Engaging Missions

Engaging Missions

By Bryan EntzmingerReligion & SpiritualityChristianityEducationSelf-Improvement
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Engaging Missions episodes

  • EM031: City Church Network with James Harvey and David Kaufmann

    I'm excited to share James Harvey and David Kaufmann with you today. Together, they lead City Church Network.
    City Church Network focuses on starting small churches within unreached and unengaged people groups. Then, they invest in helping those churches multiply by planting more churches.

    Life in Ministry
    Both David and James start their week with a Sabbath to rest and to focus on prayer, worship, and family. While they are committed to being out in the community, they are also committed to their wives and children.
    David orders his days by spending the mornings with his wife and children. Then, in the afternoons and evenings he's in the community, working with 2-3 leaders per day. When they meet, they answer 4 simple questions.
    James mentioned that he uses a calendar tool that helps him break his days and weeks into 2-3 hour blocks. He then fills those blocks with the specific things he wants to do. Further, he tends to focus entire days on specific areas of ministry.

    * Mondays are his Sabbath
    * Tuesdays are focused on Apostolic things
    * Wednesdays through Fridays are flexible with meetings, prayer walking, and office time
    * Saturdays find him out in the field with house church leaders
    * Sundays are when he opens his home for a church meeting and then in the afternoon he'll be out in the community meeting people and preparing for the next week

    Key Scripture
    But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
    Jeremiah 29:7
    [Tweet “Seek the welfare of the city… – Jeremiah 29:7”]
    [Tweet “Leadership is influence – John Maxwell”]

    The difference between a leadership and a follower is more than knowledge or perspective. It's that a leader intentionally tries to influence others towards a specific vision or set of tasks.
    Challenge
    David shared the story of how he moved to Nashville to take a specific position at a church. But by the time he'd arrived, that church had merged with another church and the position had been taken by another pastor. He discovered that he'd been brought in as the “backup player.”
    By walking through that time taught him one really big lesson.
    [Tweet “God is sovereign. God is in control. God WILL make a way.”]
    [Tweet “God, I’m going to honor the process.”]

    Revelation
    James shared how he “staff hopped” for quite some time while he was looking for a ministry he could really invest his heart into. Then, at the right time, he re-connected with David.
    Over lunch at the China Pan Buffet, James heard about a whole new ministry. The idea of reaching Nashville through a church planting movement excited him.
    [Tweet “We have to do this so we can model it for others.”]
    Significance in the Marketplace
    [Tweet “All of life is for God's glory.”]
    [Tweet “Work as unto the Lord.”]
    [Tweet “The calling of your life is to make God known in the marketplace.”]
    Go to work every day for the glory of Jesus and look for ways in which God is working all around them. Realize that you have influence and opportunities that staff pastors will never have. Be aware of where God is moving around you.
    45 min
  • EM030: Simplifying Discipleship and Church Planting with George Patterson

    Dr. Patterson is the originator of the Church Planting Multiplication movement. He's an innovator in discipleship and church planting. Many have been effective using the methods he teaches.
    You might recognize that both Sean Steckbeck and Jay Judson referenced some of the principles that he teaches. In fact, it was Jay who connected me to Dr. Patterson.
    I’m excited about this interview because I suspect God is up to something.
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    Engaging Missions Online Radio Show
    A podcast for people who care about missions.
    TO SUBSCRIBE: Search for “Engaging Missions” in iTunes or use one of the links below.
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    George started out as a traditional missionary. After Bible school, he went to Honduras to teach in a Bible institute. It was during that time that an experience with one of the pastors showed him teaching correct doctrine wasn't enough.
    That experience led him to look more closely at how Jesus and the apostles trained disciples.
    Key Scriptures
    And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
    2 Timothy 2:2
    And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
    Matthew 28:18-20
    The 7 Commands of Christ

    * Repenting (involves faith, the Holy Spirit, being born again)
    * Being Baptized
    * Observing Lord’s Supper
    * Love
    * Giving
    * Prayer
    * Making Disciples (in general)

    Two Life-Changing Experiences
    George shared two more of the experiences God used to shape his life. One involved teaching at a Bible institute, where he realized his lesson was not relevant to his students. The other involved a discussion about baptism and drunkenness.
    Challenge
    One of the biggest challenges George faced was people proselytizing from other churches. They didn't evangelize themselves. Instead, they would follow and look for things that were wrong. When they found something they would begin criticizing and creating division.
    How George and the other leaders responded was very interesting. And very effective.
    Current Ministry
    George's current work excites him. He's helping established churches create what he calls a Second Track. These Second Tracks provide a place for people who are frustrated and passive to step into ministry. Yet it gives grace and flexibility for the established church to function the way it does.
    They way they do it doesn't threaten the church and doe...
    45 min
  • EM029: World Music Mission with Kurt Coble

    It's exciting that missions can take so many different forms. There are opportunities to teach, to preach, to build, to love, and to encourage. Really, if God calls, there's something for everybody.

    Kurt Coble is uniquely talented and called to pour into worship leaders and he's grown it far beyond his own ability. Through World Music Mission, Kurt matches the needs of worship leaders around the world with the skills and talents of other musicians, technicians, and worship leaders.
    He travels widely within North America, sharing the stories of what God is doing. While he's traveling, he also gets to see the excitement of revelation as musicians catch the vision for what God is doing around the world.
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    Engaging Missions Online Radio Show
    A podcast for people who care about missions.
    TO SUBSCRIBE: Search for “Engaging Missions” in iTunes or use one of the links below.
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    Life in Ministry
    Kurt's Christian heritage spans a wide variety of cultures and styles. He sees the value of other cultures and the beauty of their music. He's traveled to Spain and Mexico City but his experience is much wider than that.
    Kurt enjoys living in Nashville, Tennessee. Because there are so many musicians, producers, and engineers, there are many opportunities. He spends much of his time traveling. While he's on the road, he's able to share what he knows and inspire others to do the same.
    Key Scripture
    After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
    Revelation 7:9
    Challenge
    Of course, every day can be challenging but one of the most focused challenges has been funding the ministry. Kurt had hoped to run various businesses rather than raising funds through donations. Along the way, there were several difficult experiences.
    Revelation
    While Kurt was taking a class at Williamson Christian College, God began stirring some things in his heart. The idea of being accountable for all the things that God brought into his life challenged him. About the same time, Brent Cundall was experiencing some similar stirrings. That's what led them to co-found World Music Mission.
    Current Ministry
    Kurt's excited that it seems like he's on the tip of something big and he's expecting to see God move powerfully. He's meeting lots of people and is able to see them catch the fire and hear the ideas of what they can do to grow worship around the world.
    Significance in the Marketplace
    Kurt has several suggestions for how we can effectively live our faith in the workplace.
    Level Up
    41 min
  • EM028: Worship Ministry in Latvia with Geoff and Breanna Butterworth

    This week is a real treat; We have Geoff and Breanna Butterworth with us. You might not know them but I've been friends with them for some time and I'm so happy to hear about what God has been doing in their lives.

    Photo credit: Benjamin McCain
    Geoff and Breanna live in Nashville, Tennessee and both work in the marketplace. Breanna is a visual artist and Geoff is a songwriter, worship leader, and recording engineer. But that's not all. God's called them to go to places that can't afford them, leading worship and encouraging the worship leaders they find when they arrive.
    That's exactly how it was on their recent trip to Latvia with Paradigm Worship International. As you listen, I believe you'll be encouraged and challenged at the same time.
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    Engaging Missions Online Radio Show
    A podcast for people who care about missions.
    TO SUBSCRIBE: Search for “Engaging Missions” in iTunes or use one of the links below.
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    Key Scripture
    Geoff spends time in private worship. One day this scripture really stood out. As he prayed, he began crying out for this generation.
    It's become his personal mission statement and the focus for the entire band. They are always asking themselves if what they're doing will call a generation to seek God's face.

    Challenge
    During their preparation for the trip to Latvia, Breanna lost her father unexpectedly. It was a really difficult time for her and she kept asking herself a question.
    As she prayed about this, God began to show her what He does to repair the broken pieces. That pointed her to a Japanese art form called Kintsugi. In this art form, the artist does something specific to repair broken pottery. The point of the way it's repaired is to bring emphasis to the parts that are mended. In the end, the piece is believed to be more beautiful because of how the broken pieces are put back together.
    Note: This reminded me of Isaiah 61:3.
    Revelation
    For Geoff and Breanna, God's revelation has been a process rather than a moment. Over the years He's showed them that they need to keep things as simple as possible.
    As artists and ministers, there can be so many things to keep track of. It's easy to be distracted and to make things more complex – to focus on the minutia rather than the big picture.
    God has been showing them that if they are obedient and diligent, He'll take care of the details.
    Current Ministry
    God has called Geoff and Breanna to minister in the “uncommon” places – often, places that can't afford them. They're finding that when they follow, the harvest is ripe.
    In their recent trip to Latvia, what God did encouraged them. They are excited about the connections they now have with God's work in East...
    42 min

About Engaging Missions

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Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a missionary?