N. T. Wright has produced another brilliant book on the message of the gospels of Jesus Christ. Wright thinks many of us have it wrong when we talk about the main purpose of the gospels. The descriptions of the gospels used today often do not adequately account for the content that Ma

Missiology is a perfect one-stop shop to begin the study of missions. The editors draw from dozens of writers to create forty-two chapters of a nearly encyclopedic overview of the study of missions or missiology. The expected chapters on the biblical basis of missions, history of miss

I first read “Science of Missions” when I lived in South Korea in the early 1990′s. I recall the benefit that I received from Bavinck’s thorough overview of key mission topics as well as his careful reflection on both the broad overview of Scripture and careful

No one wants to forget to pack something essential for a trip, but my observation is that more people over-pack rather than under-pack for a trip. Below are some packing tips and information for travelers that I’ve picked up over the years and lessons learned from personal trave

The subtitle of Serving with Eyes Wide Open is “Doing Short-Term Missions with Cultural Intelligence”. The purpose of the book is to introduce the concept of “cultural intelligence” to those who serve on short-term mission teams or relate to other people cross-

Risk is always a consideration when traveling to an unfamiliar place. Anyone who does not want to take risk should not go on a short-term mission trip. Below are some safety tips and information for travelers that I’ve picked up over the years and lessons learned from personal t

THE MYTH OF SOARING MUSLIM FERTILITY RATES It is considered common wisdom among Western analysts that Muslim countries are plagued with large families and ever-swelling masses of young people are a threat to stability. Only problem is all the hard evidence to the contrary. 5 Distincti

Transforming Worldviews is a must read for anyone working or living cross-culturally. Worldview analysis is necessary for understanding and communicating in a new culture. This understanding only comes with careful analysis and reflection, not just more time spent overseas. It is poss

The last post in this series is a list of resources to help with next steps… Whew… many things to think about… deciding to go, preparing, picking an assignment… Hopefully these posts have helped to clarify your thinking to make a sound decision. I disagree with

Initially, one of the main sensations experienced on a short-term trip is disorientation. Everything is different… the food is different, the smells, the tastes, the modes of transportation, the schedule, the people you see and the people you don’t get to see. Even buying

After you have made a solid decision to become a missionary, have some overseas experience, and some academic training, you still may not be fully qualified to be appointed through a sending agency. They likely will have some more qualifications which may or may not initially seem bib

Paradigms is a very helpful book for someone interested in the top ten issues in missiology. Hesselgrave manages to define the issues, give a strong version of each side of the argument, and give his opinion based on solid, evangelical interpretation. Sovereignty and Free Will: An Imp

Most people who’s primary goal is evangelism or church planting while working cross-culturally, choose to work through a sending agency that provides critical support for its personnel. Agencies give specific orientation for cross-cultural living, training in ministry skills for

The key article in lesson 11 is Building Bridges of Love by Paul. G. Hiebert. A summary and discussion questions are below: Hiebert’s article explained the importance of a bicultural bridge for missionaries. A bicultural bridge is someone who works with the missionary to help in

Should I get a job with a church or a mission sending agency and be sent as a missionary? Or should I get a job and contribute to the ministry through it? Going through a sending agency has its advantages, but getting a job or starting a business overseas provides a natural and unders