The Missions Show

According to statistics, more than 4.6 billion people on the planet now have internet access—and many of them live among unreached people groups. How does that reshape the way we approach missions? And how can now-commonplace tools like Zoom help Christians in the West invest in fellow believers in hard-to-reach places? Andrew C., executive director for Live Global, shares his journey from ecommerce to ABWE and how technology can be leveraged for gospel aims.

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email [email protected].

The Missions Show is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention.

Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.

With all the lost and unreached people in the world, slowing down to think about philosophy may seem like a waste of time. This week, Thor Madsen of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary explains how understanding philosophy from a Christian worldview perspective can be game-changing for the missionary serving on the field afar or at home.

Dr. Thor Madsen has been at Midwestern Seminary since 1999 and is currently Dean of Doctoral Studies and Academic Initiatives and Professor of New Testament, Ethics and Philosophy. Since coming to MBTS, Dr. Madsen has served in a variety of roles including vice president of academic development (2003-2009). Dr. Madsen graduated from Wheaton College with the Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in philosophy. Following his studies at Wheaton, he went to Western Kentucky University for his Master of Arts degree, during which time he was also the graduate assistant for Dr. Ronald Nash. Upon graduation from WKU, Dr. Madsen spent a year in the doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With this foundation, he enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and followed this degree with doctoral study at the University of Aberdeen, from which he graduated with a Ph.D. in 1998.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Life's Ultimate Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy
• Worldviews in Conflict: Choosing Christianity in the World of Ideas
• The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog
• For the Church

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email us.

The Missions Show is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention.

Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.

Merry Christmas from The Missions Show! To celebrate the holiday, we’re honing in on the incarnation of Christ and asking: what do Christian leaders mean when they talk about “incarnational” ministry? Can the incarnation actually be imitated, or does referring to our ministry as incarnational cheapen the uniqueness of Christ’s birth? This week, Scott and Alex discuss Christ’s nature and example for missionaries in this special edition of the show.

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email us.

The Missions Show is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention.

Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.

Recent political events and rallies have Christians asking: what is nationalism? Is it the same as patriotism? These questions are vitally important to the missionary. Can a missionary truly love his home country that he’s leaving—and if so, how? What does Scripture say about love of country—or countries, for that matter? And what about globalism? Scott and Alex wrestle with these big questions on this week’s episode.

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email us.

The Missions Show is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, CROSS Conference, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention.

Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.

Only a big view of God can sustain the people of God on a big mission. Yet have missionaries gotten their very doctrine of God himself wrong? This week, Dr. James Dolezal highlights the doctrines of divine simplicity, immutability, and aseity—aspects of theology proper often lost on modern evangelicalism—and why they matter for reaching pagans, Muslims, secularists, and others.

James E. Dolezal is associate professor of theology in the School of Divinity at Cairn University in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. He is the author of God Without Parts (Pickwick, 2011) and All That Is in God (Reformation Heritage, 2017).

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email us.

The Missions Show is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, CROSS Conference, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention.

Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.

We’ve all sat through missionary presentations in church that were… less than dynamic. But we’ve also seen the dangers of sensationalized stories from across the world that proved untrue and led donors astray. How can missionaries become compelling storytellers, sharing what God is doing worldwide without fudging the truth? This week Scott and Alex talk about how to write compelling missionary updates, newsletter, and presentations with integrity.

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email us.

The Missions Show is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, CROSS Conference, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention.

Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.

The story of American missionary Renee Bach made waves last year when she was implicated in the deaths of more than 100 Ugandan children. But does her complex situation serve as a mirror for us—and for modern evangelical missions in general? This week, Scott and Alex address whether or not Western missions is dominated by the “white savior” mindset and how pastors can send and train better to prevent stories like this from happening.

Read Darren Carlson’s article, “The White Savior Complex in Missions?” on The Gospel Coalition.

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email us.

The Missions Show is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, CROSS Conference, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention.

Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.

Is baptism the most neglected part of the Great Commission? In this conversation, Paul Davis of ABWE shares why cross-cultural workers are tempted to neglect this ordinance among the least-reached—and how steeping ourselves in Scripture’s teaching on baptism can solve the problem.

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email us.

The Missions Show is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, CROSS Conference, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention.

Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.

The world has changed dramatically. Have we witnessed the demise of the short-term missions trip? Jason Phillips doesn’t think so. This week, he explains why—and how pastors and missions trip leaders can do a better job of maximizing the long-term impact of short-term trips.

Jason Phillips was recently appointed to ABWE as executive director for a new short-term missions program. He has more than 30 years of experience in senior corporate and ministry roles in a variety of organizations from start-ups to Fortune 100 enterprises. Jason has served in multiple pastoral roles, and he co-founded and directed Hope2Live Ministries, a ministry that worked primarily in Sierra Leone. He earned a BBA in finance from Georgia State University, a Master of Divinity in theology from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry in disciple-making from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jason and his wife, Jeannie, have been partners in ministry throughout their twenty-five years of marriage, and they have two children in college who love the Lord. You can email Jason here.

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email us.

The Missions Show is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, CROSS Conference, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention.

Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.

In 2019, Paul Washer delivered a stirring message at the G3 Conference defining a biblical missionary. His challenge begs the question: must missionaries meet the standard set by 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9? Are all missionaries elder-qualified lead church-planters, or is there room for a diversity of roles on missionary teams? Scott and Alex explore this intricate topic with their Bibles open in this episode.

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email us.

The Missions Show is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, CROSS Conference, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention.

Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.