6 days ago3 minThe Missions Pastor's Gospel All my friends are dead. Don’t worry, it’s just the title of a book—a spoofy children’s book for adults. There’s a drawing of a...
May 94 min10 New(ish) Important Books for Church PlantingThe cereal aisle will murder you. Don’t believe me? Go live in another country for a few months, especially one that doesn’t have...
Apr 256 minThe Cheerleader and the Curmudgeon: Fostering Both Excitement and Sobriety in Potential Sent OnesChoosing the right road trip companions can mean the difference between life and death. Maybe I just say that because I recently spent...
Apr 112 minHow NOT to Send Marketplace MissionariesSo, this could be a terrible idea for an article. But here goes. I don’t know how to send marketplace missionaries. And that’s a problem....
Apr 45 minMissionary, Choose the Posture of a LearnerImagine you’re sitting in a coffee shop reading your Bible. Each time you take a sip of your coffee, you notice a stranger staring at...
Mar 286 minJoin Me! Guidelines for Recruiting a Church Planting Core TeamEach Christmas my family has a tradition of watching a little known movie called The Nativity Story. We love it not just because it...
Mar 2110 minFully-Funded vs. Support-Raised MissionsI love teaching adults their shapes. They really think they know them. “What’s this?” I ask, drawing a shape on the whiteboard. “Duh—a...
Mar 146 minLamentations as the Textbook for Newly Arrived MissionariesI just finished reading Jeremiah and Lamentations. Boy am I glad that’s over. Ever feel that way? If it weren’t for reading plans, there...
Dec 23, 20212 minA Liturgy for Missionaries During the HolidaysThis may be prayed alone, but could be more beneficial alongside fellow petitioners. Items in bold should be spoken together. O God who...
Nov 10, 20215 min10 Things You Should Think About Before Planting a ChurchThink before you post. Just four words, but instantly you know what I’m talking about. It may sound similar to the old ways of saying it:...
Aug 23, 20215 minThe Grace in Not Yet: A Defense for Staying When Others Say SoSo, I live in a seminary town—people like to debate theology, and everybody wants to drop the mic. One day, as egg-headed banter was...
Aug 18, 20212 minA Liturgy for Responding to International TragedyThe following liturgy was adapted from “A Liturgy for Grieving a National Tragedy” in Every Moment Holy, Volume II: Death, Grief, and...
Jul 5, 20213 minThe Gospel with No Caboose: C2C as Creation to ChurchOne of my most thrilling moments as a missionary was the first time I shared the gospel in another language. If you know anything about...
Jun 28, 20216 minThe "Dangers" of Focusing Only on Unreached People GroupsNo one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there is someone who hasn’t heard it once. Oswald J. Smith Occasionally it hits me...
Jun 7, 20214 minThe Spring of Tears: Joy and Sorrow in Christian ExperienceSoldiers go home seeking long and happy lives in peace. In this world, however, there is no such thing for me. This is a quote from some...
Jun 1, 20214 minWhat’s the Buzz About Churches and Sending?Last week I was on a personal retreat at a little monastery. With my Bible and journal in hand, I tiptoed away to the surrounding knobby...
May 24, 20214 minToward a Better Definition of MissionsNot long ago I had a conversation with the editorial director of one of today’s most highly trafficked Christian websites. I thanked him...
May 17, 20215 minThe Good in Goodbye: A Defense for Going When Others Say Don’tLet’s be honest—saying goodbye stinks. Not the everyday goodbyes. I’m talking about the kind that make us like a child watching her first...
May 10, 20212 minA Liturgy for the Well-Worn Missions LeaderO God who saw a world to fill with glory And then made it by your word You have seen a new world to fill with glory Poured in by Christ...
May 2, 20215 minFit for the Task: Why the Local Church Must Lead in Missionary AssessmentWhen Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said that he wanted to put Dubai on the map with something really sensational, he wasn’t...