“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:2 NIV[1] In his classic book on preaching, Between Two Worlds, John Stott uses the metaphor of a preacher as a bridge-builder. “Now a bridge is a means of communication between two places which would […]
Jason Seville, in his article “The Global Ministry Opportunity We Don’t Talk About” (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/global-ministry-opportunity/) raises a concern about what he calls “a massive gap in international ministry efforts.” Seville cites three categories of people often overlooked by mission organizations in their international ministry endeavors. First are the global cities full of “international international students”—students temporarily […]
Since last writing in INCENDIUM, I have continued to connect with other IC leaders in Europe, including meeting some in person. That has been a joy. It is good to hear about the Lord’s work among international church communities across the continent. Various congregations have also partnered with One Collective in Ukraine to support pastors […]
Recently our International Church team met for our monthly meeting to hear one another’s hearts, cast vision, and implement ministry. As we shared around the circle an obvious theme emerged. Let’s move from “National to International.” Please allow me to ask. Large churches exist around the world. Can the National churches factor in the growing […]
A short, and biased, testimony on how the COVID-19 crisis impacted churches in France, and a comparison with the reactions of some churches in the States Rachel and I have the privilege of traveling the world for our ministry and to live, mostly, in two countries, France and the USA. We were home in […]
There has never been a greater challenge within the international church than to be a genuinely united community. In an increasingly polarized world, divided along ethnic divisions, economic disparities, political affiliations, ethical values and other ideologies, we are called to be “one body” (Eph. 4:1). One of the amazing hallmarks of the early church was […]
We never know the future. Someone quipped that when they were forced to leave the Garden, Adam said to Eve, “My dear, we are now living in times of transition.” Ever since the Fall our times have been uncertain, and whether things are good or bad we know that change is coming. Covid has […]
Okay, time for a true confession—full disclosure. I spent a good part of yesterday writing what I thought would be this article for INCENDIUM. Being a Type A, task-oriented individual who loves to check off every item on my agenda before tucking myself into bed at night, I had a check on my spirit instead. […]
Today there are 193 countries that are recognized by the United Nations. In addition, there are several other disputed areas and territories that some consider independent nations. So, depending on how you count, there are anywhere between 190-220 countries in the world today. Many of these nations are considered “closed access/creative access/limited access/restrictive access” countries. […]
I cannot thank you enough for learning alongside me these past months. As we finish this series on the missiology of the international church, I want to invite you ponder this question with me: What would it take? What would it take to put the international church on the map as one of the mission’s […]