Don’s Blog
Servant leader: myth or goal
A professor I met said he is sick of hearing about “servant-leaders” because they always mean, “You are the servant, and I am the leader.” He wondered if anyone read what the Bible said about servant-leaders. Specifically he was referring to Jesus’ statement to his...
Strategic thinking on missions
On a recent trip to Colombia in discussions with missionaries I kept asking what was the most significant lesson that they wished new missionaries would have learned before coming to the field. One topic kept surfacing: how to do strategic planning. Every ministry or...
Being a Prayer-Partner with a Missionary
The following is a brief outline of suggested topics and themes that need to be saturated with prayer lest the evil one gain an inroad into the life of a servant: SPIRITUAL LIFE: The key to an effective ministry is the power of the Holy Spirit guiding and filling...
Reflections on Furlough
Typically a missionary will serve a 4-year term overseas, then return for one year to visit his churches to share what God has done through their joint service and create a continued enthusiasm for world missions. Mark and Rachel Steffen, New Tribes missionary...
If Paul were applying as a candidate to a mission board today…
If Paul were applying as a candidate to a mission board today... Mr. Saul Paul Independent Missionary Corinth, Greece Dear Mr. Paul: We recently received an application from you for service under our board. It is our policy to be as frank and open-minded as possible...
Meditations on the commands of Jesus
Why meditate on the commands of Scriptures? Doesn’t this lead to a legalistic mindset? The author has been amazed at the reluctance of many believers to take seriously the need to know and understand the commands in Scriptures that God expects us to practice. The...
Why the focus on tribal people?
Missionary Brad Bruser, missionary-translator-church-planter to the Itari people in New Guinea, told of a lesson his father taught him from his career as a Marine. The rule in the military is “When in doubt as to what to do, always default to the last order given.”...
Warning: you may lose your rewards
People tend to panic when they are about to lose something valuable. Some will go to any extreme not to be a loser. It is one thing to lose in a sport because someone else was better than you, but it is humiliating to lose because you violated one of the rules of...
Is Hell a motive for missions?
Asking around campus for personal opinions about the reality of hell we were shocked at the variety of opinions, few of which were derived from the Bible. “Well, God loves everyone, so how could He send someone He loves to a lake of fire,” or “It seems so unloving for...