I wish to propose a monthly must read books/articles. This month I would like to plug EMQ (Evangelical Missions Quarterly). It is a great read each quarter and you can even get an online subscription. www.emqonline.com
Let's look at the latest issue called The Local Church and Missions. What an appropriate topic to deal with considering our discussions on these blogs.
Here are a few excerpts from this journal. First let's talk about incarnational missions.
Martin Visser, in his article Education is Not That Important points out,
Some may be thinking, "But if we move to an area that has almost no churches and missionaries, my children won't get the best education I can provide for them!"He goes on to say,
Since when do the perceived schooling needs for our children take precedence over serving God to the best of our ability?Why do I say that this is bombshell reading? Because it is challenging reading.
In the comments section this month, Laura Propst had great input with her letter entitled The Long-term Impact of Short-term missions. One excerpt from her letter is as follows,
There are also questions regarding dependency. How can STM participants encourage reliance upon God instead of upon rich westerners? Do STM participants believe that poor people cannot do things for themselves and that without Western money things will not happen? How can this attitude not affect the local national? There needs to be serious thought concerning the limitations of money. Churches, missions leaders, and STM participants need to consider how God can work through people even though they live in mud huts and do not have much modern technology. We need discussions on what STM participants can bring that will be applicable to those who have little and that can encourage them to believe that God can use even those who lack materially.Here are other articles from this quarter's issue.
- The Depth Chart of a Church Missions Program
- Six Challenges for the Church in Missions
- The Holy Spirit and the Pace of Missions
- Spirit-guided Mission
- Upgrading Member Care
Subscribe to EMQ Here
Already subscribe? Then post your comments on this quarter's journal.
2 comments:
In light of posts and comments made on Ken Sorrell's blog about Missions Education, I think EMQ is a great place to start. I would love to see Missions Pastors, Missions Committees, Pastors, Volunteer Teams, etc. in the States reading EMQ.
Another good on-line resource is Mission Frontiers and you don't even have to subscribe to see the current issue and back issues.
Frontiers is great because it is free :) I find the articles in EMQ a little more scholarly than Mission Frontiers. If you really want scholarly, then check out International Bulletin of Missionary Research.
Even though EMQ isn't free, it is well worth an online subscription. You receive articles dating back many years. It is an excellent buy for missionaries who like to read. There is a danger, as you read through the book review section, you will find yourself purchasing new books. This month I ordered Contextualization in the New Testament: Patterns for Theology and Mission after reading the reviews.
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