Leadership

, , , ,

Annual IBMGlobal Candidate Conference

, , , ,

This week I have been participating in an annual training conference for cross-cultural missionaries.  I serve as the Africa Director for a mission agency, IBMGlobal.

This year we have missionary candidates heading to South Sudan, Costa Rica, the jungles of Peru, Zambia and Liberia.

I’m always challenged by the interaction with men and women who are committed to taking the gospel around the world.  The workshops are incredibly refreshing.

Mark Vowels, is the missions prof at BJUniversity.  On Monday Mark brought workshops dealing with cross-cultural ministry, strategy and cultural adaptation.

On Tuesday Dr. Sam Horn helped us with a theological foundation for suffering and trials that will enable us to minster to others in their pain.  Later in the day we discussed managing conflict biblically.

IMG 3790

The Wednesday sessions with Dr Dave Doran focused on principles for evaluating what is acceptable and not acceptable in the host culture and the implications of this on indigenous ministry.

Neal Cushman and Steve Stadtmiller handled the nuts and bolts of ministry in the Thursday sessions: Developing a field strategy, Deputation, Funding & the Family and Ministry.

This has been a great week of fellowship and ministry refreshment.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve with this board, the churches sending these missionaries, and the faithful men and women heading out to serve Christ.

IMG 3787

, , , , ,

Musings On The Missionary Enterprise

, , , , ,

NOT EVERYTHING CALLED MISSIONS IS MISSIONS. My understanding of missionary work is formed by the Book of Acts. The clear pattern there is evangelism, discipleship, establishing churches, and training pastors / elders. When I came to my present pastorate I studied the list of supported missionaries and discovered that of 16 entities only two were on this program...

, , ,

What A Local Churches Expects From Her Missionaries

, , ,

Your job is to evangelize, disciple, plant churches, train leaders for those churches, and then repeat. We have no control over the job description and we dare not tamper with it. It’s God’s master plan and the only one that works. Expectations are another thing altogether.... We as your supporting churches don’t think our expectations are unrealistic, but neither do we want you ignorant of our expectations. That’s where relationships break down.

, , , , , ,

The Consequence Of The Great Commission

, , , , , ,

Modern believers have convinced themselves that spiritual maturity is based on information and that it takes a long time. However, if one follows the New Testament pattern, mature disciples were made in short order. They were tested by persecution and stood! The secret was the absolute insistence on personal obedience to the demands and expectations of Scripture. This is the forgotten side of the Great Commission in many churches today.

, , , , ,

Parenthood & Discipleship

, , , , ,

By our example and teaching, we desire to cultivate a love for God's Word and the understanding that it stands far above all else. For us in America, this is often fleshed out as "Scriptural Truth over Psychology." For the Third World citizen, this could very well be fleshed out as "Scriptural Truth over Indigenous Spirit Beliefs." What is important is the heart assuring belief and trust in the sufficiency of Scripture.

, , ,

Realizing Biblical Outcomes When Planting Churches Cross-Culturally

, , ,

The Church Planter's goal in leadership development is to see God-exalting independent Baptist churches with trained national leadership. This outcome is not realized by chance. The church planter must demonstrate openness, communicate, and have the humility to give and receive correction and criticism. (Phil. 2:1-18)

, ,

The Need for Theological Education in the Global South

, ,

The following statistics provide a snapshot of the underlying reality of the Christianity sweeping through what is being called the “Global South.” Eighty-five percent of churches in the world are led by men and women who have no formal training in theology or ministry. If every Christian training institute in the world operated at 120 percent capacity, less than 10 percent of the unequipped leaders would be trained. Eight out of ten nationals who come to the west to receive training never return home. Leaders from every non-Western region say their number one need is leadership training.

, , ,

Passing The Baton: Handing A Church Plant To Timothy

, , ,

There is a danger that we move too quickly and put someone into leadership who is not biblically qualified because of immaturity or because they do not meet the biblical qualifications. The other extreme is equally as dangerous - to have qualified men, but never hand off.

,

Avoiding Relationship Pitfalls

,

So often we from the west want to ensure that things are done in a certain way or at a certain standard, so we keep taking over from those young disciples who are trying to lead.  We must allow them to make decisions, sometimes they will fail, and sometimes they will succeed extraordinarily, but if we never give our disciples opportunity for increased responsibility and leadership then we are setting them up for failure.