Transformed & Transformational

Chris Ruge, Director of Prayercast and Missions Network News, shares about mobilizing the Church to pray for the world.

• OneWay Ministries
• Prayercast.com
• “[Prayercast] exists to activate world-changing prayer for the sake of the lost. We believe passionately and biblically that the only way the multitudes around the world are going to be reached is if God moves. There’s nothing more powerful that we do to plead with the God of all power to move in people’s hearts around the world.”
• “This is our gift to the Body of Christ around the world.”
• “God has brought such a diverse group of people together, united in Christ with this passion for their own countries.”
• Prayers for the Nations and World Religions
• Chicago77 - Praying for the City
• Love Muslims
• “That is the heart of what we’re doing - people who may never go to west Africa and who may have never even heard of Burkina Faso - here they are, pleading that God would break through and save people whom He loves in Burkina Faso.”
• “We’re going to continue to innovate and try to get these resources, not simply to resourced people around the world, but to truly lead multitudes and unite multitudes in the Body of Christ around the world in a massive scale pleading that God would break through and move in His power.”
• “Love is why we pray for people we’ve never met.  It’s not our love, it’s God’s love for them.”
• “When God’s people pray, He moves. When God’s people pray, they change.”
• “I never knew what was going to happen plus two [days], but He laid out one day at a time, and I watched God do literally miraculous things on that trip.”

Sign up to join TeachBeyond for 40 Days of Prayer beginning on January 10!

What’s changing our lives:

• Keane: Sporcle quizzes
• Heather: Electric fireplace
• Chris: Recent meaningful conversations

Weekly spotlight: HopeSeed School

We’d love to hear from you! [email protected]. Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

As the year comes to a close, Brian, Heather, and Keane reflect on spiritual practices that have been helpful this year and what to take into the new year ahead.

• “One of the most amazing tools to transform our lives - it’s the Bible.” - Brian
• YouVersion Bible App
• The Bible Recap
• “The key that I want to take into 2022 is having a plan for reading Scripture.” - Heather
• The Bible in One Year by Nicky Gumbel
• Episode 40: The Bible Recap (with Tara-Leigh Cobble)
• “Seeing this grand narrative really has changed how I read and approach Scripture.” - Brian
• “The point is not: read the Bible, get the badge. The point is: read the Bible, listen to what God wants to say and is saying through His living Word.” - Brian
• The Common Rule by Justin Earley
• How to Fight Racism by Jemar Tisby
• The Steward Leader by R. Scott Rodin
• Try Softer by Aundi Kolber
• Episode 46: Processing Trauma (with Annie Stepanenko)
• Lead by Paul David Tripp
• “The more we normalize prayer being part of our walk with the Lord, the more it becomes part of our relationship with Him and can help to encourage others to step into that [...] That’s what we’re called to do, and that’s an invitation from the living God who is talking and we’re joining with Him in that.” - Heather
• “If we’re really experiencing this beautiful transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, who knows about that?” - Brian
• “God has created you as you are, and your spirituality doesn’t have to be somebody else’s spirituality.” - Brian
• “Listen to God and take that next step, whatever the next step is.” - Brian

December Reflection: What do you want 2022 to be like in your spiritual life, and what will you do about it?

What’s changing our lives:

• Keane: The Common Rule by Justin Earley
• Heather: Christmas cards on Minted.com
• Brian: Christmas with grandchildren

Sign up to join TeachBeyond for 40 Days of Prayer beginning on January 10!

We’d love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast  Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

TeachBeyond members share about how they celebrate Christmas while living cross-culturally.  Merry Christmas from all of us at TeachBeyond!

• Bronwen Coe, living in Germany
• Jessica Weaver, living in the Czech Republic
• Kevin Van Rensburg, living in Mexico
• Tammy & Phil Peters, living in South Africa
• Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
• Titus 2:11-14

We’d love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast  Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

To continue our Advent series, we welcome author Tsh Oxenreider to the podcast to share about experiencing the season with simplicity and through our senses.

• Shadow and Light: A Journey Into Advent by Tsh Oxenreider
• At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider
• “The liturgical calendar is one of the oldest and most global rhythms that is given to us as a gift to live and lean into the seasons.  It helps align my concept of time with something beyond myself.”
• “There is something about the practices of Advent that are a literal darkness into light.”
• “Light has come, yet it’s not fully light yet, and so we wait in the middle. That’s what Advent draws us to.”
• Jose y Maria Modern-Day Nativity
• “We’re all longing for something. We’re all waiting for something, and it’s worth waiting for. It’s okay to delay.”
• “Liturgy reminds us that we’re physical and not just mental. It’s very easy to keep our spiritual lives in our heads. Liturgy invites us to remember that we are mortal and that we are here on earth among other people. To me, the senses are almost an ideal way to remember the fullness of the faith.”
• “Invoking the senses is a permission slip to give people to actually just realize how simple Advent really is. It does not have to be one more thing to do.”
• “By keeping Advent slower and simpler, it means 12 Days of Christmas is so much more enjoyable.”
• “The great cloud of witnesses that we get to live among here on earth reminds us that we are not alone, and therefore that means that we don’t need to always be conjuring up and seeking out our own significance. We’re not meant to make a name for ourselves; life is not about us.”
• Psalm 40:1-3

Advent Theme: Love Revised Common Lectionary: Micah 5:2-5

What’s changing our lives:

• Keane: Anticipating a move in the new year
• Heather: The Porter’s Gate “Advent Songs” Album
• Tsh: Daily walks

We’d love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast  Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Author Barbara Reaoch shares about the importance of discipling children and focusing on God at Christmastime.

• A Jesus Christmas and A Better Than Anything Christmas by Barbara Reaoch
• “The study of God’s Word is a vehicle that He uses to open the eyes of our hearts to love Him and know Him.”
• Bible Study Fellowship
• “God prepares us for what He is calling us to.”
• “It is some of the most valuable, eternal work that anyone could ever be asked to do - to see God’s love pour out to the next generation that’s looking for what will transform their lives.”
• Deuteronomy 6
• Psalm78
• “God gives us the desire for what He will call us to do, and through that calling, He will help us to know and love Him more.”
• “Christmas is such a great time to start discipling a child.”
• Spanish translation of A Jesus Christmas
• “The Bible tells us that Christmas is about the gifts that Jesus came to give to us.  All of Jesus’s gifts are better than the best gifts that we could ever ask for.”
• “I come back so often, through the disappointments and challenges and uncertainties of life, to the assurance that God is lovingly sovereign.”
• “Part of His plan is what He is doing in you and through you, and you can trust Him to use what you are doing for His glory.”
• To enter the contest: Email [email protected] with the name of the kids you’ll share Barbara Reaoch’s books with!

Advent Theme: Joy Revised Common Lectionary: Zephaniah 3:14-20, Isaiah 12:2-6

What’s changing our lives:

• Keane: Leftovers
• Heather: Hey Siri
• Barbara: Wintertime in Minnesota and God’s faithfulness in the change of the seasons

We’d love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast  Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Elizabeth Forshee introduces us to the contemplative practice of Lectio Divina and how we can use this way of meditating and reflecting on Scripture during the season of Advent.

• Resources for Advent from Global Trellis
• “When we think about the historical prominence of Advent as the start of our year, we have to look back at the longings of Israel, who were in desperation for a Savior, to be rescued.  Their hope was tied into this longing for a Savior.”
• “We are also in the middle of what was and what is yet to come in that Advent is also about looking to the second coming of Christ.  I think if we are honest with ourselves and we look at the world, we still have that longing for hope that Christ will come and restore what is broken, and a desire for peace where we feel so unsettled [...] We want to know what eternal joy feels like [...] and of course, we always want more of God’s love.”
• “What can I let go of that would allow me to make more space and time for prayer and contemplation? How can I add something that allows my gaze to turn toward Christ - who is the One I long for - and spend time with Him?”
• Jesse Tree
• “‘Lectio Divina’ itself means sacred reading, and it’s a form of Scriptural reflection [...] This is a practice that helps us lean into finding God in the midst of the Holy Scriptures.”
• Reading (lectio), meditation (meditatio), prayer (oratio), contemplation (contemplatio)
• “You learn not only about who God is, but you learn who you are, and you find that you are truly known and He is truly present.”
• “It’s not so much about what I am getting out of it, but more of where God is present.”
• “When we can sit in Scripture and really be present with the Lord, we begin to notice our deep emotions, our longings.  If Advent is about noticing our longings and how to pray, then what better way to really understand our true longing, which is Jesus?”
• “Advent is about preparing ourselves, and when we sit in Lectio, something happens in us that prepares us to be open.”
• “That’s what Christmas and Advent is about - Christ meeting us right where we are, in our longings, in our needs.”

What’s changing our lives:

• Keane: Intentionally talking with his kids about Christmas
• Heather: Staying in touch with a friend who moved away
• Elizabeth: Contemplative practices while studying spiritual direction

We’d love to hear from you! [email protected]. Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast  Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

As we anticipate the season of Advent, Brian Delamont shares a helpful framework for understanding this season, noticing themes of remembrance in Scripture, reflecting on our life rhythms, and creating space for observing Advent.

• Episode 9: The Advent Project
• Check out the Advent Project here!
• Adventus (Latin) means arrival or coming, which is a translation of parousia (Greek)
• “The season of Advent is this time when followers of Jesus reflect on the ‘advent’ or the comings - both of them - of Christ to earth.  At Advent, we reenter our anticipation of Jesus, who came as the Word made flesh to dwell among us, but we also anticipate His second coming.”
• Revelation 22:20
• “We look back and we look forward at the same time.”
• “The practices of the Christian year remind us of God’s order [...] God is a God of rhythms.”
• “When we practice this celebration of His incarnation, we recalibrate our lives in real time.”
• John 7:37
• Genesis 2:15
• Exodus 20:11
• “Advent is the preparation for the long-awaited Messiah, the Lamb of God, God incarnate as the Word made flesh who dwelt among us.”
• Change something: What will you change that will give space and opportunity for a meaningful Advent?
• Prepare something: What will you create as a visual reminder?
• Use the power of community: How can you partner with someone during this season?

Advent Reflection: What shapes the structure or rhythm of your life? Advent Theme: Hope Revised Common Lectionary: Jeremiah 33:14-16

What’s changing our lives:

• Keane: Experiencing a warm Christmas
• Heather: Knowing the back-story of Taylor Swift music
• Brian: Prayer text thread with family

We’d love to hear from you! [email protected]. Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast  Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Annie Stepanenko helps us define trauma, understand its effect on the brain, and consider how we can show self-compassion and walk with others through processing trauma.

• Episode 33: Mental Health
• Warty Comb Jellyfish and Angler Fish
• “Essentially, trauma is anything that overwhelms our ability to cope.”
• John 8:32
• “When we label things what they are and try to seek truth, we are better able to live in what God has for us. Calling trauma ‘trauma’ means that we can seek healing that God has for us, and it means that we can be better aware of things that we face in our lives.”
• “With that knowledge comes empowerment, in a sense, because we’re aware that there’s choice in how we respond and in how we take care of ourselves and in how we seek the Lord in it.”
• “Collective trauma [is] the same trauma happening to a group of people [...] We might all respond in different ways, but there’s that root of similarity at the beginning.”
• Three levels of the brain: logic, emotional center, survival and safety
• “Offer yourself compassion. So often when we don’t understand why we’re responding the way that we are, we lash out at ourselves in frustration. That’s understandable, but when we do that, it hurts and just aggravates the problem.”
• Brene Brown’s Short on Empathy
• “Sometimes, if we just have no idea what to say, that can be the best thing to say: ‘I don’t know what to say here, but I’m here.’ Just being with that person, even in silence, can be the best thing that really shows love and care.”
• “I think that maybe the simplest thing we can do for ourselves is listening and showing ourselves curious and compassionate attention, and trying to treat our minds and bodies and souls as God would treat us - with love and with care. That’s a huge part of living out of His love.”
• “The reality as Christians is that, yes, we believe God is good, but we don’t always feel like God is good, and that’s okay. I think that those are the times when we try to wrestle that out with Him and bring that agony and anguish to Him, and ask Him to be present with us in it.”
• “Emotions are God’s gift to us; they’re a way that we can better understand what’s going on.  They might not always say what’s true, but they always give us deeper understanding, especially when we let God into them and try to process them with Him.”
• “God cares so much about our emotions and our hearts and wants to hold those dearly and treat them preciously.”
• “God works miracles, but I think He prefers to go with the slow and deep healing because we’re more aware of Him being at work.”
• “The best thing we can do for ourselves in unpacking past trauma and even in being aware of current trauma that we are facing is [to ask]: What narrative am I making of this event? What am I telling to myself? Is it true? What does God want to say here, and am I making space and His love to speak into this?”

What’s changing our lives:

• Keane: New brand of pocket notebooks
• Heather: Noise cancellation on headphones
• Annie: Try Softer by Aundi Kolber

Weekly Spotlight: Arbor Christian Academy

We’d love to hear from you! [email protected]. Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast  Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Safeguarding Specialist Alison Neumann shares about the three basic principles of safeguarding - visibility, accountability, and power balance - and how those translate into the online setting.

• Click here for the article by Alison Neumann
• Episode 22: Third Culture KIds
• “Safeguarding is a term to denote measures to protect the health, wellbeing, and human rights of individuals, especially children and vulnerable adults, to live free from abuse. It’s about people and organizations working together to prevent and reduce the risks, occurrences, and impact of harm.”
• “The three principles that we recommend in terms of interacting with children or vulnerable adults are VAP: Visibility, accountability, and power balance.”
• “Ask yourself: Is it possible for others to see me? Do others know where I am and what I’m  doing? Am I building a culture of transparency and accountability? Do children feel safe in my presence? Does my demeanor or posture put them at ease?”
• “Just because [a safeguarding incident] happen[s] online and not in person doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t address those things.”
• “If you hear someone saying, ‘That looked a little weird,’ or ‘Are you sure that was okay?’ or something like that, [be] open to those kinds of conversations and not immediately being defensive, even if it was unintentional.”
• “There’s a lot of wisdom in communicating with others and getting advice from others and learning from people who have been working with children for a longer time than you have.”
• “We want to be promoting wisdom and not fear.”
• “Listen well. I know that seems really simple, but especially if it is a weighty concern, that can be really hard to do.”
• “Reacting poorly to a raised concern can actually cause more trauma to the child than the harm itself because they will feel belittled and not listened to.”
• “It’s important to be able to take care of yourself [...] Bringing that to God and lamenting over it, but then letting Him carry that burden, is hugely important, otherwise you’ll be weighed down by it consistently.”
• Reach the TeachBeyond Safeguarding Team at [email protected]
• Episode 44: Culture and the Gospel

Join us on Thursday, November 18, for TeachBeyond’s Day of Giving!

What’s changing our lives:

• Keane: Long road trips
• Heather: BibleProject Podcast, specially the episode called “The Gospel Is More Than You Think”
• Alison: Cayenne in mac and cheese, moving into her first home, and resting in God’s provision

Weekly Spotlight: Kigali International Community School

We’d love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast  Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Author and speaker Jayson Georges introduces us to three cultural lenses and how the Gospel is the Good News for each of these dimensions.

• Take the cultural survey here: https://honorshame.com/theculturetest/ 
• Honorshame.com
• The 3D Gospel by Jayson Georges
• “The Gospel has multiple dimensions. There’s only one Gospel, but that one Gospel applies to various situations.”
• “Jesus forgives us of our sins, Jesus honors us and brings us into His family, and Jesus empowers us over Satan and evil and the powers of death. In the west, we emphasize that first dimension of the Gospel [...] but for most people in other cultures of the world, these other dimensions are what they’re longing for.”
• Three worldviews: Guilt and innocence, shame and honor, fear and power
• “God provides the very thing that people in each cultural system are striving towards - the guilty are looking for innocence, the shame are looking for honor, those who are afraid are looking for power. [...] The Good News is that we don’t have to strive and do those things because they have been gifted to us in Christ.”
• “The Gospel gives us the true eternal, divine answer to all three of those problems.”
• “As a rule of thumb, unless you’re fairly fluent in the language, you’re probably not going to understand the culture.”
• “I often see the main problem is people confuse certain cultural values with Biblical mandates.”
• “What are the things I do that dishonor God, that shame Him, that belittle Him, that make it seem like He can’t provide for me or He’s not good or He’s not true?”
• “A big challenge is to realize that the BIble was written for different people in a different time in a different culture, and we need to enter into that world.”
• “We are made right with God, we have a relationship with God, and we have a new sense of honor with God by virtue of Christ, not all of these other matters. Therefore, because God has honored us, we can honor others. Because God has welcomed us in Christ, we can welcome others.”
• “Jesus doesn’t get rid of the honor system, but He’s try to invert it and show them what it’s like to be someone who gives.”

What’s changing our lives:

• Keane: Physical books
• Heather: Friends visiting
• Jayson: Living near the sea and going snorkeling

Weekly Spotlight: International Education Services

We’d love to hear from you! [email protected]. Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast  Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/