January 2019
Upcoming Mission and Ministry Schedule
January 9-16: Heredia, San Jose, Costa Rica (plus various churches)
March 14-18: Dominican Republic (teach, preach, leadership seminar)
May 10-20: Miramonte, San Salvador, El Salvador; San Pedro Sula, Honduras; Seminario Baxter, Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Talanga Honduras
June: visits to US churches (English-speaking and Hispanic) in Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Michigan
July 17-August 3: southern Colombia and northern Ecuador mission trip (Pasto, Tuquerres, Cumbal, Ipiales; Tulcan, Pilanqui-Ibarra, and other sites as possible)
August 22-September 3: Colombia mission trip (tentative trip to visit three Great Cities teams)
September 18-30: Colombia mission trip (Cali, Bogota, and other sites as possible)
December: Baxter graduation and board meeting, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Listings with specific dates are generally confirmed. I hope you can attend an event when I am in your area. Contact me for specific details of events listed or to schedule an event. A few open dates for shorter activities remain on the 2019 calendar.
The Third Wave of Mission Work
I believe the church should dream big dreams. I fear we are thinking too small. I fear our vision is too limited.
When the church understands what the Bible says about God's plan, God's purpose, God's dream for the world -- the church will have a dream. The church should have the same plan, purpose and dream as God -- to win the world for Christ!
The biblical plan for evangelism, profound because it is so simple, does not depend on technology. It does not depend on whether the church has enough money to send missionaries to every location around the world that needs the gospel. It does not depend on the things that tend to enamor the contemporary church. The biblical plan a simple plan whereby Christians win their family, neighbors, coworkers, acquaintance, and fellow countrymen to Christ, wherever they may live around the world. The Bible plan is a plan that depends on Christians winning for Christ those among whom they live.
I believe God wants the world to be won to Christ before the end of time. I also believe that the church is making little headway. In fact, statistics suggests that the church in general is falling further and further behind with every passing year. I believe the early church saw God's plan for winning the world and implemented it, but that through the years the church has gotten away from God's plan.
In the early phases, the Bible plan for evangelism included evangelists traveling to unreached areas to spread the gospel. But then, the plan was for the disciples who were made by the evangelists to pick up the cause and make more disciples. This is a plan that works. I know it works because I have observed firsthand God's people working together in churches who have the heart and passion to spread the Good News of Jesus. I have observed Christians who have little of this world's goods but who have a lot more passion than those of us who are surrounded by the comforts and conveniences of the modern world. I have taught, trained, equipped, and worked with those who are implementing the Bible plan for evangelism. I talk with them, I pray for them, I am privileged to work alongside them.
Nationals are the new wave of mission efforts! The dream of spreading the gospel broadly is becoming a reality in many places. Seeing the success that is possible using this biblical model, it is time to convince churches, church leaders, mission committees, and donors that there is a better way! It is time to cast aside the models that have developed over time and go back to the Bible model.
I write so that you will believe! Please take a moment to read the entire article (at the link below) and pray about it! The rest of the article is less than a page!
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The above is an excerpt. The entire article can be accessed and downloaded at: The Third Wave of Mission Work
