Yesterday, I observed that the opposite of dependence is not isolation but having something to offer. In our case, that means recognising that national church leaders are often far more effective in mission and ministry in their national context than missionaries. (We are expensive, for a start, and often have […]
The question of dependence is a critical one for engaging in any sort of cross-cultural partnership. In the nineteenth century, CMS’s Henry Venn came up with three marks of a mature church: self-supporting, self-propagating and self-governing. Though he planted churches in west Africa, he believed that autonomy was key to treating […]
He breaks the power of canceled sin, He sets the prisoner free; His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me! This classic hymn is all about the problem of sin, and its solution, the great Saviour Jesus. It’s a real celebration song, and when Charles Wesley […]
Yesterday we noted that fundraising is never just about asking for money. You’re asking people to contribute to something and the quality of that ‘something’ will have an impact on whether people come on board. The temptation for many missionaries is to make themselves sound heroic or perhaps better than […]
Continuing our series on missionaries up the front of church, one of the complicating factors is fundraising. Money is often a difficult area for Australians to talk about. It’s something Arthur and I gave some thought to while we were fundraising (shameless plug, more info at our financial partnership page!). But […]
After our lighthearted look at deputation yesterday, today I want to ask about the flip side of one of the mistakes I mentioned: is there a place for missionaries to be prophetic? Mistake #4 was: Guilting people about the good gifts God has given them. e.g. about their large home, iPad, multiple […]
I’ve been helping another CMS worker here to think about her family’s coming Home Assignment/deputation – the thing where you go around to churches to reconnect or report back or invite people to partner with you. There are several challenges for the worker, some more serious than others. For example, […]
Meet Jesus at uni 