Breakthrough language-learning tool

Turning points in history require the merging of two elements: need and ingenuity. One without the other will seldom spark the fire that brings about change. This story tells of a need: more efficient language acquisition. It also tells of a young couple in missionary orientation who, armed with ingenuity, caused a shift that is revolutionizing the language-learning process.

Here's the story behind CLAware ("clay -ware"): Following the Tracks

Languages on the verge of extinction

National Geographic features this interactive map of the world that shows "Language Hotspots" places on the globe where languages are trending toward extinction.

Proportional world map

SHOW®/WORLD is a fascinating way to look at the world: countries are sized in proportion to their rank on different issues, such as: population,various causes of death, illiteracy, health issues, crop resources, environmental issues, war, and many other.

Program re-assessment

The Assessment process has helped us (the ICS department) to clarify and organize what, and when, and why we're to do doing what we do. The result? A timeline of program competencies.

Prior to these conversations, courses in our program held a collection of assignments; all interesting and mostly appropriate, but largely disconnected . . . without a sense of direction and progression.

Students enjoyed the courses, and suspected that their intercultural formation was more significant than the mere sum of assignments, or of the courses checked off in their four-year planners, or of their cumulative GPA. And of course, they were right.

The timeline has helped us clarify which skills are critical, which are prerequisite to others, which is the most appropriate course to address the competency, and therefore in what order assignments should appear in a student's pilgrimage through the ICS major.

Thank you Assessment! You have inspired a re-assessment.

Iron Sharpens Iron Leadership Conference

The Iron Sharpens Iron conference shaped me as a leader. I was planting churches in Mexico when I heard about ISI for the first time. So, on one of our trips back to the US we decided to attend. I was astounded at the amount of teaching, encouragement, challenge, refreshment, resources, and fellowship we found. It was after attending that first time that I decided a yearly conference should be a priority in our missionary ministry . . . and that this one was to be it.

A new map of the world

This map includes most recently-formed countries, and graphics of salient demographic statistics. The format is a zoom-able Prezi file.

The new world map on Prezi

What dominates your life?

This morning I was challenged by one of Ralph Winter's life mottoes: "Nothing that does not occur daily will ever dominate your life." I take it by "dominating," he means consuming our energies as the object of our passion. To say it differently, 'what we are most passionate about will be the thing we commit our life to, and nothing that does not surface every day qualifies to be that thing.'

What dominates your life?

I see see a couple categories of domination. On one hand, there are things we know should be dominating our life. These are values we are convinced are good and right, like faith, or family, or moral principle. On the other hand, there are things which clearly dominate our lives now. Curiously though, what dominates us now  is not necessarily what should. Bad habits, unbalanced attention to the necessary, and other things creep in.

The truth is, is this second category that defines us. A proverb I heard as a child in Mexico comes to mind: Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres ("tell me who you hang out with and I will tell you what sort of person you are"). The same concept applies here: "tell me what dominates your life now, and I will tell you what sort of person you are." What consumes your energies as the object of our passion now is what defines you, what shapes your aspirations and molds your character, what limits your choices and gives you purpose. And your doing what you do will never become doing what you should until your doing what you should becomes doing what you do.

So, what dominates your life now?

Mapping Global Christianity

2.18 Billion Christians worldwide. That is the estimate of nominal Christians reported in a recent study of The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Check out their data and an interactive map at their site.