Thriving not Surviving – Leadership Principles to help enable sustainable effective International Church Ministry: reflections from the Netherlands With the church often seen as being in decline in European countries, ICs have a vital missional role in expressing the kingdom of God among internationals, as well as those native to any particular country. Many within IC […]
A few years ago I visited King of Kings Community in Jerusalem (www.kkcj.org) during a trip to meet with international churches in Israel and Lebanon. At that church I met with Missions Pastor named Phil from New Zealand. This guy had some amazing stories to tell how God had used him in some real divine […]
The International Church, the Over-zealous, and the Unity of the Cross. They come from everywhere, bringing with them every variety of authentic Christian faith imaginable. From the exuberant to the solemn, from free-wheeling discipleship to the very prescriptive, our international churches embrace them all. Or do they? Earlier, in an MICN newsletter, I wrote some […]
Some time ago, on a Saturday morning, I met with a friend for a work meeting over breakfast. As usual, we got together at a pleasant little restaurant that serves traditional cuisine. We had already started our discussion when a particular scene drew my attention. In a corner of this little country restaurant, comfortably settled […]
With Four Leadership Priorities for Unity and Mission. Tribalism is a little too common across the evangelical church (and beyond) bringing particular challenges for leaders of International Churches and Fellowships (ICs). Many, both leaders and church members, have loyalties based on allegiance to particular positions on the issues of the day. We take sides, set […]
“I believe Spotlight has been one of the most miraculous instruments in God’s hands to transform this church…and I believe, on a global scale, English has as much potential as any human instrument in His hands right now!” Len Kinzel of the English Fellowship Church in Quito, Ecuador knows how life-changing Spotlight English Clubs can […]
We are all time-travellers. But how to tell such a story? From birth to death, how do the multiple experiences of my life, or yours, fit together? Furthermore, we are all space-travellers though some travel far more than others. Space and time are realities in which all live everyday. “Global Nomads” is often the way […]
In October 2006, I moved my family, my wife and two elementary aged daughters to Bangkok, Thailand. We had taken an assignment with an international church to be their lead pastor. This would be our first overseas assignment; and while the initial agreement was three years, we completed five years. In this transition we left […]
By Leighton Ford, Brother in law of Billy Graham – used by permission At a recent dinner party our host posed a question to discuss over the meal: what are you hoping for? Most responses were predictable: peace in the world, health for our families. One younger guest said, “I hope that at the end […]
THINKING INTO JESUS’ WORLD This morning, three experiences have engaged my mind and stirred by heart and vision. The first two were articles that came my way via Facebook friends. They are insightful, provocative, disturbing, and hopeful while also being a bit of a challenge to read. Both articles engage with the convergence of ideas, […]