The SEND U Blog

Reflections and Resources for Lifelong Learning for Missionaries

Category: Disciple-making Page 24 of 29

Lessons to be Learned from the Church in Asia – Part 1 (2016 Global Discipleship Congress)

By

On February 19, 2016

In Disciple-making, Prayer

A few weeks ago I had the amazing privilege of joining together with 6000+ believers (mostly Asians) at the Global Discipleship Congress (GDC) in Manila, Philippines. It was a transformational experience as God used several Spirit-filled Asian leaders to challenge us to intentionally live a life of making disciples — to live out our faith and to pass it on to others. Wishing that all SEND members could experience GDC along with me, I started jotting down a few notes for a potential blog (a poor substitute for actually being present, I know, but hopefully better than nothing).

Rev. Edmund Chan

The Global Discipleship Congress got its start with God working in the heart of Rev. Edmund Chan, a Singaporean pastor with a passion for seeing churches be intentional in their disciple-making. As Rev. Chan welcomed us to the Congress, he remarked,

“My burden for the church is that many Christians don’t pass on to faithful people the things that they learn. Or worse, they try to ‘pass it on’ without ‘living it out’! Oftentimes, we live a life of inconsistency that compromises discipleship and truncates disciplemaking. The 2016 GDC Asia Conference seeks to address this need for the Asian Church. It’s time for the Asian Church to arise in the disciple-making mandate! Join us. A global discipleship movement is well on its way!” You can read here how God led Rev. Chan to start the Global Alliance of Intentional Disciple-Making Churches. I encourage you to take a few minutes to browse this website and explore some of the resources. I had the privilege of hearing Rev. Chan speak on prayer at a local church following the Congress. To my recollection, it is the most compelling sermon I have ever heard on prayer. I encourage you to take some time to watch it here.

Read More

Developing the Art of Conversational Evangelism

By

On December 4, 2015

In Book Reviews, Evangelism

I found David and Norman Geisler’s book, Conversational Evangelism: Connecting with People to Share Jesus while doing some reading on contextualization.   I thought it would be interesting combining Norman Geisler’s expertise in apologetics and his son, David’s experience on college campuses and 7 years serving in Singapore. I was not disappointed. This is a very helpful book. Similar in some ways to Randy Newman’s book, Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts the Way Jesus Did, the Geislers’ book has more emphasis on worldviews and apologetics.

The first chapter, “The Need for Pre-Evangelism in a Postmodern World”, makes the point that evangelism is a process. Then chapter 2 introduces the model with four types of conversations: “Hearing Conversations, Illuminating Conversations, Uncovering Conversations, and Building Conversations”.  The Geislers relate these conversations to four roles we play:

 

 

Read More

Are Missionaries Public Theologians Too?

By

On November 2, 2015

In Disciple-making, Theology, Book Reviews

I recently finished reading the book The Pastor as A Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision by Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2015). The authors write, “Our task in this book is to argue, first, that pastors must be theologians; second, that every theologian is in some sense a public theologian; and third, that a public theologian is a very particular kind of generalist.” (p. 5) I am not going to review this excellent book but use it as a springboard to the question of missionaries as public theologians.

First I would argue that missionaries, like pastors, must be theologians. The missionary task is fundamentally a theological task. Unfortunately, theology is often seen as impractical and esoteric. But theology is practical; “William Ames [a Puritan] says it is simply the teaching of ‘living to God’.”(Vanhoozer and Strachan, p. 16) “To be a Christian theologian is to seek, speak, and show understanding of what God was doing in Christ for the sake of the world. Christian theology sets forth in speech what is in Christ: God; true humanity; all visible and invisible created things; the reconciliation of the world to God (2 Cor. 5:19).” (p. 17, italics original). This is indeed the missionary task! So missionaries must seek to grow in “living to God” and helping others to grow likewise. Theology includes understanding, emotion, and practice. Understanding what God was/is doing in Christ is expressed in worship and godliness.

Read More

Why Should I Leave?

By

On October 12, 2015

In Church Planting


“Why should I leave?”

I was recently in a strategy discussion with SEND North church planters at Marsh Lake Bible Camp in the Yukon Territory of Canada when one of the participants asked, “Why should I leave?”  Why should a missionary enjoying fruitful ministry in a particular community, move out of that community prior to their retirement?   The discussion continued acknowledging that the question was important but no clear answer emerged.  

Read More

DMM – Book Review of David Watson’s Contagious Disciple Making

By

On July 30, 2015

In DMM, Book Reviews, Church Planting

DMM’s (Disciple Making Movements) have sparked much interest in the missions world of late, particularly for ministry in challenging contexts. David Watson, as one of the leading practitioner and thinkers in the area, has written Contagious Disciple Making: Leading Others on a Journey of Discovery along with his son, Paul Watson as a practical and valuable guide to obeying the Great Commission. While David is engaging in his in-person teaching, drawing on rich examples from his own ministry, his written work is even more balanced and valuable for those involved in establishing churches, particularly among the unreached.

DMM is often used synonymously with CPM or Church Planting Movement. Watson defines CPM as “an indigenously led Gospel-planting and obedience-based discipleship process that resulted in a minimum of one hundred new locally initiated and led churches, four generations deep, within three years” (Kindle location 210).

Read More

Page 24 of 29

Previous

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén