The Missions Show

Healthcare missionaries across the globe are acutely feeling the pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic—even in countries where there are few reported cases. And in developing nations where subsistence living is common, “shelter in place” isn’t feasible. What does coronavirus mean for medical missions? Joining Scott and Alex this week to answer is Jodi Boyd, ABWE missionary nurse serving with International Healthcare Ministries (IHM).

Email Jodi to connect or find out how to help her in her efforts in procuring medical supplies. You can also support her ministry.

T4G Live Webcast April 27th: In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s never been harder to figure out how to do overseas missions. So when Jesus told us to make disciples of all “nations,” what did he mean? Who are the nations, and how can struggling, ordinary churches reach them in days like these?

Join our T4G missions expert lunch panel, The Local Church and the Nations, on Monday, April 27. Hear from Paul Davis, Zane Pratt, Darren Carlson, Brooks Buser, John Klaassen, and more debating the important issues raised in Darren’s 2019 article on the meaning of the Great Commission. See you on Facebook Live and YouTube!

Free John Piper Book Download: In the show, we mentioned that Desiring God is giving away John Piper’s latest book, Coronavirus and Christ, absolutely free. Subscribe to ABWE’s blog and podcast and you’ll get a link to download the ebook or audiobook in a variety of formats. Special thanks to Desiring God for their generosity.

Discount From Kregel Academic: If you enjoyed last week’s interview with Matt Bennett on his newest book 40 Questions About Islam, you can purchase it here from Christianbook.com and receive 40% off using the exclusive discount code “ABWE.” Check it out!

Remember to share, rate, leave a review, and subscribe. Together we can bridge the gap between the worlds of theology and missions.

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

The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International.

The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging churches to be more bold, evangelistic, and loving towards our neighbors than we’ve ever needed to be. But this isn’t the first time in church history that Christians have faced the challenge of a plague. In this episode, our friend Glenn Sunshine returns to share a history of pandemics, the Black Death, and how believers over the last 2,000 years have stared illness in the face to faithfully live on mission.

Glenn Sunshine is Professor of History at Central Connecticut State University and a Senior Faculty Member of the Colson Fellows. An award-winning author, Glenn has published books, articles and book chapters on history, theology, and culture, online and on both sides of the Atlantic. His most recent book, The Kingdom Unleashed: How Jesus’ 1st-Century Kingdom Values Are Transforming Thousands of Cultures and Awakening His Church, was co-authored with Jerry Trousdale. Glenn has taught a variety of Bible, history, and worldview seminars and courses to churches around the U.S., Europe and Asia, as well as leading church retreats, seminars, and renewal weekends. He is the founder of Every Square Inch Ministries, and he and his wife Lynn have been married for over 30 years and have two children. They live in Newington, Connecticut. Glenn can also be heard weekly on The Theology Pugcast on the Fight Laugh Feast Network. You can hear our previous episode with Glenn here.

T4G Live Webcast April 27th: In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s never been harder to figure out how to do overseas missions. So when Jesus told us to make disciples of all “nations,” what did he mean? Who are the nations, and how can struggling, ordinary churches reach them in days like these?

Join our T4G missions expert lunch panel, The Local Church and the Nations, on Monday, April 27. Hear from Paul Davis, Zane Pratt, Darren Carlson, Brooks Buser, John Klaassen, and more debating the important issues raised in Darren’s 2019 article on the meaning of the Great Commission. See you on Facebook Live and YouTube!

Free John Piper Book Download: In the show, we mentioned that Desiring God is giving away John Piper’s latest book, Coronavirus and Christ, absolutely free. Subscribe to ABWE’s blog and podcast and you’ll get a link to download the ebook or audiobook in a variety of formats. Special thanks to Desiring God for their generosity.

Discount From Kregel Academic: If you enjoyed last week’s interview with Matt Bennett on his newest book 40 Questions About Islam, you can purchase it here from Christianbook.com and receive 40% off using the exclusive discount code “ABWE.” Check it out!

Remember to share, rate, leave a review, and subscribe. Together we can bridge the gap between the worlds of theology and missions.

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

The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International.

How can Christians with a high view of God’s moral law in the Old Testament address the apologetics challenged posed by the Islamic doctrine of sharia? That’s one of a number of thought-provoking questions tackled by Matt Bennett this week as he connects with Scott and Alex about his newest book, 40 Questions About Islam.

Dr. Matthew Bennett joined the faculty at Cedarville University in fall 2017 after serving and living in North Africa and the Middle East since 2011. He currently teaches The Bible and the Gospel, Theology I, Urban Missiology, Contemporary World Missions, Global Theology, and World Religions. Hear our preview interviews with Matt here.

Announcement: In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s never been harder to figure out how to do overseas missions. So when Jesus told us to make disciples of all “nations,” what did he mean? Who are the nations, and how can struggling, ordinary churches reach them in days like these?

Join our T4G missions expert lunch panel, The Local Church and the Nations, on Monday, April 27. Hear from Paul Davis, Zane Pratt, Darren Carlson, Brooks Buser, John Klaassen, and more debating the important issues raised in Darren’s 2019 article on the meaning of the Great Commission. See you on Facebook Live and YouTube!

Remember to share, rate, leave a review, and subscribe. Together we can bridge the gap between the worlds of theology and missions.

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

The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International.

Global travel restrictions are in place. Hordes of healthy people throughout the U.S. and abroad can’t even get to their local church service in-person—much less to the mission field. Should we temporarily shift our focus away from global missions during the current crisis? Scott Dunford and Alex Kocman explore this complex question in this exclusive conversation.

Announcement: In spite of the coronavirus, our T4G missions expert lunch panel, The Local Church and the Nations, will premiere on April 27. Hear from Paul Davis, Zane Pratt, Darren Carlson, Brooks Buser, John Klaassen, and more debating the important issues raised in Darren’s 2019 article on the meaning of the Great Commission. More details will be available here as they become available!

Remember to share, rate, leave a review, and subscribe. Together we can bridge the gap between the worlds of theology and missions.

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

The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International.

In the missions community, we all believe the gospel must be spread. But there is increasing resistance to the idea of “preaching” or “proclaiming” the gospel with authority and simplicity. Why is that? ABWE President Paul Davis joins Scott and Alex this week to explain what is burdening him and what he’s seeing in the heart of the unreached world in South Asia.

Announcement: Even though T4G has been canceled in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are still planning—Lord willing—to hold our expert panel via live webcast. The topic: who are “the nations,” and what can the local church do to reach them? Hear from Paul Davis, Zane Pratt, Darren Carlson, Brooks Buser, John Klaassen, and more debating the important issues raised in Darren’s 2019 article on the meaning of the Great Commission. More details coming soon!

Remember to share, rate, leave a review, and subscribe. Together we can bridge the gap between the worlds of theology and missions.

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

The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International.

The death of Qasem Soleimani. Coronavirus. The shooting down of Ukrainian flight PS752. Iran has been in the news a lot lately, but it’s critical that Christians look beyond the headlines. How are Iranians and Persians worldwide processing these events—and what are the implications for the spread of the gospel among Shia Muslims? This week, Scott and Alex discuss the spiritual state of Iranians across the globe with an Iranian missionary and church planter.

He and his wife has ministered extensively in the underground church in Iran, and they continued on to serve and resource believers and churches for Farsi-language evangelism and discipleship. He is now planting and leading a Persian church in Canada. Hear our previous interview with him here.

Announcement: If you’re coming to Together for the Gospel, join us for an expert panel and luncheon discussing the topic: who are “the nations,” and what can the local church do to reach them? Hear from Paul Davis, Zane Pratt, Darren Carlson, Brooks Buser, John Klaassen, and more debating the important issues raised in Darren’s 2019 article on the meaning of the Great Commission. Register now for only $10, and enjoy lunch on us in Louisville on April 15!

We’re excited to partner with Live Global to pull off this event. If you haven’t already signed up for T4G, use the promo code T4G20LiveGlobal10OFF to receive $10 off your registration.

Remember to share, rate, leave a review, and subscribe. Together we can bridge the gap between the worlds of theology and missions.

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

The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International.

Throughout southeast Asia, where John m has ministered with ABWE for years, one of the major barriers to the gospel is the misconception that Christianity is a Western or even American religion. Is that true—and if not, how can we counteract that understanding?

In this episode, John explains the miraculous story of The Ancient Path tract and how God is drawing people from the East to Christ. John and his critical work in developing and distributing The Ancient Path are a part of Live Global, a ministry of ABWE focusing on advancing the gospel creatively through national partnerships in the least-reached places across the globe. Learn more about Live Global’s exciting opportunity for you or your church to adopt an unreached people group.

Announcement: If you’re coming to Together for the Gospel, join us for an expert panel and luncheon discussing the topic: who are “the nations,” and what can the local church do to reach them? Hear from Paul Davis, Zane Pratt, Darren Carlson, Brooks Buser, John Klaassen, and more debating the important issues raised in Darren’s 2019 article on the meaning of the Great Commission. Register now for only $10, and enjoy lunch on us in Louisville on April 15!

We’re excited to partner with Live Global to pull off this event. If you haven’t already signed up for T4G, use the promo code T4G20LiveGlobal10OFF to receive $10 off your registration.

Remember to share, rate, leave a review, and subscribe. Together we can bridge the gap between the worlds of theology and missions.

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

The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International.

Note: With the ever-changing nature of the COVID-19 situation, some of the information in this podcast may now be outdated. For the latest on ABWE’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, see here. For the latest medical facts and figures, please refer to the U.S. CDC or WHO.​

With global health and economic implications, how should Christian missionaries throughout Asia and beyond respond to the growing Coronavirus outbreak? In this bonus episode, Scott and Alex interviewed Dr. Miriam Wheeler, who has been walking alongside ABWE’s missionaries throughout this crisis.

After 21 years pioneering the Ukraine village clinic ministry and Choose Life post-abortion ministry and crisis pregnancy center, God called Miriam to become the ABWE Medical Director of International Missionary Healthcare.

Refer to the CDC report here. We recorded this episode on the fly, so please forgive the less-than-perfect audio quality.

Announcement: If you’re coming to Together for the Gospel, join us for an expert panel and luncheon discussing the topic: who are “the nations,” and what can the local church do to reach them? Hear from Paul Davis, Zane Pratt, Darren Carlson, Brooks Buser, John Klaassen, and more debating the important issues raised in Darren’s 2019 article on the meaning of the Great Commission. Register now for only $10, and enjoy lunch on us in Louisville on April 15!

We’re excited to partner with Live Global to pull off this event. If you haven’t already signed up for T4G, use the promo code T4G20LiveGlobal10OFF to receive $10 off your registration.

Remember to share, rate, leave a review, and subscribe. Together we can bridge the gap between the worlds of theology and missions.

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.

Anthony Mathenia ministered faithfully in Ethiopia as a missionary, but the pragmatism and watering-down of the gospel he saw from his fellow cross-cultural workers worried him. He was charting a new course—until God’s sovereignty directed him elsewhere, and the sudden passing of his wife brought him back to the U.S. to raise their children. Now he’s pastoring and preaching the gospel to abortion-seekers on the frontlines in his city. So what does pro-life ministry have in common with evangelism in Ethiopia? As it turns out: everything.

Announcement: If you’re coming to Together for the Gospel, join us for an expert panel and luncheon discussing the topic: who are “the nations,” and what can the local church do to reach them? Hear from Paul Davis, Zane Pratt, Darren Carlson, Brooks Buser, John Klaassen, and more debating the important issues raised in Darren’s 2019 article on the meaning of the Great Commission. Register now for only $10, and enjoy lunch on us in Louisville on April 15!

We’re excited to partner with Live Global to pull off this event. If you haven’t already signed up for T4G, use the promo code T4G20LiveGlobal10OFF to receive $10 off your registration.

Remember to share, rate, leave a review, and subscribe. Together we can bridge the gap between the worlds of theology and missions.

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.

Our soldiers are already deployed to some of the hardest places in the world and learn foreign languages and important cross-cultural skills. What if they carried the gospel to the people around them? This week, ABWE North America missionary Rich Culp explains the pros and cons of the strategy and why oftentimes U.S. military personnel are the real mission field.

Rich leads the Centurion Project, a part of EveryEthnē that exists to network and empower churches to support and strengthen military leaders in their mission and the Great Commission. Rich and his wife Jenny network with about 100 churches around Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Support the Culps’ ministry.

Announcement: If you’re coming to Together for the Gospel, join us for an expert panel and luncheon discussing the topic: who are “the nations,” and what can the local church do to reach them? Hear from Paul Davis, Zane Pratt, Darren Carlson, Brooks Buser, John Klaassen, and more debating the important issues raised in Darren’s 2019 article on the meaning of the Great Commission. Register now for only $10, and enjoy lunch on us in Louisville on April 15!

We’re excited to partner with Live Global to pull off this event. If you haven’t already signed up for T4G, use the promo code T4G20LiveGlobal10OFF to receive $10 off your registration.

Remember to share, rate, leave a review, and subscribe. Together we can bridge the gap between the worlds of theology and missions.

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.