Effective Volunteer Trips

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Erich Bridges is a global correspondent for IMB, SBC (and a friend). He writes a blog on global events, issues and trends called WorldView Conversation.

Recently, Erich wrote an excellent post on church mission trips, They came. They saw. They left. (The picture above came from Erich's post.) In the post, he quotes Johnny Hunt, President of the Southern Baptist Convention:

I see a lot of churches led by enthusiastic young pastors who ride off to the mission field with no vision, no strategic relationship, no plan. They 'fire a shot' here and there and come home with some great stories, but it often ends there. Don't try to be Indiana Jones, the solo hero who barely makes it back alive. Be a team player, a coach and a mobilizer.... Work with a knowledgeable mission partner who knows his field. You'll make a much more lasting impact.

Most missionaries I know -- and I know a lot of them -- would give their eyeteeth to work with churches and volunteer groups that followed Hunt's advice.

• In your experience, what makes an effective volunteer missions team or partnering/engaging church?

For the Kingdom,
Bob A

Joshua Project Unplugged

The Joshua Project has long been a source of information on the people groups of the world. Up to now, one has always had to be at a computer (or have a printed copy -- if that even exists) to see the information. Now, though, **if** you have an iPhone and a wireless data account (or an iPhone or iPod Touch and a Wifi connection), you can have the Joshua Project unplugged -- information on the world's people groups at your fingertips wherever you are.

I've not tested this but am planning to install it on my iPhone (which is now a glorified iPod Touch):

Joshua Project Mobile

For the Kingdom,
Bob A

Orality in Your Tool Kit

Oral or literate methods -- which is most appropriate and most effective in communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa? While I don't intend to try to answer that question in this post, I do want to point out a couple of resources.

When our organization began talking about orality several years ago, there was some misunderstanding of the purpose. Some assumed that one would only use oral methods with illiterate people. Not true. The terms orality and literate refer to learning styles, not the ability to read. There are many, many people who have very high reading skills but are still oral learners. (I wish there was a better term for non-oral methods rather than literate -- I think the term itself leads to huge misunderstandings.) Steve Evans says that stories enter the heart and affect change and that's precisely what we hope happens when we share the Gospel.

While I'm quite sure there are many resources available, here are a couple of websites that might serve as a starting point for learning about orality:

Lausanne Movement Conversation on Orality -- blog by Steve Evans
Oral Strategies -- resource website hosted by IMB

• Do you have stories of how oral methods effected change when other methods did not?
• What other orality resources do you know about?

For the Kingdom,
Bob A

Church Planting Movement Resources

David Garrison, author of Church Planting Movements: How God is Redeeming a Lost World, has started a new web site (or, maybe I've just discovered it), Church Planting Movements. Resources, best practices, a forum, definitions, examples -- good tools here for learning about CPM's or for sharpening your church planting skills.

For the Kingdom,
Bob A

Could the Internet be Used to Reach Sub-Saharan Africa?

This is somewhat of a follow-up to my post of 3 February 2010, Strategic Use of Communications Technology in Africa. In the following article, a former Apple Computer executive says that it should be possible to reach the entire world with the gospel via the internet within 10 years:

GMO: Potential There to Reach World with Gospel by 2020 | Christianpost.com

What would be the advantages and disadvantages of using the internet for evangelism, discipleship, and leadership training in Sub-Saharan Africa?

For the Kingdom,
Bob A

Blogging Pause

It's likely that I will not be able to post for almost 3 weeks. I'm traveling to the US and, while I'll have great internet access, between meetings and family time, I won't have much time. Thanks for your patience.

For the Kingdom,
Bob A

Have Missionaries Failed?

First, do no harm (Primum non nocere) is a primary maxim of medical ethics -- should it apply to Christian missions as well? In his blog, Onesimus Online, William Black has raised the question of whether there is any longer a need for western missionaries in the majority world and, if so, what role should they play. It's an article that will challenge your thinking:

When Missions Becomes Toxic

About halfway through the post, Black makes this statement:

I would like to suggest that there are very few places left in the world where a Western Christian presence is advisable, at least the way it has been practiced in the recent past. I have several reasons motivating me to make this suggestion.

Some of the things that he mentions as reasons have their roots in much of the history of modern evangelical missions, not just the recent past (of course, recent is a relative term). Still, he makes some valid observations.

Personally, I think for western Christians to stop going would be disobedience to Scripture. But where we go, how we work, and what we do are serious issues with which we must wrestle. These questions don't just apply to missionaries from the northern and western hemispheres but to anyone from anywhere who responds to God's call to have beautiful feet (Romans 10:9-15).

• Is there still a place for western missionaries in Sub-Saharan Africa?
• If so, what is their place? How would you answer the questions of Where should they go? How should they work? What should they do?

For the Kingdom,

Bob A