April 16, 2024

The SEND U Blog

Reflections and Resources for Lifelong Learning for Missionaries

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Disciple-Making Starts with Evangelism
Evangelism, Church Planting, Disciple-making

Disciple-Making Starts with Evangelism

This entry is part 2 of 6 in the series Church planting Editor’s note: David and Kathy North planted multiple churches with TEAM for 33 years in various-sized cities in the Philippines. David is currently the Church Planting Coordinator for TEAM’s international network of church planters and disciple makers. The Norths are involved in Coaching, Training, Mentoring and encouraging front line workers. These blog posts were copied with permission from TEAM’s Church Planting Blog, Go and Plant. A bigger front door A Filipino pastor came in to lead the church we had just planted. Immediately he started an Evangelism Training program, involving as many of the church people as possible. I remember several things he said at that training. One was that “you have to have a bigger front door than your back door.” He said that every church will lose people along the way out the back door. Some… Read the whole post
David North7 mins read
Abiding in Christ – Laying the Right Foundation
Church Planting, Spiritual Formation, Holy Spirit, Prayer

Abiding in Christ – Laying the Right Foundation

This entry is part 1 of 6 in the series Church planting Editor’s note: David and Kathy North planted multiple churches with TEAM for 33 years in various-sized cities in the Philippines. In their first few years in the Philippines, the Norths and I (Ken Guenther) served on the same church planting team in Baliwag, Bulacan. David is currently the Church Planting Coordinator for TEAM’s international network of church planters and disciple makers. The Norths are involved in Coaching, Training, Mentoring and encouraging front line workers. These blog posts were copied with permission from TEAM’s Church Planting Blog, Go and Plant. Longing for help For years as a young church planter, I longed for outside guidance and input about my efforts to plant churches. From time to time, an experienced church planter would speak even just a few words into my ministry and it would give me the new thoughts… Read the whole post
David North7 mins read
Prayer

Connecting Well with Ministry Partners through Prayvine

Editor’s note: Over the past year, I have been sending out our prayer requests using a new website called Prayvine. Prayvine is a free and secure service for mission workers. It’s goal is to both increase the number of people who pray and also increase the number of people who let the missionary know that they are praying for them. I now regularly receive emails from more than 10% of my mailing list saying that they are praying for me. Many of them include personal comments. Recently, I received an email from Prayvine, listing some comments from Prayvine users about what they learned about using the service over the past year. This email can also found on the Prayvine blog. The founder and creator of PrayVine, Ian Hsu, has graciously give permission to repost it on our SEND U blog. As we embark on a new year of partnership with… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther6 mins read
Solitude
Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Disciplines

Solitude

Solitude is one of those spiritual disciplines that is quite challenging for me. But more and more, I am convinced of its significant value in my life. What I commonly experience is a flood of thoughts and distractions the very moment I pursue quiet and solitude before the Lord. I am like the disciples, attempting to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus. Tiredness can also wash over me as I seek to slow my mind and body and listen to the Lord’s voice. Jesus’ example of solitude When reading the Gospels, you can’t miss the fact that Jesus spent time in solitary places.1 See Matthew 14:13, 23; 17:1; Mark 1:35, 45; 6:31-32, 45-46 and Luke 4:42; 5:16; 6:12; 9:10. Often times, these “escapes” into solitude were early in the morning or withdrawing from the crowds of people vying for His time and attention. What this shows me is… Read the whole post
Dave Brubacher3 mins read
Recalling what you have read
Books, Learning Attitude

Recalling what you have read

Like many of you, I read a lot of books each year. Last year, I finished 63 and I should be pretty close to that number by the end of 2023. But reading a lot of books is not the same as being “well-read”. According to Collins Dictionary, “a well-read person has read a lot of books and has learned a lot from them.” How much have I learned – and how much of the learning can I recall? I frequently find myself trying to recall a book I have read on the topic we are currently discussing. Maybe someone is asking me for a book I would recommend. Or I am trying to find additional information about a topic that I am teaching. Or maybe I am just trying to support a position that I am arguing for, and I remember an idea from a book that I read… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther10 mins read
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