Perhaps the greatest challenge to faith occurs when our walk through the valley of the shadow of death is accompanied by unconscionable pain, loss, and suffering. These situations raise questions for which there may be no satisfying answers. My wife, Michele, served...
Nietzsche once remarked, “The Christian resolve to find the world ugly and bad has made the world ugly and bad.” More than a century later, Christopher Hitchens, in his 2007 book God Is Not Great, argued that “religion poisons everything.” With such robust...
When did you first become interested in missions? I’ve always been interested in missions. Growing up, we often had missionaries in our home for meals. That interest grew as a teen, and during medical school in 1981, I did my internship at an ABWE hospital in the...
Becoming a missionary is daunting by itself. But then there’s the topic of money. Fear of support raising keeps countless individuals from embracing missions. Some are simply intimidated by asking for money. Others question whether support raising is even biblical....
What did Jesus do in building relationships with lost people? We have identified four phases in building grace and truth relationships – personal preparation, initiate conversations, invest relationally, and proclaim patiently. In this article, we will observe how...
War is a constant possibility in much of the world. When working overseas, “Sent Ones” are sometimes caught up in regional conflicts, yet war is not necessarily detrimental to ministry. “Sent Ones” are usually living their lives embedded with local nationals, and...
With the recent developments of war gripping Ukraine, and the Middle East, what should be the mental disciplines needed for those “sent ones” called to minister in such areas of turmoil –especially those who choose to stay on the field? How does one minister long...
Easter in Ukraine was always a special time. Churches often gather before sunrise, greeting one another with “Christ is risen,” followed by the hearty response “He is risen indeed!” Orthodox adherents line up for several street blocks outside the temple with candles...
How can you teach the resurrection to kids this Easter season? After all, the meaning of Easter is an important part of passing along the Christian faith. Kids often learn best with engaging activities. Use these six ideas as a starting point to explain Jesus’...
The New Testament makes clear that we should have an attitude of loving support towards missionaries: “send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God . . . support people like these” (3 John 6, 8). We know that we are to show sincere care for sent-out...