Facilitating the Mission

Conflict Resolution

Conflict is a reality. So what do you do about it? Ignore it? Engage it aggressively? God has given us the tools to manage it.

Conflict is one way God brings issues to our attention. Jeff Jackson walks us through biblical scenarios where conflict brings order. It just has to be worked through in a godly way. The thing is, we often focus on diversity and cause contention and division. But God created diversity and desires to use it to bring unity.

Here are a few resources mentioned in this podcast:

• The Mission Table
• From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya
• This John Ortberg tweet
• When Everything is Missions

Finally, this useful and memorable quote from Jeff Jackson: "Humility is the by-product of accurate perception."

Cracking the Code for Pastoral Involvement in Missions

Something that helps Shepherd's Staff serve churches and their missionaries better is sharing knowledge with, and learning from like-minded organizations.

In this episode of Facilitating the Mission, we'll introduce you to The Mission Table. Hosted by Matthew Ellison of Sixteen:Fifteen, you'll hear from leaders from organizations who are passionate about fulfilling the Great Commission.

Shepherd's Staff's own Jeff Jackson participates in this round table discussion with JD Payne of Brookhills Church in Alabama, David Wilson of Avante Ministries, and Mission Table host, Matthew Elison.

They kick of the discussion by exploring the question: "What is behind the lack of involvement with International Missions?"

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Learn about When Everything Is Missions by Denny Spitters and Matthew Ellison.

Missionary Security

In our last podcast, Jeff discussed a recent trip to Asia he took accompanied by Shepherd’s Staff Security Officer Tim Dabney.

At Shepherd’s Staff, we don’t consider a missionary fully trained until educated about the need to have a contingency plan.

In this episode, we unarchived an interview of Tim Dabney conducted by our friend, Pastor Ed Compean. Ed is a former missionary who had worked in one of the world’s most infamous slums. Nairobi’s Kibera slum is the largest urban slum in Africa. Ed and his family ministered there for a decade. The Compean’s were no strangers to contingency planning and rapid emergency preparedness.

In this show, Tim and Ed cover:
»Evacuations
»Go Packs,
»Trusted National Contacts
»Shelter in Place
»Rally Points

This is stuff that rarely comes up in normal conversation, but totally necessary for the missionary to have fully up and running.

 

Photo by Sebastián León Prado on Unsplash

Communication is Cool Water

In this edition, we touch on security as Jeff recaps  a recent trip he took to Asia to work with missionaries. Shepherd’s Staff security officer Tim Dabney accompanied Jeff to handle security issues as necessary. Here are links to some great security resources missionaries need to be thinking through:

»Cyber Security

»Contingency Planning

»Pre-field Steps for Modern Missionaries

»Ministry Threats

The main topic of today’s show was communication. Proverbs 25:25 says, “As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country.” That works both ways; the folks at home are blessed to hear from missionaries on the field in “a far country.” And the opposite is also true. Missionaries are doubly blessed to hear from their friends back home. When on the mission field, home is a far away country.

We want to point podcast listeners to these communication topics below. These are just a few that can be found on our Resources pages under MISSIONARY SUPPORT RESOURCES.

»Support Through Tethers of Connection

»Communication List

»Written Communication Points

PTSD 2017

In this episode of Facilitating the Mission, we brought back one of the most popular discussions of our 2016 shows. PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder effects more people than we realize and missionaries are definitely not exempt. In fact, they're much more exposed to it than they'll ever let on.

In this fascinating discussion, Jeff works through symptoms, scenarios, and solutions.

These useful resourses are mentioned in this podcast:

Jeff mentioned some excellent resources. Here are links to access them for yourself:

Books:

• Trauma & Resilience: A Handbook edited by Charles Schaefer and Frauke Schaefer
• The End of Memory: Remembering Rightly in a Violent World by Miroslav Volf

Websites:

• Alongside
• Heartstream Resources
• Link Care

Collectivistic Cultures Part Two

This is part two of Collectivistic Cultures. Jeff Jackson taught this two part series at Calvary Murrieta last summer.

Believe it or not, Americans need a framework for understanding how people in other countries treat each other, interact, and communicate in honor-based cultures.

Here's why: God is moving the nations into our American neighborhoods. This is an awesome opportunity for reaching them with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

To see video versions of this series, please visit ssmfi.org/nonwesterncultures.

To listen to part one of this series, click here.

Collectivistic Cultures Part One

Jeff Jackson is out of the country so we’ll be hearing a two part message he gave at Calvary Murrieta called Collectivistic Cultures.

In the part one of this talk Jeff gave over two Sundays this past summer, he explains the difference between culture in America and every other culture in the world. This is a fascinating and eye-opening lesson.

To see video versions of this series, please visit ssmfi.org/nonwesterncultures.

Unreached Unengaged People Groups

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What is the "1040 Window"? That's where today's discussion about Unreached, Unengaged People Groups begins. We also find out that there are some great organizations working hard to identify who these people groups, where in the world they live, and what the best tools are to equip the local church to start engaging the unreached.

Here are the resources mentioned in this episode of Facilitating the Mission:

» SIL.org

» Joshua Project

» PeopleGroups.org

» Radius International

If you click here, you'll go to a webpage on Joshua Project's website with fantatstic videos on the topic from John Piper, David Platt, and others.

 

Below are some excellent videos from Global Frontiers Missions. Thier website is also an excellent resource for missionaries and churches.

 

 

What is a UPG? from Global Frontier Missions on Vimeo.

 

 

State of the World / The Task Remaining from Global Frontier Missions on Vimeo.

What about Jonah?

Jonah knew going in that God was a God of grace. 2 Kings 14:25 corroborates that Jonah knew this. God is gracious when people absolutely don’t deserve it. Jonah didn’t want to see God be good to the enemies of Israel. Jonah wanted God to treat the enemies of Jonah as enemies.

But God is above acting the way that men do. Jonah thought he could thwart God’s plans by being disobedient. That is the worst place to be. Jonah finds out.

In this podcast, we discuss Jonah as a metaphor for both Old Testament Israel and the modern Church.

Here are links to what was discussed in this podcast.

» Strategy or Theology

» Unbroken movie and book

» Mission in the Old Testament by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.

» In Step with the God of the Nations by Philip N. Steyne

» From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya by Ruth A. Tucker

» Where are you from? video on YouTube

 

Finally, Jeff referenced 1 Peter 2:9 as an exhortation:

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

Honor and Shame Part Three: An Overview

These are resources mentioned in this edition of Facilitating the Mission. Much of what was covered today was originally presented at the Honor and Shame Conference held in Wheaton Illinois this summer. The theme of the conference was Reframing the Gospel for the 21st Century; Understanding Honor and Shame. Sign up for the newsletter at HonorShame.com to keep up with blog posts and information about future conferences.

Here is a list of titles Jeff recommended for a deeper dive into the topic of ministry in honor and shame based cultures:

• The Global Gospel by Werner Mischke
• Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures by Jayson Georges
• The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and Fear Cultures also by Jayson Georges
• Honor, Patronage, Kinship and Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture by David A. deSilva

Here are links to previous podcasts in this series:

• Honor and Shame Part One
• Honor and Shame Part Two