September 6, 2026

The SEND U Blog

Reflections and Resources for Lifelong Learning for Missionaries

Category: Spiritual Formation

Exploring Spiritual Formation: Attitude
Spiritual Formation

Exploring Spiritual Formation: Attitude

Strolling through gift shops one summer, my husband George and I spotted a T-shirt which said, “Sometimes I wake up Grumpy, other times I let her sleep.” Wise husband that he is, George did not buy the shirt. Alas, my husband is a happy morning person, and each morning presents a major challenge: how will I respond to my husband’s innate cheerfulness? Will love or grumpiness win the day? It may sound like a simple problem to overcome, but feelings are tricky things. They often show up unbidden and, if left unexamined (and unchecked), may morph into attitudes. And habitual attitudes often result in character qualities displayed for the world to see.… Read the whole post
Lynn Karidis1 min read
Who spurs on the missionary to love and good deeds?
Disciple-making, Lifelong Learning, Training, Learning Attitude, Self-Feeding

Who spurs on the missionary to love and good deeds?

Over the last year or so, I have been thinking about what it means for missionaries to be both disciples and disciple-makers. I recognized that we can easily make the mistake of assuming that at some point in our Christian life, we graduate from being disciples to become disciple-makers. But through an in-depth study of the Gospel of Matthew, it became clear to me that we never stop being a disciple of Jesus. We never graduate from his school of discipleship. Just as we need to keep learning how to be better disciple-makers, we also need to continue learning to be better disciples. Disciples in Disciple-making In his book, The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard said First of all, it is clear that, if we would make disciples, we should be disciples. … To plan on making disciples, we need to know what one is and how people become disciples. We… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther2 mins read
Exploring Spiritual Formation: Gifting
Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, Christ

Exploring Spiritual Formation: Gifting

It happens every year: the gift that no one else wants finds its way under my Christmas tree. One year it was an electric hot dog cooker. The contraption had twelve metal prongs that sent electricity through the meat—I felt like Dr. Frankenstein every time I plugged it in. Another year I received a box of homemade cookies regifted to me because the original recipient thought the treats “tasted like smoke.” They did.  And who hasn’t received a perfect candidate for an ugly sweater contest? Confession: I’m sure I’ve given a few poorly chosen sweaters, too. These experiences, along with the commercialization of Christmas, sometimes make me want to give up gift giving altogether. I wonder how all this madness celebrates Christ. It’s so easy to forget the real reason for the season in the rush to get the best bargain online or at the mall. Is it possible to… Read the whole post
Lynn Karidis2 mins read
Exploring Spiritual Formation: Perspective
Spiritual Formation

Exploring Spiritual Formation: Perspective

Recently I heard a pastor tell a story about a women’s conference whose promoters sold more tickets than the venue had seats available. To compensate, they brought in hundreds of rented chairs that were neither sturdy nor comfortable. The women from his church became angry about the situation, and their complaints grew louder and more frequent as the conference progressed—until the last day, when Joni Eareckson Tada rolled up to the mic and said, “I hear some of you are not happy with the chairs you’ve been given.”[1] Needless to say, the atmosphere changed immediately. It’s amazing what a little perspective can do for our souls. The Scriptures are full of stories about the disciples’ frequent need for a change in perspective. Think of the disciples shooing the children away from Jesus until he explains that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:13-16). Think of James… Read the whole post
Lynn Karidis1 min read
Fruit to Harvest: the key is abiding
Disciple-making, Islam, Training, Book Reviews, Prayer, Missiological Issues

Fruit to Harvest: the key is abiding

In October 2017, a major consultation on Muslim ministries was held in Thailand. It was called, “Abide, Bear Fruit“, and was a follow-up consultation to the one held 10 years earlier, also in Thailand. Both conferences were organized by Vision 5:9, “a global mission network focused on ministry among unreached Muslim people groups”. The 2007 conference had identified 68 fruitful practices in working among Muslim peoples and these practices have significantly impacted missiological strategy for the past decade. The conference also resulted in a well-known book in mission circles, From Seed to Fruit: Global Trends, Fruitful Practices and Emerging Issues among Muslims.  That book, edited by J. Dudley Woodberry, was reviewed by this blog in a post a few years ago.… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther1 min read
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