Baptists Committed to World Evangelism

In an article in Time Magazine you will find how to make the most of your internship. This article is speaking of the internship that business students will work but applies very well to those of you heading into ministry. The writer makes it clear that internships have become critical preparation for the job search after graduation.

The following is a discussion between two great missionaries. Keith Shumaker in Burkina Faso is sharing with Kevin Hall in South Africa some of the ways to get the national men and women to take ownership of the ministry there. Read this and let me know what you think.

The following material that is being quoted is taken from here! At the Our Generation Training Center we have all of our students spend 6 months living and studying overseas. I think that there is much to be gleaned from the following article! The American bubble that is mentioned is a great danger. The spending so much on time communicating back to the states and home is also a great danger. I am afraid that this modern technology can make it harder to adapt to the new culture and your new home

Several of the young men from our ministry in Chile will be traveling this week to Arequipa, Peru to attend their annual Pastor’s School. It’s exciting to see Peruvian pastors training Chilean pastors for the work of the ministry. There is great potencial for the Latin American churches to prepare and send their own laborers around the world. As I heard this week a stirring report from my good friend Trent Cornwell about the overwhelming needs in India, I asked God to raise up Chileans to take the gospel to the Indians

Several have asked what the blessing service is, how we do one, and why . I wanted to take a few minutes of your time to try and answer that. The reason we do a blessing service is that we want to honor God’s men and also because “you get what you honor!” You get what you expect, what you are looking for, what you honor! I firmly believe that, so at Vision we look for, honor, and expect missionaries/church planters! The idea of the blessing service comes from the stories in the Old Testament when the man of God would lay hands on the young man and give him his blessing. It often happened just prior to death or when the ministry change was taking place

Acts 14:18-23 “And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them. And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.” The ministry of Paul and Barnabas in Lystra was one of two extremes.  Paul, with God’s power, healed a lame man

This is from one of our dearest friends. He serves in China and is home on a short furlough now. I am right now on the phone with another friend from our church in China! I hurt for the believers, the Bible teachers, and all who serve God in China. I want to comment on the questions asked by my friend. source Oh the junk going through my head right now….

Check out this article by Steve Hafler. Though you might not agree with everything in this article it is worthy of your consideration. Missionaries are well meaning but it is easy to fall into some of these traps. I know that I did. The nationals are able to lead the churches.

Last week I was able to guest post for a friend, Trent Cornwell . Trent serves on the pastoral staff at our home church . He leads the student ministries and is a mobilizer of this generation. I encourage you to check out his blog and follow the great content that he puts out

All of the material that you have been seeing on this blog is written in preparation for a book to help train missionaries. It intentionally has the dirty side of what is going on and I hope will present the other side as well. All names and stories have been altered to not be applicable to anyone you might know personally! I love missionaries and nationals. I just want to help us be able to learn and be prepared to do a good work on the field. I was riding down the road one day in that same city with a man who was in charge of a Bible college.