Missions

Contextualization is the art of translating ideas into a particular situation, place or culture. It is fundamental to communication, which makes contextualization essential in missions. This textbook pulls together and maps the variety of evangelical approaches to contextualization. Introductory classes on contextualization and missionary preparation institutes will appreciate this valuable textbook. Contextualization in Missions will guide mission-minded Christians to an informed plan for spreading the gospel effectively. While written with a theoretical perspective, Contextualization in Missions also provides real-world examples to provoke both thought and action.

"God cannot lead you on the basis of information you do not have." --Ralph WinterWhat is God's mission in the world? For anyone passionate about discovering God's heart for the nations, Discovering the Mission of God will reveal his plans for you. Written by 21st-century field workers, scholars and church leaders, this book weaves together the basic components of God's global mission and challenges readers to identify where they fit in the mission of God.Discovering the Mission of God explores the mission of God as presented in the Bible, expressed throughout church history and in cutting-edge best practices being used around the world today. Drawing from a new generation of scholar-practitioners, this comprehensive reader provides global perspective, recent missiological research, case studies, recommended further readings and relevant discussion questions at the end of each chapter.Contributors include:Bryan E. BeyerKaren O'Dell BullockR. Bruce CarltonGary R. CorwinDon DentRobert EdwardsNathan EvansDavid GarrisonH. Al GilbertKevin GreesonJim HaneyJ. Scott HolsteR. Alton JamesPatrick LaiWilliam J. LarkinChristopher R. LittleAlex LucStan MayClyde MeadorA. Scott MoreauD. Kurt NelsonHoward NorrishMeg PageJohn PiperRobert L. PlummerJerry RankinNik RipkenTom SteffenEd StetzerJohn Mark TerryLaNette W. ThompsonGreg TurnerPreben VangJoel. F. WilliamsChristopher J. H. WrightWilliam R. YountDiscovering the Mission of God is an indispensable resource for anyone wanting a better picture of what God is doing in the world and how to find one's place in God's global plan.

Dr. Hale's practical wisdom is here freely offered to the missionary-to-be and others interested in missions-wisdom hard-earned in Nepal on everything from calling to raising a missionary family to cross-cultural communication. Now revised to include perspectives on the realities of the changing missionary force and the challenges of bonding with a new culture in an increasingly globalized and technologically connected world, this edition of On Being a Missionary addresses current issues while maintaining the wit and warmth of the man who first challenged us with his perspectives on being a missionary.

What is the church's work of missions, and how should we carry it out? In this thorough study, Eric Wright roots missions solidly in the biblical text while giving modern, real-life examples of how missionary principles can be applied practically. He covers subjects such as missions and God's kingdom, the validity of mission boards, the role of providence, the necessary spiritual gifts, the multi-ethnic nature of ideal churches, how to avoid dependency, the priority of church planting versus humanitarian ministries, and short-term versus life-long missionary commitment. This book reverses the drift away from theology into pragmatics, without denying the importance of a dynamic methodology that responds to changing conditions. Regular snapshots of missionary life as it is being or has been played out in real situations ground the whole book in reality. Book jacket.

How is it that a first-generation Jewish messianic movement undertook a mission to the pagan world and rapidly achieved a momentum that would have a lasting and significant impact on world history? This momentous question has surprisingly eluded the concentrated focus of historians and New Testament scholars.Perhaps it is because the story of early Christian mission encompasses so much of the history of early Christianity. And to tell that history is to traverse a broad spectrum of issues in contemporary New Testament studies, all of which have been investigated in specialized depth, though frequently unconnected to a unified picture. On the other hand, as Eckhard Schnabel comments, those who have attempted to paint "the portrait of early Christian missions" have "often painted with brush strokes too broad." As a result, an "undifferentiated picture of early Christian mission" is widely held.In this monumental study, Schnabel gives us both a unified and detailed picture of the rise and growth of early Christian mission. He begins with a search for a missionary impulse in the Old Testament and Second Temple Judaism. He then weighs the evidence for a mission of Jesus to Gentiles. But the center of focus is the apostolic missionary activity as it is related in Acts, Paul's letters and the rest of the New Testament. Here is a study that seeks to describe all the evidence relevant to the missionary strategy and tactics of the early church, to explain the theological dimensions of the early Christian mission, and to integrate the numerous studies published in the last decades into a synthetic overall picture. Schnabel's detailed and immensely informed analysis will reward careful reading and reflection, and form a solid basis for a new understanding of the rise of Christianity and the nature of Christian mission--both then and now.When you order this item you will receive two volumes: Jesus and the Twelve (Volume 1) and Paul & the Early Church (Volume 2). An outline of both is in Volume 1 and the indexes are in Volume 2.

Invitation to World Missions combines a strong biblical anchor with practical suggestions. This unique text is arranged in three parts according to the Trinity's roles, relationships, and activity. Tennent questions whether missions as currently conceptualized is adequate and he challenges the reader by building the book around key theological foundations such as "mission dei" and the "new creation" vision for the global church. This volume will call and enable the reader to understand how missions is biblically and theologically basic to Christianity, and how missions is essential to living out an abundant and impassioned life.

This title contains a deep biography of the pioneering missionary William Cameron Townsend. ""Cam"" Townsend is rightly known as the visionary founder of the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) and the Wycliffe Bible Translators (WBT). This joint effort is now the largest Protestant mission organization in the world, a mission which has dramatically changed the culture of what used to be known as faith missions.Townsend revolutionized Protestant missions by emphasizing that missionaries needed to learn the language of the people to whom they were sent and to live among them in order to understand their communities. His system stressed training the missionaries in public health, basic education, and agricultural skills. The demonstrated success of missionaries who followed Townsend's plan led to SIL/WBT influence in the larger societies in which the organization was present. Townsend was non-dogmatic in seeking allies to pursue his objectives, including local political movements and power structures, academics, and other religious faiths, increasing the influence of his group to the point that SIL/WBT became a major factor in the national affairs of the countries in which they were active, particularly in Latin America.The very success of Townsend's methods led to trouble with his base in the United States. As conservative and evangelical financial backers and prospective missionaries saw the organization and Townsend working amicably with Roman Catholics, leftist political groups, and atheist and agnostic academics, the SIL/WBT ran into trouble at home.