September 6, 2026

The SEND U Blog

Reflections and Resources for Lifelong Learning for Missionaries

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Leadership

Articulating Gods’ Smile of Approval on the Work

The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them.   Ex 39:42-43 The context of this passage is the construction of the first tabernacle in the first year after the Israelites left Egypt. The last project they complete are the priestly garments. Here again, the skilled craftsman are not given creative freedom to design whatever they want for their high priest. Repeatedly in Exodus 39, we see the refrain that each of the various pieces of the priest’s uniform was made exactly according to the design that the Lord had given Moses (Ex 39:1, 5, 6, 21, 26, 29, 31, 32, 42-43). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabernacle Then comes inspection time. After Moses had inspected all the work, we read that he blessed the people. One short sentence but… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther2 mins read
Training, Assessment Tools, Coaching, Pre-field Training

Training vs Development

Recently, I have been thinking about the difference between training and development. Both are important, SEND U is committed to both, but they are different. As Steve Moore said in a recent Missio Nexus webinar, training is oriented around the needs of the organization, while development is oriented around the needs of the individual. Let me illustrate. Our Member Orientation Program is a training event. SEND U has put together a list of objectives for MOP, describing the learning activities and content that we believe will help a new missionary develop the competency they will need. Related Posts:What Does a New missionary Need to Learn Before They…Webinars for Missionaries Much More AccessibleThe Value of CoachingOnline Training for Team Leaders in Week ThreeTraining for missionary retentionHow Do We Measure the Impact of Training?… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther1 min read
Church Planting, Disciple-making

Discipleship, Just Do It?

In Matthew 28, Jesus commands us to go and make disciples of all nations.  At SEND we are committed to planting reproducing churches among the unreached because the Church is God’s primary means for making disciples through the ages.  Without discipleship, church planting is reduced to shuffling sheep around and does not bring much glory to God. My concern is that we are often ready to talk about discipleship, but much less ready to actually live it out.  I recently took part in a discipleship course in a local church.  We talked about discipleship and its importance in our lives and I expected that we would somehow start “doing it” but that didn’t really happen in a significant way.  Then I thought that perhaps we would “do it” after we had established a bit more of a foundation, but that did not really happen either.  In a personal conversation, a… Read the whole post
Ted2 mins read
Church Planting, Disciple-making

Church Planting is Discipleship

When Paul wrote about his ministry for the church in Colossians 1:24-29 his focus was not on church programs or church services. Rather his focus was “to make the word of God fully known” (Col. 1:25 ESV), “that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28 ESV). When we focus on buildings and program events our ministry can become more about performance of a few with a rather passive majority. It is possible that being a Christian is equated with attending a church service. Programs aren’t bad, they are essential. But programs without discipleship (making the word of God fully known and pursuing maturity in Christ) will not build the church. Paul saw his ministry for the church as a stewardship from God to make the Word fully known. He proclaimed Christ “warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” (Col.… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley2 mins read
Holy Spirit, Coaching

How Can Coaching Enhance My Ministry? (Part 2)

A second yet related way in which Christian coaching can be helpful in our missionary and church planting ministry is that it helps draw out what the Holy Spirit has put into the hearts and minds of those we coach. As Dr. Keith Webb says in the Coaching Workshop participant manual: The Holy Spirit is the best source for insights, ideas, strategies and action points. Coaches help the coachee to hear the Holy Spirit more clearly and support them to respond well. I have recently gained a new and deeper appreciation for the crucial role of the Holy Spirit in Christian coaching. One of my spiritual gifts is the gift of helps. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of that gift for me is my tendency to want to help people by “fixing” their problem. You husbands who may be tempted to “fix” your wife when she just wants to talk,… Read the whole post
Ted2 mins read
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