April 25, 2024

The SEND U Blog

Reflections and Resources for Lifelong Learning for Missionaries

Category: Missiological Issues

Insider Movements: Understanding the Issues
Missiology, Contextualization, Insider Movements, Missiological Issues, Church Planting, Disciple-making, Islam

Insider Movements: Understanding the Issues

“Over the past fifteen years missiologists have produced a massive amount of literature related to the contextualization debate surrounding the proposals of Insider Movement proponents.” So begins J. Henry Wolfe in his article, “The Development of the Insider Movement Paradigm” (published July 2015, www.GlobalMissiology.org). I have tried to digest a good portion of that material over the last few months and add my testimony to the truth of Ecclesiastes 12:12 – “Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.” The definition of Insider Movements John Jay Travis defines an “insider” as “a person from a non-Christian background who has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior but retains the socioreligious [sic] identity of his or her birth.” (Understanding Insider Movements, kindle loc. 827).  His working definition of Insider Movements (IM) then is:… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Biblical Theology of Mission: NT
Missiology, Theology, Christ, Missiological Issues

Biblical Theology of Mission: NT

(This continues my posts about the mission of God. See my previous posts about Missio Dei and Biblical Theology of Mission: OT). But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4,5 ESV) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3,4 ESV)… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Biblical Theology of Missions: OT
Missiology, Theology, Missiological Issues

Biblical Theology of Missions: OT

If we are to understand the mission of God (Missio Dei, see last month’s post), we need to study what God has said about it. God has revealed himself, his purpose and plan in the Christian Scriptures. As Christopher Wright observes, “The only concept of mission into which God fits is the one of which he is the beginning, the center and end. … And the only access that we have to that mission of God is given to us in the Bible.” (The Mission of God, 2006, 534). Biblical theology is not a practice of trolling through the Bible until one hooks a text to prove a point. Rather, Biblical theology seeks to follow the storyline of Scripture as God reveals himself and his plan. (See earlier post reviewing What is Biblical Theology?).… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Contextualization, Missiological Issues, Islam, Resources, Training, Book Reviews

Review: From Seed to Fruit, 2nd Edition

The Second edition of From Seed to Fruit: Global Trends, Fruitful Practices, and Emerging Issues among Muslims, edited by J. Dudley Woodberry contains reports and analyses of the Global Trends and Fruitful Practices Consultation in 2007. The consultation included almost 500 people from around the globe involved in outreach to Muslims. The book is a tremendous resource for anyone involved in Muslim ministry. Many of the fruitful practices would find application among other people groups as well. The tone was upbeat and realistic. The Introduction reports:           Muslims are following Jesus throughout the spectrum of types of contextualization – from those in traditional churches using non-indigenous language to secret believers. A majority of the fellowships are in what is called the C3 to C5 range – that is, from using the Muslims’ language and non-religious indigenous cultural forms and calling themselves Christians to “Messianic Muslims” who… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Missio Dei
Missiology, Theology, Revelation, Missiological Issues

Missio Dei

This Latin phrase emerged “in Protestant missiological discussion especially since the 1950s, often in the English form ‘the mission of God'” (The Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions, p 631). The term sought to anchor missions in the Triune God of the Bible. David Bosch defines it as: God’s self-revelation as the one who loves the world, God’s involvement in and with the world, the nature and activity of God, which embraces both the church and the world, and in which the church is privileged to participate. Missio Dei enunciates the good news that God is a God-for-people. (Transforming Mission, Kindle loc. 592) The term became prominent in ecumenical circles at the 1952 meeting of the International Missionary Council in Willigen, Germany.… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
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