April 8th 2008
Tags: Books, Culture, Incarnation, Relationships, Social Action, Subculture, Trends

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How To Be An Interesting Person

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 ...
April 2nd 2008
Tags: Culture, MKs, Missiology, Misunderstood, Trends

One Comment

Emerging People Groups

The concept of "people groups" has radically affected they way we do missions. It used to be that missionaries were sent to minister to the people of a given country. These days, however, we recognize that people group themselves and identify with communities that may not necessarily conform to (sometimes ...
March 26th 2008
Tags: Finances, Politics, Social Action, Trends, Uncategorized

3 Comments

The Nations Are Poorer Than You

You may not be aware of this, but even the "working class" in the United States is richer than most of the people in the world. This economic discrepancy is known in even the most isolated of places, and certainly everywhere missionaries go. The image on the upper right is a ...
March 14th 2008
Tags: Christianity, Culture, The Gospel, Trends

3 Comments

Reintroductions

They say that Coca-Cola is the world's most recognizable brand. No matter  where you go in the world, chances are that you can get the familiar caramel-colored fizzy drink. Coke is everywhere. Coke doesn't taste the same in every country, though. They adjust the flavor based on local tastes. In Europe, ...
March 6th 2008
Tags: Christianity, Internet, Trends

7 Comments

Changing Channels

From the early days of television through the 1970's, there were three television networks. They had no competition and total control over what Americans watched on TV.Then came cable. 24 hours a day of news. Sports. Movies. Weather. Home shopping. Music videos. They focused on smaller markets, but gave people ...
July 15th 2007
Tags: Finances, Missions, Trends

5 Comments

I’m Not Doing This For You

So I've had a couple of inquiries about the "new" "trend"(it's really neither, but more on that later) away from full-time, professional missionaries and toward volunteer and short-term mission endeavors. I've made no secret of my own discomfort with being a professional missionary, so some of my readers ask if ...

Ernest Goodman

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.

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Blogroll

July 18th 2008
Tags: Incarnation, Personal, Planting, Reflections 3 Comments

A New Field of Service

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 ...
May 19th 2008
Tags: Reflections, Training, Uncategorized 5 Comments

The UpStream Collective

Several people have asked about what's next for me. The truth is, I don't know. I still don't know what I'm going to do for a living after we arrive in the U.S. Sure it sounds irresponsible and immature to up and leave a perfectly good job and regular paycheck ...
May 15th 2008
Tags: Personal, Reflections, Uncategorized 6 Comments

The Only Thing Harder Than Arriving? Leaving.

I'm not the sensitive emotional type. I never cry at weddings. I hate romantic comedies. I think that pictures of babies in flower pots should be considered cruelty. I don't save souvenirs, birthday cards, or mementos. As I pack up to leave the field, I'm experiencing this strange sensation- emotion. ...
May 12th 2008
Tags: Ministry, Reflections, Relationships, Team 4 Comments

The Devil Is In The Details

In the comments section of my last post Now Tell Us How You Really Feel, a reader asked about some of the details of my transition from the field back to the United States. In the past, I haven't written as much about these sorts of details; partly to protect ...
May 6th 2008
Tags: Uncategorized 5 Comments

Now Tell Us How You Really Feel

I'd like to thank everyone who's sent emails and comments in support of our move. I'm not sure what it means when people seem to be glad you're leaving, but I'm going to take it as an encouragement. One thing that many people are asking is whether I'm going to really ...

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