August 15, 2026

The SEND U Blog

Reflections and Resources for Lifelong Learning for Missionaries

Author: Ken Guenther

Director of SEND U
Spiritual Formation, Training, Self-Feeding

How Do You Train Others to Feed Themselves?

This blog series has been sidelined as we have been out of town for most of the past 4 weeks. But I do not want to leave this topic of self-feeding without addressing the question of how we can equip others to become self-feeders. In my first post on this topic, I asked the question, “Who feeds the missionaries spiritually?” Despite the value of various member care initiatives, we cannot avoid the simple conclusion that our missionaries must learn to feed themselves. The second post looked at Biblical examples and Biblical support for the concept of self-feeding. It is not just an outgrowth of Western individualism. In the third post, we clarified what self-feeding actually entails, and talked about taking responsibility for one’s own spiritual nourishment, planning ahead and developing rhythms. Now as a missionary trainer, I realize that just writing about these concepts or even explaining them clearly in… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther1 min read
Spiritual Formation, Self-Feeding

What Does It Mean to Feed Yourself Spiritually?

What Does Self-Feeding Involve? In my first post on this topic, I asked the question, “Who feeds the missionaries spiritually?” My simple answer to that question:  “We expect our missionaries to feed themselves!”   Then in my second post, I looked at what the Bible has to say about self-feeding. We saw that there was all kinds of Biblical examples and Biblical support for individual believers taking the initiative to nourish their soul outside of what happens in the church meetings. Now I would like to define more clearly what I mean by self-feeding.   I think there are at least five critical elements: 1. Taking Responsibility. Self-feeding means we take personal responsibility for making sure we are regularly nourished on the Word.   If we feel spiritually under-nourished, we don’t assign primary blame to the church we are attending, but to ourselves.  Responsible people are self-disciplined. Paul reminds Titus that those who… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther2 mins read
Spiritual Formation, Self-Feeding

What Does the Bible Say About Self-Feeding?

In my last post, I asked the question, “Who feeds the missionaries spiritually?”  My simple answer to that question:  We expect our missionaries to feed themselves!” But can self-feeding be biblically supported?  Some have questioned this concept.   After all Jesus told Peter to “feed my sheep”, not “teach my sheep to feed themselves.”   There are several direct references to self-feeding which are decidedly negative (see Ezekiel 34:2, 8, 10 and Jude 1:12 which all refer to shepherds who feed themselves, preying on the flock to enrich themselves).  Isn’t the concept of self-feeding just following the individualistic worldview and culture so prevalent in the West?  Isn’t the spiritual development of every believer dependent on the Body life of the church (Eph 4:16)?… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther1 min read
Spiritual Formation, Self-Feeding

Who Feeds the Missionaries Spiritually?

The simple answer to that question: for the most part, we expect our missionaries to feed themselves! One of our goals throughout the pre-field preparation process in SEND International is to help our new missionaries become adept at feeding themselves spiritually. We emphasize the importance of a personal daily “Quiet Time.  We encourage them to be like Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus, rather than becoming distracted by a multitude of opportunities to serve Jesus, like her sister Martha (Luke 10:38-42).   We practice various spiritual disciplines right during the training.  We provide structure and some accountability for implementing what they are learning.  In our last Member Orientation Program, we distributed to each new missionary appointee a copy of the Life Journal and practiced the S.O.A.P. method of journaling on several mornings.  Then near the end of the two weeks of training, everyone spends a whole day alone with… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther1 min read
Church Planting

Don’t Dismiss Small Beginnings

My DiSC profile says that I am a high “D” in personality type. That means I am supposed to be direct, decisive and driven. I think living in Asia for most of my adult life has probably softened some of the edges, and 27 years of married life has helped as well. But I admit that I prioritize results (the word “results” shows up 52 times on my DiSC profile!). I also admit that I am often tempted to discouragement when I look at my own ministry and that of my SEND colleagues around the world.  In most of the places where we work, our ministries are pretty small, and decisive results are not nearly always evident. In many places, we are just beginning, sowing seeds in hard places, building relationships, meeting with small groups of believers.    I love to hear and read about mass movements of people to Christ,… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther1 min read
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