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In Lansing, Mich., a group of us were learning how to survey communities to understand lostness. As we walked through our assigned neighborhood, my partner and I met an 18 year-old carrying two huge bags of disposable diapers. We stopped and asked how we could pray for him. He said he was really scared to … Continue reading
Imagine yourself seated at a wonderful restaurant. The kind with tablecloths. Behind you is a door leading outside, but you put that out of sight while the food keeps coming and coming. It is wonderful, healthy, and just what you need! Oh, you wish others could enjoy it, too. Meanwhile, outside the door right behind … Continue reading
A contrast in missionary work was recently brought to my attention. A missionary-sending group we’ll call Agency A in one year trained their 4,000 missionaries who trained another 21,000 workers who went out and began 14,000 churches. In other words, 4,000 got 14,000 churches started. In the same year with roughly the same number of … Continue reading
Nik Ripken is a 30-year missionary veteran and author of The Insanity of God and The Insanity of Obedience. It was a pleasure hosting Nik and his wife Ruth for a 3-day conference called Servants in the Crucible. Some 55 of us gathered in Springfield, Mo. He often slipped into Bible Storying mode and much of … Continue reading
A farmer spent years teaching his son how to plow, plant, and harvest. Through years the farmer grew old. By 1947, the man was a grandfather and his son now had a boy of his own. Together, the two men watched the son plow by himself for the first time. By the middle of the … Continue reading
After interviewing five men from Central Asia in refugee camps, I asked them what would attract them to actually listen to Bible stories on the radio. After suggesting five or six options, I asked, “Would you listen to conversion testimonies from Muslims, even Muslim religious leaders?” Their eyes grew wide. One asked through an interpreter, … Continue reading
David Garrison, author of Church Planting Movements, introduced me to WIGtake. It was a phrase being kicked around by missions strategists. The WIGtake question is “What’s It Gonna take to reach a people group with the Gospel?” Prayerfully ask the WIGtake question needed to spiritually transform lives and bring spiritual awakening to your community. A strategy is … Continue reading
Standing around with pastors during a break at an associational pastor’s conference, one pastor lamented that his church had stopped growing. When I asked why, he said that his building could only hold so many people. When I asked him why a little thing like drywall would prohibit growth, it was like scales fell off … Continue reading
An older church planter startled me. “Mark,” he said. “I appreciated that you said new believers typically know more lost people. In all my years of ministry, I never thought about training up a new believer to share their faith. And I wanted you to know I’ll be going out with them to share Jesus with … Continue reading
It was great to meet a guy on a plane last week flying home from Houston. He tried witnessing to me. I tried witnessing to him. We were both believers and I even worked with the guy’s brother. And then I asked, “Do you share your faith at work?” He grinned and said, “Sure do. … Continue reading
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