So here I am- a continent, three cultures, and two months since my last post. A lot has changed. For starters, I'm still working with the IMB. Our regional leadership has been a tremendous support as we've begun the "About Europe" meetings and worked to launch the Upstream Collective. My ...
Nearly anyone can live abroad. But incarnation is about more than just location. Successfully entering a culture that is different from yours requires that you learn the rules. If you're trying to influence across cultures, the rules are crucial.
Society is made up of rules. There are rules for how a ...
All around you there are groups of people who are influencing and being influenced. You can (and should) be part of the discussion, but you're too busy doing something that nobody else cares about. In your little "Christian" subculture bubble, you have no influence and few friends. Here are some ...
As I encourage churches to get involved in international missions, one thing that often comes up is the question of where to start. With thousands of people groups in the world, and millions of potential places of service, where do you start?
Most missions organizations would tell you to engage a ...
After reading Dr. Malcolm Yarnell's paper entitled, Shall We "Build Bridges" or "Pull Down Strongholds"? I was inspired to respond. I don't usually do this sort of thing, but here's an excerpt:
I, however, believe that the gap between the mainstream culture and the "Christian" subculture many Americans find themselves ...
A key part of our ministry is building relationships with the people God brings to us. God has often used us in ways similar to His use of Joseph in the Old Testament. Not so much in the "Pharaoh-naming-us-Vice-Pharaoh" sort of way; more in the sense of "I had a ...
When it comes to promoting missions and mobilizing missionaries, we rely on photos. In casting a vision for what God is doing around the world to bring people into right relationships with Himself, a picture really is worth a thousand words.Or, in my case, about four blog posts.It's unfortunate, but ...
Unless writing a lot makes one a "writer," Ernest is an unemployed former missionary. After more than six years in Western Europe, he is moving to Portland, where he drinks too much coffee and over-analyzes human behavior. For more about Ernest, visit the About page where you can read a long-time reader's interview with him. Or, if you don't mind waiting a very, very long time, send him an email.