Missions on Point

MoP106 Contemporary Issues in Missions - 5 of 14 DMMs and CPMs Exposed

One of the most dramatic streams of trends in missions over the past decade and the present is the methodologies represented by DMM ("Disciple Making Movements"), CPM ("Church Planting Movements"), T4T ("Training for Teachers"), DBS ("Discovery Bible Studies"), and others. The statistics are mind-boggling! While we can learn some essential things about the power of God's word, presently plainly, simply, clearly, we also can see the seeds of a kind of legalism that breeds flawed concepts of salvation and the local church. Be careful! Ask questions. Stick close to a truly biblical understanding of conversion, Christian growth, and biblically qualified church leaders.

MoP105 Contemporary Issues in Missions - 4 of 14 Orality

Literally billions of people around the world, especially in the remaining people groups unreached with the Gospel, are strictly oral learners or oral communicators. Though various kinds of media may be used, often technology limitations require that a person go and teach the Gospel to them orally. Recent emphasis on this means and refinements of methods have improved and helped to spread the Gospel through orality. Still, church planting and leader development is aided by literacy being an intentional follow-up to the harvest of orality ministry.

MoP104 Contemporary Issues in Missions - 3 of 14 Contextualization - Historic and Highjacked

Contextualization is a key concept in the communication of the Gospel and its application in the field. It has been often exaggerated in application to the point of heresy. Understanding and communicating in an understandable way within a language and culture is essential. However, losing the moorings of key doctrinal anchors will result in a highjacked version of healthy contextualization. Don't let the modern trends of highjacked contextualization and the vaporous pragmatic results sway you from holding to more time-testing methods and long-lasting results based on biblical truths.

MoP103 Contemporary Issues in Missions - 2 of 14 What is and What is Not Business As Missions

Churches and "investors" are getting inundated by proposals and requests from those wanting to start a business overseas under the banner of "Business As Missions." Just like any business proposal, the hearer needs discernment and should ask hard questions. Among those questions for missions must be questions from a Christian missions perspective: who? what? where? why? when? and how? are all legitimate. The missionary must be a missionary! But the missionary must also be a good business leader.

MoP102 Contemporary Issues in Missions - 1 of 14 Business As Missions (BAM)

Business As Missions (BAM) is not only a large issue in missions today, it is an inescapable necessity. Many countries do not allow religious workers. So, Christians must have a legitimate business reason to obtain a long-term residence visa. Missionaries today must be prepared, in these contexts, to either take a job contract or create a business of their own. There are lots of sticky issues related to these opportunities, and the missionary and their supports need to be prepared to navigate those waters.

MoP101 Church-Based Missionary Training - 14 of 14 Partnership with the Missions Sending Agency

We highly recommend having a written partnership agreement with your missionary's missions sending agency. But it's more than just the paper. Making a good partnership work requires time, effort, relationship, and prayer. This episode explains some of the challenges and tips for making an effective partnership agreement that really works to the advantage of all involved and to the ministry on the field.

MoP100 Church-Based Missionary Training - 13 of 14 Accountability, Focus, and Communication

No one talks about this! We should talk about this. Your church, your people, the family members of your missionaries, and the missionaries themselves need to have right and realistic expectations about their accountability, focus, and communication while on the field. It should not be a surprise to anyone that the missionary has a lot of pressure and change to cope with on the field. They also have more expectations of them in accountability, focus, and communication than ever before in their life. We can help now by learning right things about these areas and by building a mindset and tools to help them.

MoP099 Church-Based Missionary Training - 12 of 14 Shepherding on the Field

Even before your missionary departs for the field, it's good for you and for them to have realistic expectations for a healthy, pastoral accountability field visit.  This episode will help prepare for the wholistic scope of interests for the sending or supporting church field visit.