1. Introducing People to Jesus Using Your Mobile Phone
2. More Than 30 Short Videos to Inspire Mission Efforts
3. Podcast Series: The Hardest Places on the Planet
4. “Welcome Corps” Refugee Sponsorship Program
5. Events: February Conferences, Training, and More

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Introducing People to Jesus Using Your Mobile Phone

Source: Mobile Ministry Forum

The mobile phone is the most rapidly adopted technology in human history. Do you know how to use it to connect and communicate with those who have yet to discover abundant life in Jesus? This free, one-hour course will show you how to use your phone to improve and expand your gospel witness in face-to-face interactions, overcoming language barriers and more. The material looks very engaging and inspiring. You can go through it at your own pace, or better yet, complete it with a friend or group.

Learn more or sign up. You may also want to poke around the Mobile Ministry Forum website.

Looking for tools to help you in virtual outreach efforts, too? Check out online training courses from Missions Media U.

• February 23 to March 31 Foundations of Media to Movements. Learn to develop a social media outreach strategy.
• April 6 to May 4, Strategic Storytelling for Movements. Accelerate your media strategy through the power of story.

More Than 30 Short Videos to Inspire Mission Efforts

Sources: Various, via Project Ablaze

Looking for a video to show your church, small group, class or conference? You may find one in this collection of 36 videos curated by Project Ablaze. Note they come from a variety of sources; content and quality varies.

Browse the video collection.

If you are looking for someone to make a mission video for your team or organization, check out Ablaze Media Productions.

Podcast Series: The Hardest Places on the Planet

Source: Mission Matters Podcast

The Mission Matters Podcast is a partnership between Sixteen:Fifteen and Missio Nexus. Each month hosts Matthew Ellison and Ted Esler invite guests to discuss the mission of God as well as the matters of the mission. While Ted is on sabbatical, Bob Blincoe of Frontiers will be joining Matthew for a three-part series on “The Hardest Places on the Planet.”

The first episode is great! Bob Blincoe tells the story of his own experiences on one of the first missionary teams in Iraq and shares helpful insights on how to build grit and resistance for workers called to the hardest places on the planet. Episode 2 (February 15) will feature Mary Ho of All Nations talking about lessons from the life and death of John Chau. Episode three (March 15) will include guests from TRIAD discussing preparing to send to the hardest places.

Find The Mission Matters Podcast wherever you get your podcasts or watch it here.

You might also want to listen to Dick Brogden on Building Resilience for the Missionary Task (Global Missions Podcast).

“Welcome Corps” Refugee Sponsorship Program

Source: U.S. State Department

“Best government decision ever!” Shane Bennett wrote in a recent edition of Muslim Connect. He’s talking about a new program called Welcome Corps. It looks like a great opportunity for people like many of us.

Through this program, Americans can band together to sponsor refugees, taking on tasks like finding a refugee family housing and furniture, meeting them at the airport, getting their kids into school, and helping them find jobs and learn the ropes. The pilot effort is looking for 10,000 Americans who can help 5,000 refugees. Canada and Australia also have private sponsorship programs, according to the UNHCR. This sounds much like the Sponsor Circles program we wrote about a year ago. Not sure what the difference is. Do you know?

Think this this something your church or small group could do? Learn more or get started.

And don’t go it alone. Check out Christian networks like the Refugee Highway Partnership.

Events: February Conferences, Training, and More

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

February 3-4, Santa Barbara Mission Conference (Santa Barbara, CA, USA). An annual community event.

February 3-5, Missionfest Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB, Canada). Community-based mission festival.

February 6 to June 11, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). New online classes begin regularly. Most in-person classes have already begun for the semester, but consider visiting a class in your area if there is one.

February 6-7, Support Raising Bootcamp (Cedar Park, TX, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions. Note that another February bootcamp will happen in Bali, Indonesia, February 20-21.

February 7, 8 Myths about Missions and What They Mean for the Church (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

February 9, The End of Globalization (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

February 12, Call to Prayer Virtual Prayer Gathering (online). Join others to engage the Muslim world through prayer on the second Sunday of each month.

February 14, Contend: Monthly Day of Prayer For Mission Mobilization (global). Coordinated by GMMI and held on the third Tuesday of each month. 

February 16, Diversity and Mission Mobilization (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

February 16-19, Haven Retreat (Palawan, Philippines). For kingdom-minded women serving overseas from various nations. Provided by Azmera.

February 17-18, Midwest Conference on Missionary Care (Roseville, MN, USA). An annual event.

February 17-18, The Journey Deepens retreat (Tempe, AZ, USA). Go deeper with Jesus and journey into missions; provided by MissionNext.

February 20-23, Thrive Retreat (Rome, Italy). For cross-cultural workers from the US and Canada who serve overseas. 

February 21 to April 26, Encountering the World of Islam (Littleton, CO, USA). Focused on embracing Muslims with the love of Christ. A second in-person class will start on March 7 in St. Louis, MO and go through May 22.

February 22-23, George Liele Missions Summit (St. Louis, MO, USA). Celebrating and reimagining a diverse global missions movement (focus on challenges related to sending African-Americans).

February 22-25, Tell: Orality Training (Joplin, MO, USA). Learn gospel storytelling with TRAIN International.

February 23 to March 31, Foundations of Media to Movements (online). Develop a social media outreach strategy; from Media Missions U.

February 24-25, Short-Term Mission Connexion (Seattle, WA, USA). A MissionWorks and MissionConnexion event focused on short-term missions.

February 24-27 Haven Retreat (Da Nang, Vietnam). For kingdom-minded women serving overseas from various nations. Provided by Azmera.

February 25, Mission Mentoring Morning (online). Connect and share strategies to advance your church’s missions commitment. Sponsored by Into All the World (a Canadian mission).

View the complete calendar, updated regularly. We welcome your submissions.