Category Archives: Uncategorized

Have we been invited?

Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Global trends, Quotes, articles & books related to cross-cultural partnership, Short-term missions, Uncategorized

I recently read this in Lesslie Newbigin’s The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission.

All thinking about the world mission of the church today must thankfully and joyfully take into account of the fact that the “home base” of missions is now nothing less than the worldwide community, and every proposed expression of the church’s missionary outreach must be tested by asking whether it can be accepted by the whole ecumenical family as an authentic expression of the gospel.

I wonder what would happen if all short-term mission efforts began with some simple questions? Do you want us to come? Will you accept our mission efforts? What a grand idea—to be asked to be accepted by the church community in a host country—instead of assuming that we are needed, we must go, and they must accommodate us. So many short-term mission efforts are done more for the experience of the goers, than for those who are supposedly being served. When one considers the billions being spent on just the jet fuel for short-term missions, we need to seriously ask, What are the strategic long term benefits?

There is a huge need for training in short-term missions and partnership with indigenous ministries. This is why Mission ONE has developed The Beauty of Partnership learning journey. Would you like to join the journey with us?

A post-American world—for cross-cultural partnership?

Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Global trends, Uncategorized
The Post-American World, by Fareed Zakaria
The Post-American World, by Fareed Zakaria

CNN commentator Fareed Zakaria came out with a book in 2008 entitled The Post-American World. I just ordered it, believing that he may have something to contribute to our understanding of Christian mission in our world today.

“This is not a book about the decline of America, but rather about the rise of everyone else.” So begins Fareed Zakaria’s important new work on the era we are now entering. Following on the success of his best-selling The Future of Freedom, Zakaria describes with equal prescience a world in which the United States will no longer dominate the global economy, orchestrate geopolitics, or overwhelm cultures. He sees the “rise of the rest”—the growth of countries like China, India, Brazil, Russia, and many others—as the great story of our time, and one that will reshape the world. The tallest buildings, biggest dams, largest-selling movies, and most advanced cell phones are all being built outside the United States. This economic growth is producing political confidence, national pride, and potentially international problems. How should the United States understand and thrive in this rapidly changing international climate? What does it mean to live in a truly global era? Zakaria answers these questions with his customary lucidity, insight, and imagination.

“… a world in which the United States will no longer dominate the global economy, orchestrate geopolitics, or overwhelm cultures.” Hmm. Sounds like part of the argument for cross-cultural ministry partnerships in the global church. A parallel statement relative to Christian world missions is that … we live in a world in which the Western church will no longer dominate the world Christian movement, be the primary leader of international mission consultations, or overwhelm cultures.

Because of the growth of the world Christian movement, the center of gravity of Christianity has shifted from the west to the “global south”—also referred to as the “majority world.” One of the leading authorities on the history of the church and the world Christian movement is Scottish missiologist Andrew Walls. In 2000, Walls wrote:

andrew_wallsThe twentieth century has been the most remarkable of all the Christian centuries since the first. Within this century, the composition of the Christian church, ethnically and culturally, has changed out of recognition. On the one hand, there has been a great retreat from Christianity. That retreat has been centered in the west, and especially in western Europe, where active Christian profession has dramatically receded. At the same time, there has been a massive accession to Christian faith. One has to go back many centuries for any parallel to the number of new Christians and new Christian communities. This accession has taken place outside the west, in southern continents, including many areas where, before the present century, Christians were few in number.

At the beginning of this century, some 83% of those who professed the Christian faith lived in Europe and North America. Now, some 60% (probably) live in Africa, Asia, Latin America, or the Pacific Islands, and that proportion is rising every year. The center of gravity of the Christian church has moved sharply southwards. The representative Christianity of the twenty-first century seems set to be that of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific region. These areas look destined to be the launch pad for the mission of the church in the twenty-first century.

(To download the full article by Andrew Walls, click here.)

The implications for global Christian mission could not be more profound. Many mission leaders and mission organizations in the West have recognized the need to shift our approach to world evangelization from leadership to partnership.

Could it be that a “post-American world” is one in which the visible unity in the global church will be demonstrated by millions of examples of healthy cross-cultural partnership? We believe that many within the church are watching—along with many who are outside of the church—to see how well the exceedingly diverse communities of the global church can effectively work together.

Could it be that in the 21st century, God’s people will work in a cooperative rather than antagonistic way—
so Christ’s hope and vision of unity from John 17:21 can be more fully realized? Could it be that “a post-American world” will help create an environment for the global church so that this hope will become a reality?

Does Jesus Christ have cultural intelligence?

Competencies for cross-cultural partnership, Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Training, Uncategorized
A formula for cultural intelligence (Brooks Peterson)
A formula for cultural intelligence (Brooks Peterson)

Knowledge about Cultures + Awareness of Self and Others + Specific Skills = Cultural Intelligence (CQ). This is according to Brooks Peterson in his book, Cultural Intelligence: A Guide to Working with People from Other Cultures (page 13).

In the interaction that Jesus has with the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4, we have the opportunity to understand Jesus Christ through this lens of cultural intelligence.

  • Jesus displays accurate knowledge about both his Hebrew culture and the culture of Samaria;
  • Jesus displays an extremely keen awareness of himself and the Samaritan woman, and,
  • Jesus displays enormous skill in relating cross-culturally to a woman with whom no Jewish man would have been seen, much less have a deeply meaningful conversation.
CHRIST with THE WOMAN AT THE WELL
CHRIST with THE WOMAN AT THE WELL

I love this story, and I love discovering new facets of the perfections of Jesus Christ. Take a look at John 4 again, and consider seeing it through this “formula:” Knowledge about Cultures + Awareness of Self and Others + Specific Skills = Cultural Intelligence (CQ). What do you see in the perfections of the Lord’s cultural intelligence?

Note: A lesson series in The Beauty of Partnership learning journey combines a study of John chapter 4 along with a reading in Brooks Peterson’s book. You may download this study by clicking on this link.

What does all this have to do with the practice of cross-cultural partnership? Simply this: Without CQ—cultural intelligence—cross-cultural partnerships are doomed to failure, or at best, very limited results. Some Christians think that only career missionaries need to actually develop proficiency in cultural intelligence, and that partnerships in the global church don’t require it. Nothing could be further from the truth! There is a need for cultural intelligence by anyone doing any type of ministry that is done cross-culturally. That is why Mission ONE has developed The Beauty of Partnership learning journey.

Don’t you want to be more like Christ—who is perfect in his cultural intelligence?

The Jie people receive fresh water—finally

Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Indigenous ministries, Uncategorized

Below is a report by Hannington Munyao, Director, Mission to Unreached People (MUPE) concerning the event of the Jie tribe in southern Sudan receiving fresh water for the first time (May 2009). Before you read the report, take a look at the video below produced in early 2007 describing the need of the Jie people. Note the profound need for clean water.

JIE TRIP IN MAY 2009 BY HANNINGTON MUNYAO

Wonderful greetings in our savior’s name.

I just returned from Lopet, South Sudan. We praise God for keeping us safe in His arms there.

This time our team comprised of Viola, new missionary to Jie, Rachel Nyamai—on a strategic visit, Pr. Dickson Musembi—prospective missionary and myself. We had a hard start from Eldoret through Kakuma—we were delayed by a day in Ortum owing to problem of shifting gears; another delay in Kainuk and Lodwar due to replacement of spring brushes and a broken front main spring problem. After Lodwar we had four punctures, one after another.

At the border, Lokichogio, a seasonal river overflow delayed us for yet another day. 25KM before arriving in Lopet Jie, a mud hole, caused us to sleep out in the bush two nights. After seven days of a hard journey we victoriously arrived to a warm welcome by the Jie.

My main mission was threefold;-

  1. Build two mission houses at the new station
  2. Evangelize through Jesus film
  3. Research on the strongholds that have kept Jie from the Gospel and development. It was supposed to take six weeks.

Through a very hard schedule we managed to finish the first house in almost three weeks and set frame for the second. Then fate struck! One late afternoon I heard a motorcycle sound – it was Pr. Nzungula and Pr. Odoyo. The Presence of Odoyo made my nerves to stand! I knew something drastic must have happened. And it was.

After receiving the gentlemen, as we took a cup of hot tea, they shared their news—that the wife of Pr. Kamwara had died—and that efforts to get a vehicle to transport the body upcountry had become fruitless. Every vehicle owner contacted charged too much money – e.g one school bus was charging Kshs.200,000/= while another man asked for Kshs.160,000/= and another Kshs.120,000/=!

All these unrealistic charges prompted Odoyo to think of the MUPE Land Cruiser—but it was in Sudan. While this seemed an easy option Pr. Odoyo forgot the logistics of a trip to find me in Sudan and bring back the Land Cruiser given the emergency at hand.

I really contended with the Lord about the whole issue and it was with a very heavy heart I ascended to this emergency call. Obviously we all missed the funeral which took place on Saturday 30th, the day Pr. Odoyo and I arrived at Lokichogio, Kenya.

We have rested a bit and now are planning on visiting Pr. Kamwara and the children in Tharaka district, his birthplace and where the funeral took place. Though I feel my mission was gravely curtailed we trust God for another quick trip whereby I could complete the strategic research. Vehicle repairs plus fuel is the hurdle.

Nevertheless, we achieved the following:

  1. Missionary House
  2. Teachers house(the roof)
  3. Showed Jesus film in two villages
  4. Met water drilling people
  5. Met Jie elders

I must report on an interesting phenomenon that took place the day the Borehole drillers came.

  • We welcomed the team to put up in the mission station and treated them to a cup of tea.
  • I joined them to go to the village elders who are the authority.
  • I joined them as they started their survey.
  • I went aside to pray in order for God to guide into finding a suitable location to bore.
  • I requested the team if I could pray for them before they started. They accepted I prayed and broke the stronghold that blocked efforts to get the Jie clean water.
  • On reaching home rain clouds formed and very severe thunderstorm begun. A continuous lightening hit the region with such brightness as I have never seen in my life. Wind began to blow – it blew the thorn bush which we had set around the station. It even blew off the canvas of our pick up where we had stored our food stuff – all our flour went wet.

The thunder and lightening grew so worse that a few Jie men who came to shelter in our station yelled “oh great God—don’t destroy us—please save us—it is enough—cause this wind to cease! Oh God help!” Rachel and I held hands together in prayer. She too was terrified. My eyes could see clearly on account of the bright glare. Rachel asked me, “Pastor Munyao, what did you tell God when you prayed about the water situation.” I responded, “I told God to release the Jie from their ancestral curses, and to raise the water table for the drillers to find and drill.

Amazingly, after it calmed down water filled our little house. It was all mud! In the morning when the surveyors went seeking they found three spots and they promised to return after a week and begin drilling. I could hardly believe my ears to hear the surveyors state that at one spot water could be found only sixty meters!

It was a day of great joy and will be greater when one day in Jie there will be clean borehole water! I want to believe God did a miracle to raise the water table. Strange as it may be the following day when Pr. Odoyo and Pr. Nzungula came in they reported that this massive rain thunderstorm extended only to the outskirts of Lopet village!

Please remember the Kamwara’s in prayers for comfort and provision to handle this time of sorrow and grief. They incurred some debts in the process.

May God bless you richly.

Hannington Munyao
Director, Mission to Unreached People

My prayer is the God will raise up a Mission ONE Ambassador to serve as an advocate for Mission to Unreached People (MUPE), and to help the dreams come true of Pastor Hannington Munyao. Who do you know who might be a candidate to serve as the Ambassador for MUPE? … Someone with Christian character, a love for adventure and great challenge, an entrepreneurial spirit, a track record for results—plus good health and good humor, and the willingness to learn the knowledge, skills and attitudes to serve effectively? We will train you to be successful! If you or someone you know might qualify for this kind of ministry, please let me know. –Werner Mischke, werner@mission1.org

Three trends that point to partnership with indigenous ministries as a vital missions movement

Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Global trends, Indigenous ministries, Training, Uncategorized

The three trends are: 1) Globalization, 2) Non-Western missionary movement, and 3) Short-term missions movement (STM).

1) Globalization: Globalization has had 
a huge impact on the practice of world missions. [1] It is marked by the widespread use of digital technology and the Internet, low-cost international travel, dramatically lower cost for global communications, the growth of global markets, and financial interdependence. While globalization offers many benefits that have accrued to Christian world missions, there are also aspects of globalization, which, when used uncritically, can undermine the growth and mission of the church. [2]

Non-Western and Western Evangelicals2) Non-Western missionary movement: The chart at right [3] compares and projects 
the growth of the number of non-Western evangelicals relative to Western evangelicals from 1960 to 2020. This growth is in part a testimony to the success of missionaries sent from Western nations to Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as to the receptivity of the gospel among harvest nations. It also gives witness to the transforming power of the Word of God when translated into the heart language of any people group. [4] The Lord has raised up countless new churches and Christian mission structures in hidden or obscure communities all over the world.

3) Short-term missions (STM): The dramatic growth of short-term missions in recent years represents both amplified opportunity and amplified threat. It is estimated that some 1.5 to 
2 million laypersons from North America visit the mission field every year. Whether the human and financial resources being expended are making a long-term difference is questioned by many. One non-Western Christian leader speaks of such mission trips as the “elephant dancing with the mouse.” [5] More often than not, “the mouse gets hurt.” Others point to the many accomplishments of STMs on the field and renewed enthusiasm for missions for the Western returnees. Care must be taken that STMs and cross-cultural partnerships do not foster another form of colonialism. [6]

So the movement of partnership with indigenous ministries—or partnership with nationals—is concurrent with these major global trends. It is one reason that cross-cultural partnership is not just a missions fad, but a vital mission strategy for the church in the world today. Furthermore, we believe at Mission ONE that training is essential in order to realize the full potential for accomplishing global Christian mission through cross-cultural partnership … and this is the purpose of The Beauty of Partnership learning journey.

Can you think of other trends that contribute to—or challenge—the movement of partnership with nationals?

FOOTNOTES

1. See Friedman, Thomas: The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005)
2. See Guinness, Os: “Mission modernity: seven checkpoints on mission in the modern world,” from Sampson, Samuel, Sugden, eds: Faith and Modernity (Oxford: Regnum Books International, 1992), p. 322-325. This article was originally presented at Lausanne II in Manilla (1989) and remains an incisive commentary on this issue. While Guinness does not use the word ’globalization,’ his article on modernity is completely suitable and appropriate to this subject.
3. Myers, Bryant: Exploring World Mission: Context & Challenges (Monrovia, CA: World Vision International, 2003) p. 53. Based on information from Operation World by Johnstone & Mandryk (Paternoster, 2001).
4. See Sanneh, Lamin: Whose Religion is Christianity? The Gospel Beyond the West (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003) 
p. 10–11
5.See Adeney, Miriam: “When the Elephant Dances, the Mouse May Die” (Short-Term Missions Today, 2003-2004 Issue) p. 86–89
6.See Livermore, David: Serving with Eyes Wide Open: Doing Short-Term Missions with Cultural Intelligence (Grand Rapids, Baker Book House, 2006

Entrepreneurs for Christian mission

Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Indigenous ministries, Uncategorized

Business entrepreneurs and Christian missionaries are similarly wired. I like to say they have a lot of overlapping DNA. Both have great vision. Both have a higher tolerance for risk than others. Both understand the importance of team. Both recognize the value of creativity and innovation. Both have leadership skills that can be used to pursue a vision, a dream, a “big-hairy-audacious-goal,” or “BHAG,” in the terminology of Jim Collins.

There are also dissimilarities between the classic business entrepreneur and the classic missionary. Usually, the best missionaries, while they are visionary doers, they also have superb people skills; they are terrific at building relationships. Usually the best entrepreneurs are effective in working with people — but they’re even more effective at pulling things together and getting things done. Perhaps we can say that the excellent missionary puts relationship ahead of task, whereas the entrepreneur will usually put task ahead of relationship.

The Bible has a huge visionary goal for followers of Christ. The Lord Jesus tells his followers in Matthew 28:18–20 to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations.” His Word (“All authority is given me in heaven and on earth”) — and his death-defying presence (“I will never leave you or forsake you”) — are the foundation for this audacious command to bring the transforming love of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. This command is called “The Great Commission” for good reason. There could be no greater goal, no more ambitious vision.

How interesting that Christ’s command reflects a perfect balance. On the one hand, there’s a huge vision which requires an almost infinite array of tasks; on the other hand, it is a command focused on building relationships (“making disciples of all nations”) which is made possible by a relationship with the One who gave the command.

Christian entrepreneurs have many of the skills that are essential for Christian global mission. The Beauty of Partnership learning journey builds on that, and equips them with additional knowledge, skills and attitudes that are essential for success in serving a cross-cultural partnership ministry.

Who will be a Mission ONE Ambassador?

Global Christian mission, Indigenous ministries, Training, Uncategorized

The short video (here) is about bringing hope to the Jie tribe in Southern Sudan. The mission organization shown is Mission To Unreached People (MUPE), directed by Rev. Hannington Munyao, Eldoret, Kenya. MUPE, a long-time ministry partner of Mission ONE, specializes in sending trained African missionaries to other tribes and peoples who are untouched by the gospel of Jesus Christ. These highly-trained national missionaries bring the Word of God, plus education, improved health, some new technology and other transformational blessings. They truly bring the blessing of Christ in word and deed.

Hannington says in the video, “The people have no church, no school, no medical facility, no shop, nothing.” It is amazing that they were getting water for their tribe from essentially a little pond dug by their own hands with stones.

Hannington also told the story that when the African missionary, Isaiah Majuma Bwala, came with his wife and children to stay with the tribe, the whole tribe burst into dance and song because they now knew the blessing of the gospel would remain with them. Isaiah, the national missionary from MUPE, literally became the hope they never had before.

Amazingly, these national missionaries like Isaiah who serve with MUPE need less than $300 per month to serve in these remote tribes and villages. Mission ONE has had a long-standing partnership with MUPE. We have huge trust in this ministry and its leadership. Hannington is a wise and capable leader who himself has served effectively as a missionary among the Toposa people in Kenya.

Hannington has informed us that more than 60 African couples or single individuals  are waiting to go as MUPE missionaries to serve among unreached tribes like the Jie.

Who will be the Mission ONE Ambassador that serves as an advocate for MUPE? Who will be the Mission ONE Ambassador to help mobilize the people and resources to bring the the transforming gospel of Christ to hundreds of unreached tribes in East Africa who still have not had heard the name of Jesus?