Strike the Match with J. D. Payne

In this episode of Strike the Match, my guest is Matthew Ellison, president of 16:15 and co-author (with Denny Spitters) of When Everything is Missions. When I read this book, my initial reaction was that every (yes, every) North American pastor should read this book in the next year.

What happens when everything the Church does is missions? According to Ellison, confusion exists and the Great Commission suffers. What happens when every Christ-follower is told, “You are a missionary?” Ellison says the Church gets sidetracked from taking the gospel to the nations.

Provocative? You bet! Definitions matter. You do not want to miss our conversation.

Matthew referenced some links and gave his email in this recording. Check them out below. Get the book. Read and apply.

1615.org

WhenEverythingisMissions.com

[email protected]

What time is it? It is time for season 4 of Strike the Match! After 50 episodes, I kick off this season by addressing my recent transition to Samford University. Earlier this summer, I announced this move on the blog. However, I thought it would be good to provide an expanded version in this podcast.

Kingdom citizens need to be students of God’s Word and God’s world. In the Food for Missiological Thought segment, I bring attention to the possibility that the next Silicon Valley is likely to be outside of the Western World and the present research that asks the question: “Do Millennials Prefer to Live in the Urban or Suburban Context?”

Finally, the growth of the Majority World Church is a great delight for Kingdom citizens. This matter is influencing missionary labors throughout the world. How should the Church in the West respond to global disciple making in light of such growth and our troubling history of paternalism? I suggest four matters to consider as the West moves forward in Kingdom labors: 1) Partnership not Paternalism; 2) Engagement not Abandonment; 3) Contribution not Carelessness; and 4) Rethink not Resign.

My guest in this episode is Bryan Galloway, Senior Researcher for the Diaspora Peoples Initiative of the International Mission Board. We discuss his forthcoming book Reaching the Nations: Carefully Examine, Naturally Encounter, and Intentionally Engage Diaspora Peoples.

If you are looking for a guide on how to understand and reach the strangers next door, then this is the place to start. Bryan’s book raises and answers the question: How are we going to respond to the people groups God has moved into our communities? If you are a pastor, be sure to listen for instruction on how to lead your people to the nations. Check out our conversation and get his book.

Japan is a very influential country and home to one of the world’s largest unreached people groups. John Mehn is my guest in this episode of Strike the Match. His new book, Multiplying Churches in Japanese Soil, sheds light on what the Spirit is doing among this great people. Can churches multiply eleven-fold and increase by 30% in 5 years? Can conversions and baptisms  increase by 6 times? In Japan?!! Mehn’s research says yes!

In addition to church growth and challenges to gospel advancement, we discuss Japanese history and cultural shifts that have occurred since 2011. The evangelical percentage among the Japanese is estimated to be less than 0.5%, yet Mehn shares some amazing information on the birth and growth of churches in the country.

Mehn has served in Japan with Converge Worldwide (formerly Baptist General Conference) since 1985. He has extensive experience in church planting, leadership development, and mentoring. Since 1997, Mehn has been the chair of the JEMA Church Planting Institute, an interdenominational network with the Japanese and missionaries.

You may find Mehn on-line at jcpi.net and gospelrest.com. Be sure to check out his book too!

Roland Allen (d. 1947), best known for Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? and The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church, was one of the most influential mission thinkers of the twentieth century. As a High Church Anglican, he had great respect and value for Church tradition but was quick to confront cultural preferences when they appeared to contradict biblical prescriptions. Written around 1938, The Ministry of Expansion: The Priesthood of the Laity has remained unpublished until now.

In this episode, I want to introduce you to my latest book: Roland Allen’s The Ministry of Expansion, share the story behind the book, and Allen’s purpose for writing.

Of course, I hope you get a copy (pb or Kindle) and tell others as well. Don’t just be a listener, be a reader too!

The Moravian Church has been described as “one of the most remarkable missionary churches in Christian history” (Ruth Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya). In a day and time when few people were thinking about missionary activities, the Moravians were going to the most remote places on the globe and working among the most resistant peoples. To be a Moravian meant to be involved in global mission–and that global mission was to be owned and carried out by the Church rather than the government. At one time, for every 60 Moravians, 1 missionary was on the field.

The story of the Moravians and their international activities is a story of perseverance, of simple evangelical faith, and missionary methods that influenced generations of missionaries.

In this episode of Strike the Match, I address questions such as: Who were the early Moravians? What did they believe? Where did they go? and What were their disciple-making methods?

Though few people are aware of the history of these Kingdom citizens, their influence continues to shape the Church today. There is much we can learn from these brothers and sisters as we make disciples of all nations in our generation.

The Church at Brook Hills, by God’s grace, sends about 40 short-term teams to 10 countries every year. In this episode, my guest is Fox, Director of Short-Term Missions with our church.

Some of the questions we address include:

What is The Church at Brook Hills doing when it comes to short-term missions?

How do we attempt go to serve and not go to be served?

What do we look for in global partnerships?

What is our strategic priority?

How do we prepare short-term team leaders?

How can smaller churches get started in sending short-term teams?

What are some of the challenges churches face when trying to engage in short-term missions?

The Church is growing the fastest throughout the Majority World. And with any growth comes the need for leadership development. This need is not a contemporary creation but a biblical expectation.

Pastoral training is one of the most important issues facing the Church. David Sills and I discuss this topic in this episode of Strike the Match.

Sills is an author of several books, professor, and the founder and president of Reaching and Teaching International Ministries. He shares that 85% of pastors have no theological education and no access to it. A tool to meet this global need is his new book Hearts, Heads, and Hands: A Manual for Teaching Others to Teach Others.

We spend some time discussing this recent resource and the training needs in our world. After listening to this episode, you will want to check out HeartsHeadsandHands.com.

David is no stranger to the program. He was also a guest during season 1 (episode 22).

Who pastors missionaries? Who provides care for those sent from local churches? We think about member care when it comes to the members we see every week, but often forget about those making disciples and planting churches across North America and throughout the world.

Pastors, member care does not end at the borders of our cities.

The Apostle Paul thanked churches for caring for his needs. He reminded the Philippians that even when he was in Thessalonica they cared for him on more than one occasion (Phil 4:16). Care was a value for Paul and his team.

In this episode, Bob F. is my guest. Bob is an elder with The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama and serves on the church staff, providing oversight for coaching and caring for our missionaries. We talk about the importance of member care through the local church and mission agency and how churches can get started in this area of ministry.

Season 3 of Strike the Match begins with this post! Be sure to subscribe (iTunes, Android, RSS) so you will not miss an episode!

Ramadan 2017 begins Friday, May 26. I thought it would be appropriate to begin our third season talking with Dr. John Klaassen about Islam and reaching Muslims.

Dr. Klaassen served for 18 years in the Muslim world, is a professor, pastor, and author of Engaging with Muslims: Understanding Their World; Sharing Good News (I highly recommend this book for church members.). His bio may be found HERE, and he may be contacted via email at [email protected].

After listening to my conversation with Dr. Klaassen, check out my conversation with Dr. David Garrison on Muslim movements to Christ from Season 1.