I (Beth) am not a big fan of cooking. Especially when my husband is traveling, I figure out ways to minimize the amount of time I spend creating meals. I like to do one big meal and then just eat leftovers for a few days. Usually my kids are on board, but after the third meal in a row of reheated lasagna, my son said, "Mom, can you please make some new food?" Sigh. Yes, I can make new food.
I realized this was how I'd been feeling about my own intellectual life. Like most of you, I do a fair amount of output - writing, coaching, teaching, setting goals, creating strategic plans, etc. But I had been doing so with a lot of leftovers. I needed some new food.
A few weeks ago I made a conscious decision to devote 10% of my work time to personal development and have read 2 books and started listening to 2 different podcasts on a regular basis. The difference in how I have felt in approaching even mundane ministry/work tasks has been significant. I was in need of some new food for my mind.
We often think this way in terms of our spiritual life and look for new spiritual disciplines or Bible study plans. We are also intentional about studying ministry skills or learning new methods. But we seldom stop to think about growing in our minds. Living in a second language, we are often operating at a level far below our intellectual capacity in our native language. Or as a coworker in Europe shared with me recently, none of the local people she works with actually read.
The wiki has a new page dedicated to recommended podcasts here. And if you're wondering what I did for my own new brain food, here are a few suggestions.
I've been reading:
And I've been listening to:
(Both are available on iTunes)
A mind really is a terrible ting to waste. So when was the last time you thought about your intellectual diet? What area of your mind is in need of new food today? How will you feed it?
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Have you heard of the Bible Project? An excellent resource with short videos on books and themes of the Bible, this could be an excellent resource to help you in small groups, discipleship or your own personal walk. Click on the logo to go to the YouTube video to learn more about the Bible Project and visit their website for additional helps like printable pages that cover an entire book of the Bible on one page! The Bible Project also produces interesting podcasts on Biblical themes and ideas.
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Wikispaces is Closing
Perhaps you have logged on to our SEND U wiki recently and noticed a message telling you that Wikispaces is closing down. We are aware of this and are planning to export all the content of this site to an alternative platform that will be in place before Wikispaces closes. At this point, continue to use this site, including editing pages. We expect the move to the new platform will happen in May. We will let the editors of this wiki know when they should stop editing this site, and when they can start working on the new site. In the meantime, keep logging on and learning!
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Introducing our SEND U Eurasia Regional Representative
My name is Martina Brubacher. I, along with my husband and two boys, have lived in Eurasia for 10 years now. Starting off in Kiev for language school, we are now located in Siberia, Russia. Siberia is not exactly where I thought I would be living, after growing up in Southeast Asia as an MK. Thank God for his clear calling! Our family is involved in a local church plant including strengthening the local church here as well as reaching out to those around us. Besides this, my major focus is homeschooling my boys, but I also am involved with SEND U, serving as an AWR and helping our family thrive overseas.
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Guided Discovery Program
So much effort is put into systematically learning language that we sometimes forget about how to learn culture. SEND Russia has created an excellent system called the Guided Discovery Program and has edited this for general use. There are 19 separate modules as well as a facilitator's guide. This would be an excellent addition to any L&O program or as a start to one! Check out the activities here on our Cultural Adaptation page on the wiki for things you can do on your own or with a group of co-workers. Even the most veteran worker can learn from renewed attention to culture!
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If you haven't signed up for a MissioNexus account, now is a great time to do so. Free to all SEND members, this gives you access to great resources like book reviews, webinars and podcasts on relevant missiological topics as well as EMQ (Evangelical Missions Quarterly). If this is your first time using Missio Nexus, click on the log-In button on the top right of the https://missionexus.org/ page. Enter your email address and request a new password. One will be sent to you in a few moments. If you are having difficulty logging in, please contact Marcie Williamson.
The Evangelical Missions Quarterly is the newest resource of Missio Nexus. With this first issue of 2018, it will begin its 55th year as a professional journal serving the worldwide missions community. This issue is comprised of 10 articles, 3 re-occurring columns, and 8 book reviews. It covers topics ranging from International Day for the Unreached to team conflict. Click here to visit their website where you can download this issue for free.
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SEND U Upcoming Events: Still time to register
Online Courses:
Team Leader as Supervisor (March 5th - April 14th). Come learn how to make the transition from coworker to supervisor.
Animism and Folk Religion (Mar 11 - 24, 2018). A short 2-week online course facilitated by Gary Ridley on the role of animism in the religions of the people with whom we work.
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Keep learning,
Ken
Ken Guenther
SEND U Director based in Kiev, Ukraine
&
Beth
Beth Eckstein
SEND U Assistant Director based in Taichung, Taiwan
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The latest 5 posts to the SEND U blog:
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