1. Prayer Guide: Hidden Treasures of the Muslim World
2. Book: Rethinking Global Mobilization
3. Challenge: Will You Take the Hospitality Pledge?
4. Documentary: Why Media? Why Video?
5. Roundup: Quick Takes on Tools for You (or Your Friends)
6. Events: Informative Conferences, Classes, and Webinars

Prayer Guide: Hidden Treasures of the Muslim World

Source: Frontiers USA

Deepen your prayer life and discover unique treasures from around the world in a new 30-day prayer guide.

Through short, daily emails, you’ll uncover ancient traditions and cultural objects that are central to Muslims’ everyday lives—from artisanal foods and essential housewares to games and architecture.

Each day’s email equips you with practical ways to pray for Muslim men, women, and children to find and follow Christ.

Sign up by April 1 to start the prayer guide in time for Ramadan.

We are seeing lots of missionaries, teams, and ministries share resources to help us pray for Muslims during Ramadan. Pick one and go for it!

Book: Thinking Globally about Mission Mobilization

Source: Global Mission Mobilization Initiative

Rethinking Global Mobilization: Calling the Church to Her Core Identity, by Ryan Shaw. IGNITE Media, 2022. 309 pages.

It’s far too easy and common to reduce mission mobilization to inviting individuals to respond to the Great Commission—specifically by becoming missionaries. But do we really believe every Christian has a part in to play in God’s global mission and that it’s a calling for the whole Church? If so, how might that enlarge and energize our mobilization efforts?

Ryan Shaw is President of Global Mission Mobilization Initiative (GMMI, formerly SVM2) and has spent recent decades catalyzing mission mobilization efforts in many countries. He invites us to rethink mission mobilization, develop a biblical theology of mission mobilization, recognize historical patterns of mission and mission mobilization, and devote ourselves to a more unified strategy of global mission.

Although plenty of books have been written to mobilize Christians for world mission, little has been written about mission mobilization itself. This sweeping volume—not too thick but quite thorough—may prove to be a seminal one. There’s a good chapter on types of mission mobilizers, another looking at each of the Great Commission passages, and a chapter about why the author sees the fulfillment of the Great Commission as central to the mission of the Church. Shaw addresses objections and obstacles and supports his points with scripture and other citations.

Visit the book website to learn more. You can get the book from Amazon or elsewhere (US$7.99 for the Kindle edition and US$12.99 for the paperback). You might also want to watch a conversation about the book with Bevin Ginder of GlobalCAST Resources. 

See also What We Mean by “Mission Mobilization” on the GMMI website and consider joining the Monthly Day of Prayer for Mission Mobilization, the third Tuesday of each month. The focus for March is praying for the Church in Ukraine.

Rethinking Global Mobilization is included on a recent compilation from The Center for Missionary Mobilization and Retention: See Recommended Books for New Mobilizers.

Challenge: Will You Take the Hospitality Pledge?

Source: Welcome Churches

From childhood we are primed to fear strangers, our divided communities reinforce the cultural barriers, and the global pandemic has forced us to keep our distance. We have spent much of the last two years closing our doors to others. The Hospitality Pledge is an attempt to revive, encourage, and inspire a national surge in welcoming. It is a commitment to making 2022 a year of Christian hospitality.

Why now? Many people in our communities need to be shown hospitality, including those experiencing loneliness or homelessness or seeking asylum. Millions of people are fleeing conflict, persecution, famine, and climate disaster and need a safe place to call home.

The Hospitality Pledge is an invitation to take three simple yet revolutionary actions each week.

• Talk with someone new each week and engage in meaningful conversation
• Share something I can once a week with someone who needs it
• Eat with someone each week I wouldn’t normally spend time with

Learn more, sign the pledge, and subscribe to a series of encouraging emails. Welcome Churches is a UK charity with a vision to see every refugee in the UK welcomed by their local church. Love it! Find resources on the Welcome Churches website. Some but not all are UK-specific.

Documentary: Why Media? Why Video?

Source: TWR MOTION

Adam, a missionary in North Africa, lives in a country where the government was censoring the internet big time until a few years ago. And during that period, he felt God call him to use the internet to share the gospel, which happens to face overt hostility from authorities.

Despite his hesitation, Adam answered the call. He and other missionaries discovered that social media marketing is a gold detector in identifying and connecting with people who are asking faith questions online, like: “Who is Jesus?” or “Is the Bible true?”

Watch the trailer below, then go to the website to watch the 27-minute documentary about how missionaries are leveraging digital media to further kingdom ministry in some of the most difficult places. Admittedly, it is something of a promotional piece for TWR MOTION (a ministry of Trans World Radio). But it’s great at vision casting and explaining how these strategies work.

You might also be interested in a couple of shorter videos we have linked to before: an explainer-type video on leveraging media to start disciple-making movements and a case study about digital media and church planting in Bosnia.

Note that ministries focused on media and missions tend to work together quite a bit. If one does not offer the resource or training you need, they may be able to help you find it elsewhere.

Roundup: Quick Takes on Tools for You (or Your Friends)

Sources: Various

Managing Security

Could you use some help to understand or make decisions related to safety and security, like travel planning, or deciding to leave a country or stay put? Read articles from Concilium and share them with others.

Dealing with Stress

Research suggests people serving in international, cross-cultural ministry carry high loads of stress which can hinder their effectiveness. Sustaining in Stress is a new ebook from Valeo (formerly GRC) with eight tips for those living and serving cross-culturally. Registration required.

Finding Refreshment

It may not be too late to sign up for a five-day web-based event designed to refresh and renew women serving internationally. It goes from March 28 to April 1. Learn about the Thrive Virtual Gathering.

Feeding Yourself

How to cook from scratch is something they don’t teach you in missionary training school. Our friends at Go.Serve.Love compiled a a list of things you should learn how to make. See 21 Recipes for Food You Used to Buy (hover over titles to see the links). What would be on your list?

For Fun and Fellowship

Interested in family fun and learning? Check out the Trivial-Pursuit-style game WisKnol (from “wisdom and knowledge”). Not-so-trivial categories include Old Testament, Scripture Recall, Fascinating Facts, and Missions and Evangelism. A Missions Catalyst reader who helped create it recommends it, and proceeds help support 10/40 Window mission efforts.

Events: Informative Conferences, Classes, and Webinars

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

April 2 to May 1, 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World (global). An annual prayer campaign.

April 4-6, Support Raising Bootcamp (online). Similar events are held throughout the year in various locations by Support Raising Solutions.

April 4 to August 7, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). New online classes begin regularly.

April 5, On Mission 2022 (online). Free virtual conference from Missio Nexus; an annual event. This year’s theme: risk in missions, a global perspective.

April 7, Regional Update: The Muslim World (online). Provided by Beyond.

April 7-9, Christian Community Health Conference (Cincinnati, OH, USA). An annual event provided by the Christian Community Health Foundation.

April 10-14, Five Days of Prayer for Sikhs (international).

April 11-13, Crisis Management Seminar (Akron, OH, USA). Provided by Crisis Consulting International.

April 11 to May 7, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided by Missionary Training International.

April 12-13, Equipping Missions for the Cultural Challenges of Singleness, Marriage & Sexuality (Chicago, IL, USA). Event for mission leaders from Missio Nexus.

April 14, Attributes-Based Training: How to Help New Workers Make It on the Field (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

April 14, The Status of Bible Translation & The Global South (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

April 19, Risk in Missions: Practical Insights for Agencies and Churches (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

April 21, The Cost of Missing Half the Church: Let’s Not Fear a Re-look (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

April 21, Fresh Paradigms: Learning How to Make Disciplemakers (online). Part of a series of online Nugget trainings from Beyond.

April 21-24, Christian Medical and Dental Association National Conference (Indianapolis, IN, USA). An annual event for medical professionals.

April 23, Trip Leaders Security Workshop (Colorado Springs, CO, USA). Provided by Crisis Consulting International.

April 25-29, Perspectives Intensive for Pastors & Leaders (Fresno, CA USA).

April 25 to May 8, ORIENT pre-field training for global workers (Eminence, MO, USA). Provided regularly by TRAIN International.

April 28, MultiplyUs Conference (online). Case studies and encouragement to implement disciple-making movement strategies and practices.

View complete calendar. Submissions welcome!