September 6, 2026

The SEND U Blog

Reflections and Resources for Lifelong Learning for Missionaries

All Blog Posts

Church Planting, Disciple-making, Training, Book Reviews, Leadership Training

Reaching and Teaching in Animistic Oral Cultures

A review of M. David Sills’ book Reaching and Teaching the Highland Quichuas: Ministry in Animistic Oral Contexts In my last post we looked at Sills’ book Reaching and Teaching: A Call to Great Commission Obedience. This book is clearly a follow up to this work. It is in essence an application in practice of the principles in the earlier book. “This book explores how the Lord led missionaries to minister effectively among a specific people whom he called to himself: the Highland Quichua people of Andean Ecuador.”(pp. 2, 3).The book highlights the challenges of reaching and teaching an oral people group with a long history of syncretism: Related Posts:Are We Reading All of Matthew 28:18-20?Finishing Well: Transferring the BatonBook Review: World Mission: Theology, Strategy, &…DMM - Book Review of David Watson’s Contagious…Finishing Well: Receiving the BatonDisciple-Making Starts with Evangelism… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Church Planting, Disciple-making, Book Reviews, Leadership Training

Are We Reading All of Matthew 28:18-20?

A review of M. David Sills, Reaching and Teaching: a Call to Great Commission Obedience, Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2010. This book has sought to bring awareness to those who have been lulled into thinking that God wants us to simply reach them. He doesn’t. He wants us to reach and teach – reaching them with the saving gospel message and teaching them to observe everything that He has commanded. (220). So ends Sills’ book. Related Posts:Reaching and Teaching in Animistic Oral CulturesDisciple-Making Starts with EvangelismFinishing Well: Transferring the BatonYou Are What You Do, Not What You EatDMM - Book Review of David Watson’s Contagious…Persons of Peace: What Are They?… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Training, Spiritual Formation

Accountability – Asking the Hard Questions

Do you have anyone in your life who asks the hard questions? You know, the ones like “How are you doing in using your time wisely?” Or “How are you doing as a wife/ husband/ parent/ leader/ follower?” Or just the simple yet profound “How are you doing spiritually?” For some reason, we have such a hard time asking those questions, and yet I think a lot of us need and even long for that kind of interaction. Let me get personal and real here. I haven’t REALLY felt spiritually healthy for many years now. I’ve had a few bright spots over the years, and am confident God hasn’t given up on me. Yet I would have to say that “listless,” “wilting on the vine” and even “helpless and hopeless” describe how I have felt about my walk with God over the past decade. Related Posts:When Evangelism is Hard (Even… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther1 min read
Cross-Cultural Living, Christ

Sent Like Jesus

John 17:18, “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” (ESV) John 20:21, “Peace be with you, As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (ESV) Often in mission circles these verses launch us into a discussion of “incarnational missions” focusing on servanthood and contextualization. Both are clearly important for missions. Yet is that the extent of how our mission compares to the mission of Jesus? Are those issues in Jesus’ mind when he makes these statements? Related Posts:Are missionaries called to be incarnational?Biblical Theology of Mission: NTMeditations on the Work of ChristMeditation on the Person of ChristHow do we decide whether someone is a Christian?Wouldn't it be cheaper to train indigenous workers?… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Spiritual Formation, Book Reviews

Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People So That You Experience “The Life You’ve Always Wanted”

As a SEND missionary, do you ever feel lagging in spiritual power or genuine transformation? How about those you have the privilege of leading to Christ or discipling – do you observe them experiencing consistent growth into Christ-likeness? If you’re feeling discouraged in either of these areas, I encourage you to read John Ortberg’s book The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People. It provides a fresh, practical, and biblical challenge towards growing in Christ-likeness through the practice of spiritual disciplines. A sad commentary on the state of today’s church is that “by and large we do not expect people to experience ongoing transformation.” Ortberg however believes that genuine transformation — being changed into Christ-likeness — should be the norm for Christian life. A problem often occurs, though, in that believers who desire transformation try harder and harder until they are exhausted but still not experiencing the transformation… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther2 mins read
Back To Top