The Missions Show

What’s the key to lasting in ministry—in a world that’s increasingly chewing up and spitting out Christian leaders? Josh Zeichik of Focus on the Family explains why God’s self-sufficiency is good news for those in ministry.

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Sending missionaries is only half the battle. If churches don’t continue to care for missionaries, both the missionary and the church will fail in ministry. In this episode, Ryan Martin shares critical insights from his new book Holding the Rope: How the Local Church Can Care for Its Sent Ones.

Ryan serves as director of missions and operations with Lightbearers Ministries. He graduated in 2022 with a Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological seminary, where he also serves as a trustee. He has received an MDiv in Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (2008) and an undergraduate degree from Union University in Jackson, TN (2005). Prior to joining Lightbearers, he served for thirteen years as a missions pastor in the local church. Ryan lives in Fayetteville with his wife, Rebekah, and three children: Hudson, Annie, and Hattie.

You can watch the video version of this episode (and others!) on the ABWE YouTube channel.

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The Missions Show is a ministry resource of ABWE. Learn more at abwe.org.

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Where do missionaries come from? The church. This week, Ryan Martin, author of the new book Holding the Rope: How the Local Church Can Care for Its Sent Ones, returns to explain how church leaders can call people to step out on mission.

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Personal productivity isn’t just important to professional success. It’s also important to the cause of global missions. This week, author Matt Perman lays out a theology of work, productivity, and cross-cultural ministry, drawing upon his book What's Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done.

Matt is director of career development at The King’s College NYC and co-founder of What’s Best Next. Previously he worked for Desiring God and Made to Flourish.

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The Missions Show is a ministry resource of ABWE. Learn more at abwe.org.

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It’s almost the holiday season. Not a great time for productivity, right? But this week, gospel-centered productivity expert Matt Perman explains why we should be realistic about our limits—and let God’s grace spur us on to greater activity.

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There’s no shortage of myths about missions. In this interview, Steve Richardson, president of Pioneers and author of Is the Commission Still Great? 8 Myths about Missions and What They Mean for the Church, dispels common misconceptions about the Great Commission and why it still matters.

Steve Richardson has served as president of Pioneers-USA since 1999. Pioneers mobilizes and supports 3,200 missionaries and marketplace professionals who impact 500 unreached people groups in 95 countries. Steve was raised in Indonesia, where his parents planted churches in a jungle tribe. He witnessed the impact of the gospel on their war-like society, a story documented in his father's missionary classic, Peace Child. Steve and his wife, Arlene, also spent eleven years planting churches among an unreached people group in Southeast Asia. The Richardsons now live in Orlando, FL and have been blessed with four daughters and ten grandchildren.

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The Missions Show is a ministry resource of ABWE. Learn more at abwe.org.

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Steve Richardson, president of Pioneers and author of Is the Commission Still Great? 8 Myths about Missions and What They Mean for the Church, explains what he sees as the singularly most important global event right now.

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We’re called to make disciples of all nations. But how? Is discipleship a separate program added to the life of the church, or is it the sum total of the entire ministry of the church? And how do we know if we’re succeeding? Alex and Scott wrestle through these critical questions.

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The Missions Show is a ministry resource of ABWE. Learn more at abwe.org.

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What is discipleship? Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford explore this often-misunderstood concept and its implications for global missions and local church life.

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Scripture commands us not only to preach the gospel but to care for the poor and suffering. But affluent North Americans can sometimes do more harm than good. How can we help without hurting? Author and professor Brian Fikkert joins to discuss his landmark missions book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor… and Yourself—and what the consequences of that book have been since its first publication 13 years ago.

Dr. Brian Fikkert is a professor of economics and the founder and president of the Chalmers Center at Covenant College. Dr. Fikkert earned a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University, specializing in international economics and economic development. He is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals and co-author of five books. Prior to coming to Covenant College, he was a professor at the University of Maryland College Park and a research fellow at the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector.

Believe in our mission? Support this podcast.

The Missions Show is a ministry resource of ABWE. Learn more at abwe.org.

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