If you were equipping new Missions Mobilizer, what would you put in the toolkit? What resources would be “core curriculum,” so to speak. I remember a little book back in the 80’s called “The Hidden Half.” I don’t remember the author’s name… and it seems to have vanished off the book lists even on the web. But it was a great “just add water” mobilizer’s book… to help someone aquire the fire, so to speak, then pass it on. Which books or websites would be in your list? Would any of these make your go-to books?
Life-changing encounters, Caleb Project — Originally assembled as a kind of guidebook or manual for churches and agencies who were doing prayer journeys and vision trips during the “AD2000 & Beyond” mobilization decade of the 90’s, this manual taught the church and agency how go on-sight and write a profile about an unreached people group. Great resource to this day, if you can find one.
Exploring the Land, Shane Bennett — This more academic version of the above was written to help an ethnographic researcher (or research team) prepare a more extensive booklet (or book) about an unreached people or place.
Vision of the Possible, by “Daniel Sinclair” (pseudonym) is a real keeper. It might be the best book documenting the overall on-field process EVER. How to reach an unreached people group or city, for the team leader and the on-site team.
Operation World, originally by Patrick Johnstone, now by Jason Mandryk, looks at the world one country at a time, revealing church growth to date plus prayer requests for tomorrow.
When Helping Hurts, by Corbett and Fikkert, informs the church or agency about poverty and how to help it without causing harm.
Radical, by David Platt, challenges the assumptions of local churches by advocating for a more engaged lifestyle and outreach paradigm .
Serving as Senders, by Neal Pirolo, explains how volunteers from a local church can become more engaged as sending groups for missionaries and their families.
I Think God Wants me to Be a Missionary, also by Neal Pirolo, helps a would-be missionary clarify and grow his/her calling.
In the Gap, by Dave Bryant, is an old book, now somewhat dated, but still challenges assumptions about the world in which we live, advocating a stepped-up prayer life and a more engaged outreach approach.
There have to be more that I’m not remembering right now. Which books, videos, or websites would you add? Please just click “comment” after the online version of this item, then add your favorite(s). Thanks in advance for any help you can render.
Doug
I’d have to add:
1. Live Life on Purpose by Claude Hickman
2. The Abrahamic Revolution by Todd Ahrend
3. The EXPLORE Study by Every Ethne
4. Run with the Vision by Sjogren, Stearns, and Stearns, as well as The Traveling Team’s website.
Also The Traveling Team’s resources such as:
1. The Ten Modules for Mobilizing : http://thetravelingteam.org/team_resources/implementing-missions-your-ministry/10-modules
2. The Vision for the World Illustration : http://www.thetravelingteam.org/worldvision
3. The 12 Lessons on Becoming a World Christian : http://thetravelingteam.org/?q=node/15
4. Mobilizing through Small Groups : http://thetravelingteam.org/team_resources/implementing-missions-your-ministry/small-group-bible-studies
5. Their World Christian Discipleship online study : http://thetravelingteam.org/start
The Hidden Half: Discovering the World of Unreached Peoples by Sam Wilson and Gordon Awschliman was published by MARC in 1982. Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Hidden-Half-Discovering-Unreached/dp/0912552433 .
I strongly suggest Missions: Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies, 2nd edition, by Gailyn Van Rheenen. Van Rheenen served on the mission field in Africa for 17 years, then was a professor at Abilene Christian University for 17 years. He is now Executive Director of Mission Alive, a church-planting organization.
Caleb Project also had a notebook of skits and a DVD to show them. Two I still use since first seeing the World view skit in 1987. Then you got 10 people to model the reached and unreached parts of the world. NOw you need 14 and you can use costume. You also challenge 10 to go into the harvest in the skit. usually the balance out 50/50 but then you take 4 away from the unreached to the reached to show the imbalance. Another is a 3 minute skit called Choral Reading for God’s Vision for the nations. it is a cursory overview of Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. Short but helpful.
We are Not the Hero by Jean Johnson is a must read!
Also Mission Frontiers magazine. Nov/Dec. issue will be about the Buddhist world.
The eri.org website has an ACTS Media Library with FREE Mp3, DVD and White Papers that help in the mobilization of the Church.
Hi – I highly recommend the Kairos Course. It’s essentially a condensed version of Perspectives (and is part of the Perspectives family of courses) and is very effective at mobilising anyone and everyone in the church into greater involvement in the Great Commission….
I would have to add today Miraculous Movements by Jerry Truesdale, and the Father Glorified by Patrick robertson and T4T by Steve Smith and ying Kai. Plus A wind in the House of Islam by David Garrison.