will have to start with individuals, one on one.  But, as pastors, teachers, professors, etc. we need to go to our congregations and do some real intense exposition of the Matthew 28:18-20 text.  We need to dispell the myths and the misunderstandings that have permeated into our congregations.  That will only come about by a true exposition of the text, and it may take weeks or even months before they grasp it.  And there may need to be some accompanying activities to visualize what we are expounding.  In other words, explain the Great Commission on Sunday, and then grab some of them by the hand and show them what Sunday’s explanation was about on Monday ot Friday or Wednesday or...you get the idea.  But be forewarned...many congregations will not hear it when you tell them or show them.  And if not, you either stay and fight a losing battle going uphill and backwards all the time, or else you walk away and politely move on to the next place God has for you.  But if a congregation listens...my oh my...

28.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou zephora_waiters (1)
Estados Unidos
@ modelk66:

We don’t have to get people to admit or accept that they are disciples we as leaders simply have to tell them that they are disciples and outline God’s mission from the first step of merely being a light unto others to outreach each according to his or her gifts.  People do not want to get involved because as church leaders we do not utilize everyone’s gifts.  The Holy Spirit places an idea in the heart of someone about quilting for example and we send them to be an usher. But there is ministry in quilting, just ask a homeless woman who just had a baby how much something sewn with God’s love means. The result is a leadership that is burned out from doing too much, and a congregation who does not want the same thing to happen to them. We as leaders must let the Holy Spirit guide and help us so others will see that with God all things can be done without exhaustion. And we must value each disciples contribution as valuable to God’s mission.  People do not do because they do not feel that it is necessary for them to do.

30.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou DougFlett (0)
Reino Unido

Diaspora and massive people movement is increasing social complexity and instability. If in Carey’s time there were, lets say, one billion souls on the earth, now there are seven. At that time of industrial revolution in Europe the people movement was from rural to city. That continues in Asia and Africa, but the new and growing movement is from poorer nation to more affluent nation. The common denominator is the city. Church needs a city strategy, individual to each one. Western style denominations and missions are too inflexible to adapt - of over 1000 transformational cities in the world, none are in Europe. We need to adapt fast - city is not too big and complex for God.

01.03.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou ThomasHieber (0)
Alemanha
@ DougFlett:

Dear Doug,

thanks for your comment on the article’Redefining the regions beyond’. I agree that the ’battle is won in the cities’ If we as churches and mission organizations understand what potential and opportunitites cities have, we would concentrate our efforts more towards that. We need to engange intentional and systemisch with our cites. We need to understand the dynamics of our cites - as every city is different! There will be no one strategy that fits all cities.

Just to make you and other aware that there is at least one city in Europe that is engaging in the transformation process and it is Berlin. I am working here for a non-denominational city network where we just finished a conference focusing on transforming out city. The theme was: " Look around. Stand up. Get involved. Justice for the city" (for more infos see: http://www.transforum-berlin.de/transforum/E1/Home)

To understand our cities and it’s dynamic and how they are shaped and reshaped I can recommend a book called:

’Arrival City’ by Doug Saunders . How the Largest Migration in History Is Reshaping Our World.He did a lot of research on cities and especially on the migrant groups that arrive in our cities and how they help change the dynamics of our cities.

May we all work together to transform our cities and with them our world for the Glory of God

01.03.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou DougFlett (0)
Reino Unido
@ ThomasHieber:

Thomas,  Thanks for your note. City and social complexity and scale requires a new kind of approach. I heard a little about Berlin from the CityLinks team from Manchester who visited the Berlin network about 2 years ago. We should keep in touch - reach me at dgj.flett@uk.iccc.net You may be aware of ICCC in Germany. I’m just about to drive to Glasgow for a first meeting of "Redeeming Our Communities" in Scotland. Debra Green, who led the CityLinks team is meeting with us. Blessings, Doug

01.03.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
Estados Unidos
@ DougFlett:

Clarify for me, if you will, what you mean by "transformational city" and also a nuts and bolts description of what a "city strategy" is.  This is all new and the terminology is somewhat unfamiliar.  I do agree that what we have traditionally have done - and continue to do - as far as western church missionary efforts are concerned, does not truly work, because it is more often than not imposed as a "one size fits all" or a "one structure fits all" agenda.  other cultural considerations are rarely if ever made when the western church does missionary work.  The agenda seems to be "they have to look, act, worship, believe exactly as we do."  For instance, a discussion has come up several times in the classroom that one of the first things western church missionaries try to impose on worship is the 11:00 time service, with no regards to culture, weather, or any other consideration.  11:00 worship is fine in heated and air conditioned facilities, but in most of the focal points of western church missionaries, these facilities are rare if at all.

01.03.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou winner (0)
Estados Unidos
@ DougFlett:

Doug:

There is something about life in the city.  Jesus told his disciples to go back to the city and stay there until they received the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is that same power that will guide us in doing work in the cities of the world today! Do you see a change in preference for living in the city over living in small towns or suburbs?

29.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou zephora_waiters (1)
Estados Unidos
@ winner:

I have noticed gentrification, movement back to the cities.  Cities as a hub of change and communication were key places of mission for Paul and still are strategic locations for mission today.  What I miss about the city is the Diaspora.  In NY it created a atmosphere of different accents, smells from exotic spices used in cooking, colors and textures from fabric and a chance to meet representative from around the world without needing a plane ticket.  Then it was merely exciting now it represents the means for the fulfillment of God’s mission.

30.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 1 Gostou Não Gostou Jarvis_Ward (4)  
Estados Unidos

Thanks for a very well written article. It would be very helpful (from the North America side of things) to get your thoughts as to how the Body of Christ can serve better together in some effective and practical ways with the Christian Diaspora to research and reach the Diaspora in U.S. and global cities.

08.02.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou akarnett (0)
Estados Unidos
@ Jarvis_Ward:

Greetings! Could you clarify for me the question you were asking/comment you were making. I want to be sure and understand the distinction betwen christian diaspora and US Diaspora for example. As these concepts are a bit new to me, I appeciate the clarification.

19.02.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou Jarvis_Ward (4)  
Estados Unidos
@ akarnett:

When I speak of the christian diaspora, I simply am creating a clear distinction between those persons in any people group that have been dispersed outside their traditional homeland who have experienced what the Bible describes as the new birth from those who have not.

I hope this clarifies and thanks for the question! 

Pray for the attached:

Fazer download de anexos

• Two_Compelling_Facts_of_History_EAN_RCIR_st.doc

01.03.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou winner (0)
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@ Jarvis_Ward:

Do you think churches understand what you are saying?  I wonder how a churches understanding of what you are saying impacts the mission work that they do?

29.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou akarnett (0)
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@ winner:

Dear Winner, point well taken as I observe your comment. It seems that we have possibly muddied the waters of what mission actually is, quite possibly as a result of our effort to define, label, clarify and reiterate. while I think the average church member can be educated as to what ’mission" is, it could get a bit confusing to sort through the delineations and compartments and categories etc.

29.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou zephora_waiters (1)
Estados Unidos
@ akarnett:

Lets make it simple...the Christian Diaspora - those who are saved. Diaspora (people) in the US - those who are not saved. He describes salvation as new birth. At least that is my understanding.

30.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou Dr_Steve_Bonilla (0)
Filipinas

Dr. Tira, this is not a comment regarding your article, this is rather a question asking for your wise opinion. What can you say if someone, let us say, a church member comes to me and asks for counsel regarding his plan of working abroad (as an OFW), however, this move will cause him to leave his wife who is taking care of their children? Would I encourage him or not? What biblical basis would apply to this situation?
As I am continuously reading diaspora missiology articles, this is one issue I realized which is commonly occurring in the Philippines and I would like to be enlightened on this matter.
Thank you so much.

14.02.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
Estados Unidos
@ Dr_Steve_Bonilla:

Dr. Bonilia, I certainly am not Dr. Tira, nor do I have his wealth of knowledge or wisdom.  I too would be interested in his response, for here is what came to my mind when I read your post.  First, I noticed you said "his plans" not "God has called" or any other type phrasing that would indicate a desire from God for him to go and do this.  That throws me a red flag, for if he is wanting to do this on his own, that is fine, but serious communication with his wife and children should be first and foremost.  Second, my understanding of the biblical principle of marriage is that the husband is to "leave...and cleave unto his wife."  Not that she would dictate to him or decide for him to go or not go, but that his first priority is to her and his family.  I believe Scripture says "a man who does not provide for his own house is worse than an infidel" or something to that effect.  For me personally, if I were approached by someone in this dilemma, I would have to ask a lot of questions such as "What is your motivation for wanting to embark on such an endeavor?"  "Have you discussed the idea and all possible ramifications with your wife?"  "Woud your family be financially solid and provided for during your absence?" "Are there circumsatnces/differences/points of conflict in your home life you are trying to escape?" "What happens to your family should you die while overseas?"  I believe Scripture is very clear in telling a husband to "love your wife even as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it."  I know a mandate from God will supercede any earthly relationship, but I also believe if it is a mandate from God, God will make provisions for the wife and family to go along.  Look forward to hearing Dr. Tira’s take and answers.

17.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou winner (0)
Estados Unidos
@ Dr_Steve_Bonilla:

I am single. Yet, there is something unsettling about a husband leaving his wife to go do missions work.  There is a priority to what we do. God is first, family second, and we are third.  Is the wife in agreement with this plan? What about the mission field in his neighborhood and city?  There are opportunities right in our backyard, if we look.

28.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou zephora_waiters (1)
Estados Unidos

God is so strategic in the fulfillment of his mission that through providence the nations of the world are now in your neighborhood.  No middleman needed.  Just reach out and be that light that represents God’s love and create disciples by meeting needs, engaging cultures and opening church door for fellowship.  Now it is up to us as Americans to allow the Holy Spirit to change our vision to God’s vision and fully realize our purpose of participation in God’s mission.   But first we must confront and eradicate the cancer of racism that is a sickness within every aspect of American culture even within the church.  How can we bring the Good News of Salvation through Christ when we hate all that is different from us?  Yes, we have come a long way and accomplished much, but still the heart of mankind still holds hate for thy neighbor who is different from me.  Until we overcome racism we can never see the Diaspora people who live with us.  The good news is when we do open our hearts and let the God’s love shine through amazing things happen. 

25.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou ThomasHieber (0)
Alemanha

Once again thanks for your insightful article on todays Diaspora issues,Joy. I agree with you that the whole UPG and UUPG needs to be redifined in the light of Diaspora movements. Just one example as I am working with the South Asian Diaspora in Europe.

The Gospel has been preached and churches have been planted in the Punjab ( North India) yet we have thousands of Punjabi people in Europe( and other Diaspora places) that live together in clusters - like Northern Italy at least 60 000- that qualify as UUPG in an Italian and European context. They are an ’unengaged unreached people group’ in Europe.There is hardly a vibrant local Italien church around them with a mission vision and the missionaries working in Italy are working primarily with the Italien people. Who is going to reach them? If we go by the clasical definition of the UPG’s or if they live in the 10/40 window we will not engage with them.

Unless we redefine our mission strategy thinking we will not be able to bring the God News to all people in our life time.

One possible workforce that God is preparing in the Diaspora right now are the second and third generation Diaspora believers. The kids of those that first came to our countries and that are bi-or tri cultural by nature. They move with ease between the host culture and their parents culture and they do not define their ethnicity by their parents background. We are seeing right now a whole new group of young believers that have broken down the culture and racial barriers that are so often still seen in our societies ( and churches)

One of our tasks should be to strengthen these initiatives and encourage them to take a lead in speading the gospel in their generation. Where I live right now a group of these young people have started a network called ’Young Leaders United’. They want to work together with all denominations as they come from various denominations and cultural backgrounds. They want to serve the people and be a blessing to our city (Berlin) They are an inspiring example of unity in the body of Christ!

We, as older leaders and pastors, need to give them our support and blessings and help them to get a plattform for their vision and passion. If we fail to do so we will lose a whole generation of bi-cultural young people ( coming from all the major world religions)

In our inner cities we have almost 50 % of young people below the age of 20 that are bi-cultural. They are different fromt the first generation diaspora people that came and they are different from the host cultures young people but they understand both of them. They are the bridge builders to both cultures. To me these young leaders are one of the work forces for the Diaspora and it’s many opportunities.

09.02.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
Estados Unidos
@ ThomasHieber:

No disrespect meant, but can I ask why you think it would even be possible for us to reach all people with the Good News in our lifetime?  Maybe this is more an eschatalogical question, but is there any indication in Scripture that all people will be reached with the Good News?  I know we are supposed to go to everyone everywhere, but that never happens in one lifetime, because there are just more people being born, and hence more who have yet to hear.  Peter and Paul did not reach the entire population with the Good News, but the ones they did reach they mentored (teach them to observe) and taught them to carry the mission of God forward.  If we focus on trying to reach the entire population all at once, our focus is too big and our efforts will fail miserably.  We each need to find our Timothys, mentor them, so they can reach and mentor Timothys and so forth.  If every congregant would go, teach, baptize, and mentor just one person, the body of Christ would double.  Then the two of you could then go, teach, baptize, and mentor two people and double again...and so on.  I am convinced congregations do not go, teach, baptize, and mentor because it has not been made a personal agenda.  It is all a program of sorts and becomes impersonal, to which they find no connection, and without a connection they see no need to be involved.  But to aim to reach every person on the planet in one lifetime seems just too big of an agenda for the average congregant to get on board.

16.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
Estados Unidos

There is an awful lot of talk about changing mission strategies and implementing them in congregations and devising new ones every so often.  I wonder in our technological age if we aren’t making it too complicated?  Peter and Paul were two of the gretest missionaries to ever live, and they did it with much fewer resources than we can fathom.  I mentioned it in a different post, but they had what many congregants are missing - a passion for people.  It really does not matter what strategy we try to implement, if people are not passionate, they will not participate.  Our strategies are not geared to do missions, but geared instead to try and light a fire or produce a passion in people they do not have.  To me, this is the wrong strategy.  The only strategy you see in the New Testament is "go and do."  Peter responded to the call of God, not the inspiring sermon of the pastor, or a moving video of a missionary.  He "went and done" as he felt led.  Paul did the same thing.  And both of them followed the Great Commission to a fault.  They went (go), they taught (make disciples), they baptized, and they mentored (teach them to observe).  Nowhere did they invent a new cutesy program to inspire a congregation.  Nowhere did they preach a sermon about a new strategy.  They performed the Great Commission, and in so doing, taught others to perform the Great Commission.  Its the principle of reduplication.  Many of the old businesses like Amway and others used the same idea.  One person goes to another person, presents the idea via a script, the person signs up, and is taught to use the same script as they go to another person to get them to sign up.  While that may be a bad analogy, it originated from the Great Commission.  Peter was one man, who went to one man (Cornelius) who went and so on and so forth.  We are expending efforts and resources trying to get a multitude of people to do the same thing at once.  Instead, forget the programs, forget the strategies, and GO to one, TEACH the one, BAPTIZE the one, and MENTOR the one.  The one will then go and do likewise.  If not, maybe they are not a true disciple.  And no program or strategy will ever get them to go.

16.04.2012

Responder Bandeira 0 Gostou Não Gostou modelk66 (0)
Estados Unidos

"I will write more about this issue, but for now, my summary is:  though our times of change are similar, our world is vastly different from William Carey’s.  We live now in an increasingly "borderless" world -- with transnationalism, and decentralization, and deterritorialization.  We don’t just find Indians in India; Indians – thousands of them, have come to my home – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 

I see people from everywhere who do not know the Lord and who are not disciples of Christ."

Yes...I agree our world is vastly different from that of William Carey’s.  Yet..it is much the same...there are people in every country of the world who "do not know the Lord and who are not disciples of Christ."  The down side of determining "Unreached People Groups" is that it attaches a distinction of Christian presence as the determing factor.  The simple fact remains that as long as there are humans on this earth, there will be unreached people.  For that reason, I see only one unreached people group...it happens to be spread worldwide residing in every nation.  It broke my heart to read your account of missionaries pulling out of the Philipines once it reached "Reached People Group" status.  William Carey did not go to the Indians because he was sent by some administrators...he went because he felt called.  Where is the calling by missionaries now?  Had those Philippine missionaries felt truly called to the Philippines, no mandate to pull out would have gotten them to leave.  We have more resources to do more and reach more than WIlliam Carey did, but it seems the passion is missing...or misplaced.  A passion for people will want to reach people for the sake of reaching people...not just to check off another group from the list and move on to the next group.  Our world is indeed borderless...and Christianity is still...for the most part...trying to reach people determined by borders.  Our world is vastly different from William Carey’s to be sure...but people that do not know the Lord are everywhere, and to reach them we must have what William Carey had...a passion for people that is God-given.

23.02.2012

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I agree with the writer that we must be willing to adjust our missions strategy in order to accomodate the dynamic and documented changes that are ever occurring. It appears that the missions pioneers were equally as creative and courageous as nescessary to operate outside of what was then "the box". The truth of the matter is that in many ways, the size, shape, location etc.of "the box" continues to change and evolve--which mandates that mission definition, practicum and strategy must do the same in order to be effective and viable.

08.02.2012

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