Increase My Faith
I walked out of the ICU, then out of the hospital. She couldn’t die, surely. She was young. She had a husband and two kids. Some of her family was attending my church. “Please, Lord, show this Catholic family that you are a God that heals.” I think (possibly) that...
Stop Destructive Giving
Maybe you have noticed that giving to Missions can create problems. The people who have received the most help are [often] the most dissatisfied and resentful. When the native director visits the churches he leads, they pressure him for money from the Americans. A...
Keys to a Successful Short-Term Missions Trip
God has blessed us with many friends who are seasoned missionaries. We have gleaned much from their influence and would like to share what we have learned from them and from our limited personal experience. By remembering these few basic principles, we can maximize...
The Miracle of “Compounding Missions”
I’m fascinated by the “miracle” of compounding interest. Albert Einstein called it one of the greatest mathematical concepts of our time. And for good reason. When each year’s harvest (the gain, or interest earned) becomes the seed (the principle) of next season’s...
Treating the National Church with Dignity and Respect
He was one of the greatest missionaries of all time—planting churches and developing leaders in urban centers throughout Asia Minor. He wrote prolifically in order to contextualize the gospel and Christian holiness among these newly-established congregations. And yet...
Two Keys for Working Cross Culturally
Unfortunately, there are no quick and easy ways to learn another culture and deal with problems. However, there are two states of being that I’ve found to work. First, Be a Baby! Now, that is counter-cultural! We are told to grow up, and don’t be a baby. Nevertheless,...
When Helping Hurts
Giving to others is central to the Christian life and an important part of a healthy church. It is also a beautiful thing to see in action. I have witnessed hundreds of such acts done either by individual Christians or by the collective body of Christ in a local...