September 6, 2026

The SEND U Blog

Reflections and Resources for Lifelong Learning for Missionaries

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So what if they have their own sacred books?
Revelation, Bible, Missiological Issues, Islam, Missiology, Theology, Contextualization

So what if they have their own sacred books?

Revelation is the foundational theological issue in contextualization (see my “Contextualization: Theological and Cultural Issues in Evangelical Models” on the SEND U wiki). Evangelical Christianity maintains that the Bible is God’s unique self-disclosure. Our SEND statement of faith says, “that it is the only infallible Word of God, and the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and conduct” (italics added). How does this commitment to the uniqueness of the Christian Scriptures guide our contextualization in the presence of competing revelational claims such as the Qur’an, the Book of Mormon, or the Hindu Scriptures? Related Posts:Meditations on SEND International's Statement of Faith #1My Concerns about Insider MovementsBook Review: Contextualizing the FaithLearning from Mission HistoryMeditation on the ChurchHow do we decide whom we can work with?… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
What do you mean by the word “mission”?
Disciple-making, Missiology, Bible, Missiological Issues

What do you mean by the word “mission”?

Today the term ‘mission’ is in search of definition. It has become quite fluid and vague. In 2016, Jay Matenga and Malcom Gold wrote: We are in a state of missional (mission-related) anomie in which the forms and structures of the past are in a state of flux and a cohesive and accepted new way has yet to form. – Jay Matenga and Malcom Gold, Mission in Motion, 2016, William Carey Library, Kindle location 1258. Related Posts:A Great Resource for Understanding Diaspora MissiologyInsider Movements: Understanding the IssuesMissions Disrupted - Some more questionsLessons to be Learned from the Church in Asia - Part…Can Jesus followers still call themselves Muslim?Can we call Muhammad a Prophet?… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Elenctics
Missiology, Theology, Evangelism

Elenctics

About 35 years ago I heard Dr. Sam Rowen lecture on elenctics.  The term is seldom used in missiology today and the concept behind it gets little press. There is, however, an article on elenctics in the Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions, (p. 307,8). The chief proponent of elenctics is J. H. Bavinck in his book, An Introduction to the Science of Missions (1960). J.H. Bavinck (1895-1964) was a missiologist in the Dutch Calvinist tradition. Elenctics, in Christianity, is a division of practical theology concerned with persuading people of other faiths (or no faith) of the truth of the Gospel message, with an end to producing in them an awareness of, and sense of guilt for, their sins, a recognition of their need for God’s forgiveness, repentance (i.e. the disposition to turn away from their sin) and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Wikipedia Related Posts:Meditation on the… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Islam, Theology, Book Reviews

No God But One: Allah or Jesus? a review

Nabeel Qureshi, the author of the best-selling Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, has written another helpful book that examines the evidence that led him to trust in Jesus. No God but One: Allah or Jesus?  is further described on the cover by the words “A former Muslim investigates the evidence for Islam and Christianity.” The investigation is framed under two main questions: Question 1: What are the differences between Islam and Christianity? (pages 23-148) Question 2: Can we know whether Islam or Christianity is true? (pages 149-296)                 Related Posts:Book Review: Two Stories of EverythingThe 'Same God Question' RevisitedCan Jesus followers still call themselves Muslim?So what if they have their own sacred books?Talking with Muslims about faithCan we call Muhammad a Prophet?… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Spiritual Formation, Training, Book Reviews, Prayer, Spiritual Disciplines

Sensible Shoes

Today’s book review was written by Brittany Garrett, who serves with her husband and 3 children in Romania. Sensible Shoes: A Story About the Spiritual Journey by Sharon Garlough Brown is a fictional narrative of four women on a journey toward deeper intimacy with Christ.  Each of these women bring their own baggage as they begin their Sacred Journey, and we get to witness their brokenness as well as the beginnings of their healing. I saw part of myself in each of the four main characters.  As they learned about some of the spiritual disciplines, I, too, learned practical ways to apply them.  I enjoyed watching their stories unfold and felt satisfaction as an onlooker getting to see how God was creating beauty from their mess.  You see their struggle and their resistance to some of the disciplines and how God uses even our resistance to show us His faithful… Read the whole post
Brittany Garrett1 min read
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