Kathy and I greatly enjoyed watching a 7 part DVD series on the adult life of John Adams this week. Adams wore many hats over the course of his life. He was a defense attorney in Boston, a key player in the first Continental Congress, the first ambassador to Great Britain, the first vice president, the second president of the U.S., and raised a son who became the sixth president. It was a great way to prepare ourselves for celebrating Independence Day tomorrow. It will be the 235th anniversary of the U.S. declaring its independence from the tyranny of British governmental control and it’s strongly opposed “taxation without representation”.
A guest speaker in my home church today spoke about another independence day, the spiritual freedom that every believer in Jesus Christ now has, acquired through the costly death and the resurrection of Jesus. Sadly most of the world is still under the control of an evil tyrant and spiritual bondage is a daily reality. Pioneers exists to provide access to spiritual freedom to those living within a people group without access to the liberating message of the gospel.
Two weeks ago Pioneers held a pre-field connection event at our U.S. mobilization base in Orlando. 29 missionary units (families, couples, or individuals) met there for five days of final training before they leave for the field. Six of these were from the Red River region which I serve. One from Rogers, Arkansas serving an UPG (unreached people group) in Mexico, one from West Monroe, Louisiana serving an UPG in Thailand, one from Austin, Texas serving an UPG in France, one from Houston, Texas serving an UPG in Mongolia, and two from Lubbock, Texas serving an UPG in Oman. They will be joining 2450 Pioneers workers already on the field worldwide. These workers serve on 229 teams among 146 UPGs in 95 countries.
I am asking God for two things as I begin this new role with Pioneers’ Church Partnership Team. One, to use me to help keep a steady flow of new workers from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas entering into church planting work among the UPGs of the world. And two, to use me to help cultivate healthy, growing partnerships between the sending and supporting churches these workers come out of and what is happening on the field. I would welcome your prayers toward those ends.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
from June 5, 2011 prayer update
Let me preface my comments by stating my total commitment to both the local and global components of the Great Commission. This is not an “either/or” proposition, rather it is a “both/and”. If it is our desire to live Biblically, it is absolutely vital that we meaningfully engage the lost both locally and among the least reached globally. Both as individuals and corporately as a local church. Better yet, as part of a small missional community of like-hearted believers.
However, there are some disturbing patterns that are emerging regarding the response of the U.S. Church to this bi-focal vision. We are extremely unbalanced in our focus and in the allocation of our resources. Sadly most churches have little involvement in evangelism on either front (local or global). And for those churches that are involved in reaching the lost, it is disproportionally a focus on reaching our own communities.
Did you know that 29% of the U.S. population is composed of evangelical Christians (1 out of every 3.5 Americans)? Even in our most unreached urban centers, evangelical Christians number somewhere in the 10-15% range. According to 2007 stats from researchers Todd Johnson and Charles Tieszen, 98% of the non-religious in North America personally know a Christian. At least creating the potential for them to hear the gospel.
Most of the evangelism efforts in the U.S. target “seekers”. Seekers are mostly nominal Christians with a few non-religious folks in the mix that might visit our church or a Christian event with us if we invited them. They represent about 1/3 of the 71% who are lost in this country. What about the other 2/3s of the lost? They can only be reached incarnationally, on their own turf, by someone presenting an authentic and contextualized gospel to them. If the Church of Jesus Christ in North America is obedient (in inviting the seekers and living incarnationally among the non-seekers), almost all the lost within our country have easy and repeated access to the gospel.
But this is not true globally, especially in Asia and north Africa. According to Johnson and Tieszen, worldwide 87% of Muslims do not personally know a single Christian (not one). Neither do 86% of all Hindus and Buddhists. These are not folks who have rejected the gospel after repeated exposure. These are folks with absolutely no access to the gospel. What priority are our churches assigning to reaching the billions of Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists without access to the gospel?
“How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One who they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14-15)
Do you have beautiful feet?
However, there are some disturbing patterns that are emerging regarding the response of the U.S. Church to this bi-focal vision. We are extremely unbalanced in our focus and in the allocation of our resources. Sadly most churches have little involvement in evangelism on either front (local or global). And for those churches that are involved in reaching the lost, it is disproportionally a focus on reaching our own communities.
Did you know that 29% of the U.S. population is composed of evangelical Christians (1 out of every 3.5 Americans)? Even in our most unreached urban centers, evangelical Christians number somewhere in the 10-15% range. According to 2007 stats from researchers Todd Johnson and Charles Tieszen, 98% of the non-religious in North America personally know a Christian. At least creating the potential for them to hear the gospel.
Most of the evangelism efforts in the U.S. target “seekers”. Seekers are mostly nominal Christians with a few non-religious folks in the mix that might visit our church or a Christian event with us if we invited them. They represent about 1/3 of the 71% who are lost in this country. What about the other 2/3s of the lost? They can only be reached incarnationally, on their own turf, by someone presenting an authentic and contextualized gospel to them. If the Church of Jesus Christ in North America is obedient (in inviting the seekers and living incarnationally among the non-seekers), almost all the lost within our country have easy and repeated access to the gospel.
But this is not true globally, especially in Asia and north Africa. According to Johnson and Tieszen, worldwide 87% of Muslims do not personally know a single Christian (not one). Neither do 86% of all Hindus and Buddhists. These are not folks who have rejected the gospel after repeated exposure. These are folks with absolutely no access to the gospel. What priority are our churches assigning to reaching the billions of Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists without access to the gospel?
“How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One who they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14-15)
Do you have beautiful feet?
Sunday, May 15, 2011
from May 15, 2011 prayer update
Lesson 15 of the “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement” class is titled “world Christian discipleship”. It is the final lesson and designed to draw the class members into a time of reflection regarding their personal response to all the challenging content they received during the first 14 lessons.
In this lesson I discuss the importance of personal response, review key concepts from the first 14 lessons, and define what a “world Christian” is. Most of the lesson is devoted to exploring 10 landmarks on our journey to becoming world Christians.
The 10 landmarks include:
1. misseo dei
2. live missionally every day
3. continually place yourself on the altar (family, career, free time, check book, …)
4. cultivate a wartime lifestyle
5. become a life-long learner about missions
6. become a global intercessor
7. find a like-hearted community and join it
8. participate in short-term missions trips
9. engage in David Platt’s one year experiment
10. discover and embrace your primary missions role (sender, welcomer, goer, or mobilizer)
Special emphasis and attention is given to the 10th landmark.
This spring I had the opportunity to teach this lesson with three classes: in Tyler, TX on April 25. In San Jose, Costa Rica on May 2. And in Fort Worth, TX on May 4. What a joy to see these students grapple with the long-term implications of living as a world Christian and seeking to identify next steps that God would have them take on their journey.
My time with the class in Costa Rica was especially meaningful as this was the first time Perspectives has ever been taught in this country. Costa Rica is a one of several Latin American countries that is rapidly becoming a sending country. With many of its workers going to serve among unreached peoples in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Middle East, where they are received much more positively than someone from the U.S.
I am grateful that this may not be my last time to serve in this beautiful country. I have been invited to return to teach again with their second Perspectives class this fall.
In this lesson I discuss the importance of personal response, review key concepts from the first 14 lessons, and define what a “world Christian” is. Most of the lesson is devoted to exploring 10 landmarks on our journey to becoming world Christians.
The 10 landmarks include:
1. misseo dei
2. live missionally every day
3. continually place yourself on the altar (family, career, free time, check book, …)
4. cultivate a wartime lifestyle
5. become a life-long learner about missions
6. become a global intercessor
7. find a like-hearted community and join it
8. participate in short-term missions trips
9. engage in David Platt’s one year experiment
10. discover and embrace your primary missions role (sender, welcomer, goer, or mobilizer)
Special emphasis and attention is given to the 10th landmark.
This spring I had the opportunity to teach this lesson with three classes: in Tyler, TX on April 25. In San Jose, Costa Rica on May 2. And in Fort Worth, TX on May 4. What a joy to see these students grapple with the long-term implications of living as a world Christian and seeking to identify next steps that God would have them take on their journey.
My time with the class in Costa Rica was especially meaningful as this was the first time Perspectives has ever been taught in this country. Costa Rica is a one of several Latin American countries that is rapidly becoming a sending country. With many of its workers going to serve among unreached peoples in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Middle East, where they are received much more positively than someone from the U.S.
I am grateful that this may not be my last time to serve in this beautiful country. I have been invited to return to teach again with their second Perspectives class this fall.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
from April 17, 2011 prayer update
On April 4-6 I had the opportunity to participate with 700 other local church, para-church, and sending agency evangelism and mission leaders from across the U.S. in Mission America Coalition’s annual conference in Orlando. This year the event had both a national (as usual) and global (in response to Lausanne 2010) focus.
Our morning and evening sessions were together as a large group. We had times of corporate worship, plenary messages, and times of small group interaction / prayer around the messages. We heard from Lon Allison, Hwa Yung, Doug Birdsall, Esme Bowers, among others.
Our afternoon sessions were divided into more than 25 specialized breakout sessions addressing some excellent national and international outreach issues. I participated in the largest of the breakout sessions, focused on “mobilizing the U.S. Church for global missions”. Steve Shadrach with the USCWM very capably planned and led this breakout session. Nearly 100 of us interacted in small groups in six sessions around practical issues related to engaging the U.S. Church more effectively in taking the gospel to the least reached around the globe.
In session 1 and 2, I participated in 2 of 8 topical discussions. I chose the topics: “What is the USA’s role now that the Global South is sending – every nation to every nation” and “What do tomorrow’s missionaries look like in closed access countries? Tentmaking and BAM vs. traditional missionaries without a covering”.
Session 3 was focused on how to ENGAGE the unmobilized to have a vision and passion for personal involvement in global missions. I served as 1 of 10 table facilitators broken down by a focus on youth, college, mid-career, finishers, and entire church.
Session 4 was focused on how to EQUIP believers to get involved in global missions locally and equipping long-term goers.
Session 5 was focused on how to CONNECT believers to strategic opportunities for global missions. I served as 1 of 9 table facilitators in this session.
And the sixth and final session was a Q&A time with a panel.
My biggest take away from the three days together was the opportunity to interact and network with like-hearted colleagues from across the country. Another take away for me was the complexity of and changing nature of the task of world evangelization. It is amazing how much is happening globally despite how disjointed so much of what we do is.
Our morning and evening sessions were together as a large group. We had times of corporate worship, plenary messages, and times of small group interaction / prayer around the messages. We heard from Lon Allison, Hwa Yung, Doug Birdsall, Esme Bowers, among others.
Our afternoon sessions were divided into more than 25 specialized breakout sessions addressing some excellent national and international outreach issues. I participated in the largest of the breakout sessions, focused on “mobilizing the U.S. Church for global missions”. Steve Shadrach with the USCWM very capably planned and led this breakout session. Nearly 100 of us interacted in small groups in six sessions around practical issues related to engaging the U.S. Church more effectively in taking the gospel to the least reached around the globe.
In session 1 and 2, I participated in 2 of 8 topical discussions. I chose the topics: “What is the USA’s role now that the Global South is sending – every nation to every nation” and “What do tomorrow’s missionaries look like in closed access countries? Tentmaking and BAM vs. traditional missionaries without a covering”.
Session 3 was focused on how to ENGAGE the unmobilized to have a vision and passion for personal involvement in global missions. I served as 1 of 10 table facilitators broken down by a focus on youth, college, mid-career, finishers, and entire church.
Session 4 was focused on how to EQUIP believers to get involved in global missions locally and equipping long-term goers.
Session 5 was focused on how to CONNECT believers to strategic opportunities for global missions. I served as 1 of 9 table facilitators in this session.
And the sixth and final session was a Q&A time with a panel.
My biggest take away from the three days together was the opportunity to interact and network with like-hearted colleagues from across the country. Another take away for me was the complexity of and changing nature of the task of world evangelization. It is amazing how much is happening globally despite how disjointed so much of what we do is.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
from April 3, 2011 prayer update
After 20 years of investing my life in college students as a younger man (through The Navigators and through three different Austin area churches), it is a real joy to participate in an event like Passion 2011. A Passion conference was held in Atlanta earlier this year, with the second held this weekend in Fort Worth. 10 thousand college students packed out the downtown Fort Worth convention center.
Passion is a very appropriate name for this event and the organization that makes it happen. These folks clearly love Jesus, and He is center of what they do. They preach a very simple message, sadly one that much of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Western world only gives lip service to. It is all about Jesus and His mission. The key verse this ministry has highlighted since its inception is Isaiah 26:8, “Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your truth we eagerly wait for You, for Your name and Your renown are the desire of our souls.”
Featured were several big name Christian bands (David Crowder, Charlie Hall, Christy Nockels, Matt Redman, Kristan Stanfill, Chris Tomlin) and three big name Christian speakers (Francis Chan, Louie Giglio, John Piper). A little more hero worship and preoccupation with “cool” than is healthy, but that happened back when I was a college student too. And it is an issue that can trace its roots back to the first century Church (I Corinthians 1:12).
In addition to the music and the speakers (which dominate this 20 something event), there were small group breakout sessions where students could process what they were hearing and a large GO Center with an area called “Do Something Now”. There was the usual emphasis on social justice that is commonly associated with the millennial generation’s perspective on world missions (creation care, HIV prevention, orphan care, stopping sexual trafficking, water wells, etc.). Sadly these issue are often promoted without any kind of meaningful linkage to evangelism or church planting, resulting a very hollow and short-lived social justice.
But this was not the case at Passion 2011. I was delighted to see the premiere focus of the global outreach component of this event focused on a Bible translation project among an unreached people group in Mali, Africa. And a challenge to the students to make themselves available to serve among the nearly 6900 unreached people groups in today’s world (less than 2% evangelical Christian). A challenge that about 1/3 of those present responded to with affirmation. WOW! I am now hoping the Passion folks will somehow link these students with mission sending agencies serving among the unreached to seize this fantastic opportunity.
I had the opportunity to serve as one of 700 volunteers working behind the scenes to help make this event possible. Having been responsible for leading several missions conferences in the past gave me a huge appreciation for the scope and quality of what took place with this event.
“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come.” (Psalm 71:18)
Passion is a very appropriate name for this event and the organization that makes it happen. These folks clearly love Jesus, and He is center of what they do. They preach a very simple message, sadly one that much of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Western world only gives lip service to. It is all about Jesus and His mission. The key verse this ministry has highlighted since its inception is Isaiah 26:8, “Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your truth we eagerly wait for You, for Your name and Your renown are the desire of our souls.”
Featured were several big name Christian bands (David Crowder, Charlie Hall, Christy Nockels, Matt Redman, Kristan Stanfill, Chris Tomlin) and three big name Christian speakers (Francis Chan, Louie Giglio, John Piper). A little more hero worship and preoccupation with “cool” than is healthy, but that happened back when I was a college student too. And it is an issue that can trace its roots back to the first century Church (I Corinthians 1:12).
In addition to the music and the speakers (which dominate this 20 something event), there were small group breakout sessions where students could process what they were hearing and a large GO Center with an area called “Do Something Now”. There was the usual emphasis on social justice that is commonly associated with the millennial generation’s perspective on world missions (creation care, HIV prevention, orphan care, stopping sexual trafficking, water wells, etc.). Sadly these issue are often promoted without any kind of meaningful linkage to evangelism or church planting, resulting a very hollow and short-lived social justice.
But this was not the case at Passion 2011. I was delighted to see the premiere focus of the global outreach component of this event focused on a Bible translation project among an unreached people group in Mali, Africa. And a challenge to the students to make themselves available to serve among the nearly 6900 unreached people groups in today’s world (less than 2% evangelical Christian). A challenge that about 1/3 of those present responded to with affirmation. WOW! I am now hoping the Passion folks will somehow link these students with mission sending agencies serving among the unreached to seize this fantastic opportunity.
I had the opportunity to serve as one of 700 volunteers working behind the scenes to help make this event possible. Having been responsible for leading several missions conferences in the past gave me a huge appreciation for the scope and quality of what took place with this event.
“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come.” (Psalm 71:18)
Sunday, March 20, 2011
from March 20, 2011 prayer update
It has been nearly 27 years since I graduated from seminary. I can recall studying eschatology (the last days) in one of my systematic theology classes. My personal doctrinal beliefs regarding eschatology have not changed much since those days, but two important things related to them have:
• I have become convinced that there is no value in being dogmatic about the details of my beliefs concerning the last days. I should never allow them to become something divisive.
• I believe that many evangelical believers who share my beliefs do not see the forest for the trees.
This past week I taught 3 Perspectives classes in the Kansas City area (lesson 9, “the task remaining”). In the class we discussed four phenomenon that demonstrate the remarkable progress of the gospel through the centuries. All four reveal exponential growth since the mid twentieth century.
• the growing percentage of genuine believers worldwide
• the growing ratio of churches to unreached people groups globally
• the emerging evangelical and charismatic Church worldwide
• the emerging non-Western Church
We then shifted our attention to what will it take to say we have brought closure to (completed) the Great Commission. We considered what I believe are the 10 greatest challenges that lie ahead.
1. 6 religious megaspheres
2. 6900 languages
3. 6900 ethnolinguistic unreached people groups
4. the 10-40 window
5. the Muslim world
6. India
7. 64 restricted access countries
8. emerging urban centers
9. shrinking U.S. missionary forces
10. misallocated resources
We concluded our time by reflecting on Matthew 24:14, which I believe should be the bottom line of every evangelical Christian’s eschatological convictions. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations (people groups), and then the end will come.”
With the recent rise of unrest in the Arab world and the steady onslaught of major natural disasters, it is easy to focus our attention on these events, and lose sight of what is primary. Although they are signs that Christ’s return for His bride may be near, they are not what is driving the process. God is a purposive and missional God. He gave the Church a compelling job to do: “disciple the nations (people groups)”. He will return for His Church when the job is done.
• I have become convinced that there is no value in being dogmatic about the details of my beliefs concerning the last days. I should never allow them to become something divisive.
• I believe that many evangelical believers who share my beliefs do not see the forest for the trees.
This past week I taught 3 Perspectives classes in the Kansas City area (lesson 9, “the task remaining”). In the class we discussed four phenomenon that demonstrate the remarkable progress of the gospel through the centuries. All four reveal exponential growth since the mid twentieth century.
• the growing percentage of genuine believers worldwide
• the growing ratio of churches to unreached people groups globally
• the emerging evangelical and charismatic Church worldwide
• the emerging non-Western Church
We then shifted our attention to what will it take to say we have brought closure to (completed) the Great Commission. We considered what I believe are the 10 greatest challenges that lie ahead.
1. 6 religious megaspheres
2. 6900 languages
3. 6900 ethnolinguistic unreached people groups
4. the 10-40 window
5. the Muslim world
6. India
7. 64 restricted access countries
8. emerging urban centers
9. shrinking U.S. missionary forces
10. misallocated resources
We concluded our time by reflecting on Matthew 24:14, which I believe should be the bottom line of every evangelical Christian’s eschatological convictions. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations (people groups), and then the end will come.”
With the recent rise of unrest in the Arab world and the steady onslaught of major natural disasters, it is easy to focus our attention on these events, and lose sight of what is primary. Although they are signs that Christ’s return for His bride may be near, they are not what is driving the process. God is a purposive and missional God. He gave the Church a compelling job to do: “disciple the nations (people groups)”. He will return for His Church when the job is done.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
from March 6, 2011 prayer update
This week I will be participating in what may be the most significant event I will be involved with in 2011. I would welcome your prayers for this event.
For many years ACMC has needed to take a step back and reassess where we are going and how we are seeking to get there. That is now happening.
On March 10-11 five of our ACMC staff members, our boss, and an outside facilitator will be meeting in Orlando to grapple with important issues regarding our future as an organization, with the goal of revisioning and focusing our work.
We will be taking a fresh look at our mission and vision statements, our core values, and our core methodologies as an organization.
We are looking to God to show up and speak with clarity to us regarding these issues. Please pray that our hearts would be prepared and tuned in to the Lord and to each other, and that we would collectively hear from Him.
We have taken several steps to prepare for this time together.
• we have been praying some common prayers
• we have been reflecting on our current mission and vision statements, core values, and methodologies
• we have received written feedback from a survey (and begun to process it) from 45 outside U.S. mission leaders regarding ACMC
• we have read Steve Moore’s new book, While You Were Micro-Sleeping: Fresh Insights on the Changing Face of North American Missions (and we will be interacting around it)
• we have selected a core group of our staff for this initial gathering who will then bring specific recommendations to the rest of our staff
• we have identified a gifted, outside facilitator (Matthew Ellison with 16:15) to lead us thru the process – please pray for Matthew to lead with wisdom and skill
Early in the process some things are already apparent:
• we need to develop a new vision statement
• we need to function more as a team, and less as lone ranger mobilizers
• we need to closely align our individual efforts with our mission and vision statements
• we need to significantly focus our efforts (identify our sweet spot), not broaden them
• we need to do a much better job of connecting with emerging generations (Gen X and millennials)
• we need to move away from methodologies that have become less effective over the years and experiment with new methodologies
• we need to grapple with funding paradigms for current and new staff and for our organization
But we suspect God has more to say to us. Pray that we would hear that this week and that our entire staff would resonate with it and own it. Also pray as we grapple with the implementation details. That will be vital in determining whether we experience meaningful and lasting change as an organization or this becomes another well intentioned conceptualizing exercise that bears little fruit.
For many years ACMC has needed to take a step back and reassess where we are going and how we are seeking to get there. That is now happening.
On March 10-11 five of our ACMC staff members, our boss, and an outside facilitator will be meeting in Orlando to grapple with important issues regarding our future as an organization, with the goal of revisioning and focusing our work.
We will be taking a fresh look at our mission and vision statements, our core values, and our core methodologies as an organization.
We are looking to God to show up and speak with clarity to us regarding these issues. Please pray that our hearts would be prepared and tuned in to the Lord and to each other, and that we would collectively hear from Him.
We have taken several steps to prepare for this time together.
• we have been praying some common prayers
• we have been reflecting on our current mission and vision statements, core values, and methodologies
• we have received written feedback from a survey (and begun to process it) from 45 outside U.S. mission leaders regarding ACMC
• we have read Steve Moore’s new book, While You Were Micro-Sleeping: Fresh Insights on the Changing Face of North American Missions (and we will be interacting around it)
• we have selected a core group of our staff for this initial gathering who will then bring specific recommendations to the rest of our staff
• we have identified a gifted, outside facilitator (Matthew Ellison with 16:15) to lead us thru the process – please pray for Matthew to lead with wisdom and skill
Early in the process some things are already apparent:
• we need to develop a new vision statement
• we need to function more as a team, and less as lone ranger mobilizers
• we need to closely align our individual efforts with our mission and vision statements
• we need to significantly focus our efforts (identify our sweet spot), not broaden them
• we need to do a much better job of connecting with emerging generations (Gen X and millennials)
• we need to move away from methodologies that have become less effective over the years and experiment with new methodologies
• we need to grapple with funding paradigms for current and new staff and for our organization
But we suspect God has more to say to us. Pray that we would hear that this week and that our entire staff would resonate with it and own it. Also pray as we grapple with the implementation details. That will be vital in determining whether we experience meaningful and lasting change as an organization or this becomes another well intentioned conceptualizing exercise that bears little fruit.
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