Map of Paul's Missionary Journeys

 

If you ever taught through the Book of Acts, you have undoubtedly scoured the Internet for good, clear maps of Paul's Missionary Journeys. Here's a unique one that blends an interactive web map and the paths of the three Missionary Journeys plus Paul's journey to Rome. You can choose the path you want to view, and zoom in and out. Kudos to the map for aesthetics. A very cool slider also switches between ancient and modern locality names.  

Class Presentations

Our Missions & Evangelism class has reached its season of presentations. This time, of course, via video conferencing. I must say, students are doing a fantastic job. Their presentations are informative, engaging, and compelling. Way to adapt to the challenge of social distance, my friends!

Migration map

This interactive migration map comes from the Pew Research. Click anywhere on the map to see the regions of the world from which migrants come to the selected country. Conversely, select the Outgoing button and select any country to see where that country's migrants go.

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The Church In America Is Not Dying

"Christianity may be losing its top-down political and cultural influence, but Jesus spoke of His followers making an impact in a very different manner. He taught that God's kingdom was subversive and underground. He used examples like yeast, which changes things from the inside, and mustard seeds, which are small and must be planted in order to grow up and out.
As the distinctions between Christians and an ever-growing post-Christian culture emerge, we will have to set aside any nominal belief systems and become active agents of God's Kingdom. The answer is not found in waging cultural wars incessantly, or in making a theological shift to the left to pacify a culture offended by the gospel. The answer is in all of God's people, changed by the power of the gospel and propelled by love, moving into the mission field as agents of gospel transformation."

The State of the Church In America: Hint: It's Not Dying | The Exchange | A Blog by Ed Stetzer:

'via Blog this'

MOP 2013

The Missionary Orientation Program is a one-week, intensive missionary equipping program that aims to provide young people and church leaders foundational training for cross-cultural ministry. Instructors, representing three organizations (CMML, MSC Canada, and Emmaus Bible College) all share missionary experience and a passion for missions.

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.

One Tract Can Change a Life

For the full story, click here!

How many times have you shared the gospel?

The chart below shows the results of a poll I gave to about 50 students starting out my Missions & Evangelism I class in the fall of 2011. The question was, how many times have you shared the gospel?

The results held a few surprises:

• An unexpectedly high percentage (90%) have shared the gospel at least once.
• 10% of the class have never shared their faith. This figure is surprisingly low; it speaks of the increased training, opportunities, and desire young people have to share their faith. I look forward to reducing this percentage to zero throughout this course!
• 61% of the students have shared their faith 5 times or more. Amazing . . . I wonder how this compares with national statistics?
• 5% of the class have significant experience in evangelism, having shared the gospel more than 100 times. These students take this course because it is required of every major at Emmaus. More importantly, however, is the gift and the passion for evangelism that drives these students; they would  take the course even if it wasn't required!

These are surprising figures. They signal an amazing potential. I pray the full potential is realized.

Summex France

Every year students at Emmaus have opportunities to travel and learn abroad. One such opportunity, organized by the Intercultural Studies Program, is called Summex. Summex stands for Summer Missionary Exposure. It is a 2-4 week trip abroad with the purpose of learning what God is doing worldwide, to gain cross-cultural experience, and to serve. In the summer of 2011, Summex went to France.

Our team had an opportunity to serve at the International Brethren Conference for Mission in Strasbourg, where we met and served more than 400 missionaries and mission leaders from around the globe. Pictures and further information can be found on the Summex Blog.

CMML's new website

CMML's relationship with Emmaus dates back to the founding of the school. Throughout the years, our graduates have served with CMML in cross-cultural missions. CMML missionaries regularly visit the college to fuel a passion for missions among our students. We participate together in conferences such as the Missionary Orientation Program, and other regional conferences.

So, who is CMML? I selected a brief quote from their website as explanation for their ministry:

"Christian Missions In Many Lands, Inc. (CMML) was established in 1921 as a nonprofit, faith-based service organization to serve missionaries from the United States serving in cross-cultural missions overseas. CMML serves missionaries whom have been commended by local churches designated by the U.S. government as Plymouth Brethren."

Congratulations CMML on your new, very helpful website!

David Livingstone

Students in History of Missions studied the lives of key figures in the expansion of the Gospel. They plotted their research onto a timeline like this one.

The Life of David Livingstone on Dipity.

History of Missions

Two creative students put together this video, featuring a couple of the innovative technological leaps that took place in missions in the twentieth century: radio and aviation. Enjoy!