The manuscript is based on the true story of a young woman whose disappointment romance propels her on a journey overseas. When her fiancé breaks off their relationship, Ann Birkeland decides impulsively to move to China and become an English teacher. Full of scruples and American habits, she sets out gracelessly on the journey of a thousand miles - miles which involve planes, trains, bicycles rickshaws, and sometimes yaks. As she grapples with the realities of living, working, and sharing her faith under a crumbling communist regime, the culture, church, and social structures of the East come vibrantly to life. Through interwoven stories, {ITL}Onto the Roof{NRM} exposes the realities of life outside the United States and invites the reader to co-live the challenges Ann and her students face, from exam day jitters to racial discrimination, from hilarious friendships to the sacrificial passion of the underground church. This timely book demystifies the movement to teach English as missions, and through humor and poignancy, encourages readers to live with God in their own precarious places of obedience.

Hindus number about 15% of the world population. India, where most of them live is closed to Christian missions. But the Lord in his wisdom has brought out about 50 millions to the outside world. In order to communicate the Gospel to them a sympathetic appreciation and understanding of their religion and culture is necessary. This study is an attempt to acquaint the reader with the rudiments of Hinduism so that he can converse with the Hindus intelligently about Jesus Christ.

This pocket-sized guidebook with a spiritual twist combines prayerwalking and tourism. In seven theme walks, this guide to Beijing (China) weaves useful travel advice and historical facts with prayer points and Bible references for Christian travelers to keep in mind when praying for the city's inhabitants. It features the most popular tourist destinations as well as little-visited areas of particular interest to believers and will appeal most to travelers who want more "behind-the-scenes" information than ordinary guided tours or guidebooks can provide. Prayerwalking--a combination of actions as old as time, praying and walking--can be a silent activity. This makes it an ideal "undercover" way to make an eternal difference in a foreign country, especially one that is hostile to evangelism.

CONCEPT STATEMENT - This book will address the three aspects of the character of God, which I believe are necessary for believers to understand in deepening their knowledge of God, and for unbelievers to understand in accepting God’s plan for salvation. The three aspects are the sovereignty of God, the mystery and beauty of His character; the grace of God, His modus operandi in dealing with His world; and the glory of God, His magnificence and ultimate purpose for His creation.

What I love most about church, being part of the body of Christ, is the way we live in community with others and imbibe lessons from them about how to live this life. Overall, the women who have informed my thinking about being the kind of person I want to be more than anyone else are missionaries. I have met a large number of strong women who have endured through great difficulties, who have trusted God for great things, and who have drawn closer to His heart than most other women I know. And so I want to pass on to you what I’ve learned.  More than that, I want to open my hand and share my mentors with you. It’s quite easy for me to do it, since the women among my missionary acquaintances I’ve chosen to share are as equally available to you as they are to me, existing as they do in the pages of history. Please understand that what I have to offer is not, strictly speaking, history.  Rather, I am inviting you into a conversation by crafting brief monologues that allow these women to speak and by reflecting on what they have to say.

Salmon are overcomers. They swim upstream overcoming incredible obstacles to reproduce at the spawning ground of their birth. Christians must also be overcomers as we swim against the values and pressures of this world to establish God’s Kingdom. The obstacles Christians face can be internal or external—cultural compromise, familial expectations, secular norms, overt evil, religious boundaries, myopic consumerism, and unresolved emotional baggage. Separately or in combination they can hinder believers from fulfilling God’s goals for the global church: To love God. To make disciples. To persevere through suffering. To love across borders. To live the Kingdom.

When we make the salmon’s journey an allegory for our own—having an image in our minds to hold on to—we can be inspired to press on as emotionally and spiritually healthy disciples who fulfil God’s call on our lives.

Jesus shared of the coming Kingdom of God as he moved among people, ate with them, healed them, taught them, and loved them. We do not share the Gospel in a vacuum but in relationship. A Muslim will be quick to spot a Christian who is just out to “chalk up” another soul for the Lord, while the one who knows you first as a friend will be many times more open to not only crossing the bridge with you as you share but also accepting Christ in faith.

“How do I get started?” “Give me something I can work with?” These are just a couple of the questions Raouf and Carol Ghattas heard from Christian believers who really did want to share their faith with Muslims but struggled with how to begin. Though they consistently shared that there is no "silver bullet" in Muslim evangelism, this small book is their response to those who asked. Five Minutes with a Muslim provides proven and practical bridge-crossing conversations from their 25 plus years of experience in working with Muslims. This book, along with one’s personal testimony and the leadership of the Holy Spirit is a powerful combination of tools to reach Muslims for Christ.

A True Story in every sense of the word

I returned my hard-earned scholarship and went to war-torn Zimbabwe. A beautiful schoolteacher, Patricia, carried her wedding gown across the ocean to marry me. Told through both our eyes, we witnessed all the dramatic wildness of the African saga: animism, colonialism, poverty, tribalism, war, dictators, refugees, AIDS. Not just where Africa has been but where she’s headed - more Christians in African than North America because of the miraculous, redemptive power of Jesus Christ.

149212494737. three decades, My African Dream is an epic adventure of firm faith and loyal love, chronicling how a family, a nation, and a continent are changed and emerge in a world vastly different from what they entered. And this is not just the story of Africa but History; a narrative of how a loving, holy Creator-Redeemer rescues us and transforms our world.

Our memoirs open a wide window into the soul of Africa, telling her real story, close-up. You will laugh and cry as you experience this roller coaster ride in a land on the brink of anarchy. Our story may even change your view of the world and your place in it. This is vital reading for anyone wanting to understand Africa and Christian missions.

We are the global generation. Urbanised and connected, we believe in freedom, equality, democracy and justice. We are free and in control. We are tech savvy, artists, and activists. We love image, beauty and quality. We are open minded, spiritual, tolerant and diverse. We want change and we want more. We want everything now, but really, we don’t know what we want…

We have never been so close and at the same time so far from each other, never before so confused by life, it’s meaning and it’s purpose. We don’t know what to believe anymore. We are the global youth culture and this is our cry.

God is on a mission and his heart is broken for this lost generation. The message of his love, the Gospel, is for everyone, and it is not right that young people today don’t get to hear because we’re not making it accessible to them. They don’t come to us, so we need to go to them. As Jesus’ church, we need to realise the changes in mindset and lifestyle and the need for a paradigm shift in missions.

Our God is a missionary God—that’s something that all Christ-followers can agree with. This same group would say that Jesus, before he ascended to heaven around 30 AD, gave us what we now call the “Great Commission.” Again, we can all agree. But, what exactly is this task he left in our hands to do?

Was it to "evangelize"? Win the lost? Make disciples?  Plant churches, or start “church planting movements”? Reach the last “unreached people group"? Or show justice, love mercy, or, in some ways, establish the Kingdom? This book seeks to step back, reexamine our biblical text, and find some missing pieces to the task, and the passions of God behind it, which he left in our hands to do in collaboration with him.

I summarize this larger task with the simple, if radical, phrase "obedient nations." I set out to defend it from Scripture but also then explore other realms that intersect with this idea. I conclude by asking the “how to” question, related to this commitment to obedient nations.

Join me as we take on this adventure--a search for a better way of describing this big-picture task we’ve been given.

Are there cultural keys to unlocking hidden treasure in the biblical gospel? Has Western culture hijacked the Bible from its Eastern roots? In what ways and to what extent should missiologists and theologians repackage the gospel message based upon the dominant cultural value systems of a people group? What is the center of the gospel according to the Bible itself and the history of the Holy Spirit’s illuminating work in church history? And how does that center hold together and address dominant global worldview orientations and their derivative cultural value paradigms? This book will argue that trust alone receives Christ Himself through the benefits of His righteousness and substitutionary work that conceptually correspond to the aspects of God’s image valued in cultural orientations. Commonly held paradigms, such as shame/honor, fear/power, and guilt/innocence, are helpful approximations of cultural values, but they need to be upgraded and centralized around the biblical gospel. This book aims to offer Christ to a guilty world of shame, fear, bondage, and weakness.

I didn’t want to hear these words: “You have ten days to leave the country.” I was five months pregnant with our first child. People were coming to the Lord, and so many good things were happening. Did God not call us here? What do closed doors mean for life in cross-cultural ministry? After completing When Doors Close, readers will have new insights and tools to help them face their own potential obstacles to service while realizing they are not alone in their struggles.  

Imagine what it would be like to walk into a mosque, receive a warm welcome from the imam, and have an open and respectful conversation about what lies at the very center of Muslim teaching. Now imagine having that same conversation thirty-two times over. Think what you would learn!  That is exactly what the author did, and this book is the fruit of those remarkable conversations. In order to navigate today’s dangerous world, it is essential for Christians to have more than a kindergarten understanding of Islam.  This book helps provide that understanding.  It is the result of a complete review and evaluation of the most popular Qur’an commentary for Muslims in the world today. Both the Bible and Qur’an share common prophets, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jesus, and others.  The author presents twelve such prophets and highlights the “shadows,” or what is missing from the Qur’an versions.  Focusing on stories and their contexts, this book gives Christians new insights into the Qur’an as well as practical ideas on how to relate to Muslims and share biblical truth with them.

The brokenness and fragility of the planet has become clearer during these days of pandemic, economic struggle, injustice, and hateful language. Darkness seems to be winning, but God is not ignorant or impotent. Since the days of Abraham, God has used people of faith to bless the world and bring transformation. Something, however, must change in the way Christ followers today see ourselves and in the methods we employ as partners in God’s mission. Jesus beckons his followers to build higher lampstands, lives that have maximum impact on the needs of the world for the glory of God. Although many pastors, authors and mission leaders highlight the need of the Church to do more ministry with those who are beyond the walls of our Christian communities, these voices are often heard only as calls to “do more”. Born to Shine is an invitation and a process to shine brightly – even as the moon faithfully reflects the light of the Sun. This is not a call to serve more but to serve smarter. With intentionality and a commitment to excellence, Christ followers can impact darkness in ways that address root problems and bring real solutions that affirm the worth of individuals and bring God great glory. We are the light of the world.

This book discusses the current context of missions, looking at cultural shifts in America and the world, as well as resulting changes in the church and emerging trends in missions that are impacting the next generation. Traits and characteristics of Gen Z (b. 1996-2010) are presented, followed by strategies for effectively engaging Gen Z in missions. The final section of the book considers implications for the future of missions as we mobilize the next generation to serve. Qualitative interviews with Gen Z missionaries, mobilizers, and missions leaders, and stories from the authors’ experiences bring to life the perspectives of those serving in missions today and help facilitate a conversation around current and future trends in missions.

There are few things I have found more heart-rending over three decades of mission work than seeing a fellow laborer gradually lose steam. I watch as a defeatism grows from the hardships, then a questioning of whether this work is the best fit. Devotional time with the Lord grows cold. Gradually, vision starts to erode and there are worries over whether it’s too late to switch into another career. “Is this it? It used to be more fun before my friends left. Maybe if I had as good a leader as that person on that other team…” Then the dooming thought lodges, maybe God didn’t call me to this after all… Such a Task is an examination of aspects of “apostolic ministry,” the ministry of being “sent ones” in missions, church planting, and other forms of vocational ministry. It takes its name from the centerpiece scripture 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, “Who is equal to such a task?” The purpose is to clarify and strengthen the reader’s understanding of calling to result in greater longevity in the work. The approach of the book is to meditate on characteristics of apostolic ministry as taught by Paul in 2 Corinthians. Paul’s defense and explanation of his ministry is one of the main themes of the epistle; each chapter in Such a Task examines a different characteristic he raises.

Modern biblical scholars have declared that Jesus’s original intent for the parable of the sower, lost in the second century, can be known today. These same scholars come up short in declaring their supposition for Jesus’s original intent for delivering the parable. Using hermeneutics, Sowing with Intent, demonstrates Jesus’s original intent for delivering the parable of the sower and models its usefulness on the mission field. The phenomena of a harvest movement catalyst, often referred as “Person of Peace,” is core to mission strategists seeking to launch movements among unreached people groups. Sowing with Intent provides a hermeneutical foundation for using Jesus’s parable of the sower as a missionary’s ministry approach for entering new mission fields and offers a practical guide for implementation.