April 29, 2025

The SEND U Blog

Reflections and Resources for Lifelong Learning for Missionaries

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The process of journeying towards Christ
Training

The process of journeying towards Christ

This entry is part 13 of 15 in the series "Church planting". An event or a process? Is evangelism an event or is it a process… or both? And why does that matter? When I was in Bible College, I was introduced to the Engel Scale. This was a chart that showed how coming to faith in Christ and growing in Christ is a process that takes time. Accepting Christ and being born again is an event. At one moment we were lost and the next moment we had eternal life. But coming toward Christ is always a journey, and growing in Christ as a disciple is a journey. See a previous blog post on “Connecting with the lost.” Saddleback Church’s adaptation Saddleback Church in California used the Engel Scale in their evangelism training and adapted it to include their purpose-driven discipleship process. They showed that many people move through the following stages, though it might be at… Read the whole post
David North8 mins read
When God Calls: Entrusting Ourselves and Our Children to Him
Cross-Cultural Living

When God Calls: Entrusting Ourselves and Our Children to Him

Jenna Ness, alongside her husband Kevin and family, lives and works in North Macedonia. Together, they are navigating a life of faith, growth, and service, embracing new cultures and challenges with their children. This post was first published by the blog, Risen Motherhood. Was it wise? Five years ago, I found myself sitting in a women’s conference. At the time, my husband and I believed that a huge transition was impending, and we were getting input on all sides, both positive and negative. Should we move across the world for ministry? Was it wise? One of my greatest fears during these days and months was how our children would handle such a huge transition, especially due to the losses—mostly relational—they would experience. I didn’t feel like I could talk about it with anyone, so it became a deep groaning between me and the Lord. Will you provide for them? For… Read the whole post
Jenna Ness6 mins read
Work-Life Balance
Resilience, Cross-Cultural Living

Work-Life Balance

This past year, I have been reading about work-life balance. I have been looking for resources that would help our workers in cross-cultural contexts. Over the past few years, I have heard many of them tell me that work-life balance is a huge issue for them. So in 2024, I sought to both understand the problem more fully and look for ways to equip our missionaries to better deal with this challenge. The following is a summary of some of the things that we have learned. The Myth of Work-Life Balance I quickly learned that many authors question whether a work-life balance is even possible. Our May 2024 edition of our monthly newsletter, the SEND U Training Tracks explored the concept of work-life balance and questioned whether it is a myth. Pursuing balance can actually create additional stress and anxiety. The 7-Slice Method In this newsletter, I introduced David McNeff’s book, The… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther5 mins read
Through a Biblical lens – the Biblical Counseling view 
Bible, Psychology

Through a Biblical lens – the Biblical Counseling view 

This entry is part 6 of 6 in the series "Christian Psychology". In an attempt to better understand the various Christian approaches to psychology, I read, “Psychology and Christianity: Five Views.” In this blog series, I am attempting to summarize the various approaches in six blog posts. The primary purpose is not to gain a deep understanding of each approach. Instead I want to create a framework for interacting with each view. I want to guard against building or accepting straw man arguments when reviewing, discussing or even thinking about each position. In this post, I will look at the fifth approach, the “Biblical Counseling” view. Representative of the view In the book, “Psychology and Christianity”, David Powlison presents the “Biblical Counseling” view. Before his death, Powlison was an author, a counselor at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, and taught at Westminster Theological Seminary. In addition to his counseling and teaching,… Read the whole post
Alfie Mosse10 mins read
A Transformational Psychology View 
Spiritual Disciplines, Psychology

A Transformational Psychology View 

This entry is part 5 of 6 in the series "Christian Psychology". In an attempt to better understand the various Christian approaches to psychology, I read, “Psychology and Christianity: Five Views.” In this blog series, I am attempting to summarize the various approaches in six blog posts. The primary purpose is not to gain a deep understanding of each approach. Instead I want to create a framework for interacting with each view. I want to guard against building or accepting straw man arguments when reviewing, discussing or even thinking about each position. In this post, I will look at the fourth approach, the “Transformational Psychology” view. Representatives of the view John H. Coe and Todd W. Hall present the “Transformational Psychology” view. Currently, John Coe is Professor of Spiritual Theology at Talbot School of Theology and Director of the Institute of Spiritual Formation. Todd Hall is Professor of Psychology at… Read the whole post
Alfie Mosse8 mins read
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