At the centre of all good theology is God Himself. He is the reference point by which we figure out all the rest. Last time we just how passionately God is a God of justice who loves justice. God works for justice. God commands justice be practised. God condemns injustice. God promises justice will come […]
In his book, Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind, Tom Holland surveys the two millennia since the beginnings of the Christian movement, including the ways the values and ethics of Christianity have pervaded and shaped the post-modern Western mind. Now, he concludes, much of the criticism of the church has developed out of these […]
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 […]
Few experts on international churches have captured the history of the movement like Ken MacHarg.1 In a recent exchange with Ken, he recounted the strategic vision behind the Union Church movement of what he calls “the good old days.” What he remembers fondly about those days was a unity of vision and resourcing to reach […]
If you’re like I was early in my international church pastoring call, any external pushes toward church planting were met with eye rolls. “How could we even think about multiplying when our own church is so in flux?” I thought stability was the name of the game in a highly mobile church setting. “Once this […]
International Church Planting This final opportunity of serving the globally mobile through the international churches is one that is near and dear to my heart. Ideas of church planting were already brewing pre-pandemic, but God redeemed a long and uncomfortable Colombian quarantine to ignite a passion for church planting. “Cease the delay” was the mantra […]
Proximity to Missionaries Most of us dream of shepherding congregations in which our people leave the building every Sunday ready to roll up their sleeves on God’s mission for the week ahead. Thanks to proximity to local missionaries, that dream is a reality in the international church. International churches serve as an oasis for those […]
Ministry to the Host Nation Story after story could be told about the unique reach international churches have toward the nations, but what about locally? Can international churches and their congregants attach locally for kingdom investment? Can international churches make a missional impact locally on their host city and country? The answer is a resounding […]
Ministry to the Nations International churches aren’t just equipping congregants for the mission to the next generation living down the hall (the next generation). They serve a unique role in equipping and deploying believers for the mission to all nations. International churches have historically operated in an insular fashion. The history of the United Church […]
Next Generation Ministry We have three strategic focus areas in which we heavily invest our time and resources. The first two have been alluded to already, community life and outreach. By far our biggest strategic focus area is reaching and discipling the next generation. John Adams, who formerly served at English Fellowship Church in Quito, […]