Perspectives on a Missional Life
The desire to create and rule one's own kingdom is an ancient struggle of the heart. All the way back to our friends, Adam & Eve in Genesis... The temptation to want to be in control... wise... all-knowing... god-like... This temptation hisses in the garden and eventually rings in the ear of man. The consequent fall of man due... Continue Reading →
A female missional leader embodies a way of being that approaches the world, and her place in it, as a Kingdom ambassador for the cause of Christ. The Great Commission mandate is not gender specific; but rather, men and women are co-laborers and synergetic in community and mission. As men and women weave their giftedness... Continue Reading →
The Vinedresser will attend to the vine in order to cultivate an environment that will bear the most fruit. Pruning is a necessary part of care for the vine to thrive and flourish. When God, the Vinedresser, looks at your life He knows what you need to produce fruit. He knows what to prune and... Continue Reading →
Follow me. And I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19 Simon Peter is called to follow Jesus in the midst of tangled nets, the taste of salty sweat on his tongue, fish slime, the snap of the sail, the cadenced pulse of the waves, and the customary burdens of the daily life of... Continue Reading →
Be Like the Bird Be like the bird, who Halting in his flight On limb too slight Feels it give way beneath him, Yet sings Knowing he hath wings. by Victor Hugo Just as the bird has a rhythm of alighting on a branch to rest, let us develop a rhythmic flow of rest that... Continue Reading →
Our current culture has manifested a heightened awareness of diversity and gender issues which gives the church an opportunity to demonstrate and model clear and sacred responses amid the clashing secular voices. One area where the church’s beauty is displayed is in God’s design for men and women to be partnered in ministry to advance... Continue Reading →
There is always a tension between the natural unfettered growth within ministry and demonstrating progress and success for accountability purposes as you strive for excellence. The typical measurements of “success” have been centered around numbers - how many conversions, how many baptisms, how many churches planted, etc. Though those are all very good aspects of growth,... Continue Reading →
There are some significant questions to ask when you are leading or participating with a missions team - either here... or there.... Take time to be in sync with your mission partner on the ground and explore these 5 questions: Does my team have its own agenda? Or are we following the lead and the... Continue Reading →
The Marati People of India, Embraced Unengaged by men, but not by God! (First Hand Account By L.D., edited by Ariadne Harrison*) Keller, TX – In November of 2011 God put it on my heart to lead our church to “embrace” a second unengaged unreached people group. The Holy Spirit stirred me to pray about... Continue Reading →
It is true that there has been case after case where a short-term volunteer or mission team inadvertently caused more harm than good while on mission. In order to maximize one's efforts and minimize the negative fall-out, one should be familiar with some of the most common cross-cultural pitfalls. One of the best resources to get... Continue Reading →
Did you know... Perpetua (the courageous early martyr) was only 22. Athanasius of Alexandria was 29 when he argued successfully for the divinity of Christ at the historic Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Martin Luther was in his early 30's when he nailed his 95 theses to the door of the castle church in... Continue Reading →
In the current Christian culture, I find it is easy to lose focus and get caught up with sparkly things... I want to speak like THAT pastor... to have 1000's of people at my church like so-and-so... to plant 3 satellite churches off of our main campus... to be on radio, tv, streaming internet, twitter, facebook, blogspot, wordpress, and my... Continue Reading →
Missional Mayhem 