Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
Some contemplatives live in a monastery cloistered far away from a broken world. Others engage with it believing that God’s transformation is not only for us but for many. Rich Villodas and his co-author Peter Scazzero live into this tension well. The Deeply Formed Life: …
“Hope is hard sometimes,” I thought, contemplating the impossible situation before me. “I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment. Is it worth hoping things can change?” Semi-hopeless thoughts ran through my mind. It is important not to put our hope in the wrong …
Hardship is not a popular topic. “Three Reasons You Should Embrace Suffering,” is probably not going to make a list of best-selling book titles. Yet in our lives as believers, hardship is something we must embrace. Popular Christian preachers tell us God doesn’t want suffering …
When I was starting out as a missionary, I was quite concerned about my finances. This is a word that God spoke to me: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made …
How does God see us? Often, as highly motivated missionaries, we view ourselves in terms of our work/ministry. Success or failure in that area is a big deal. He Calls Us Friends Jesus said to his disciples, “I no longer call you servants because a …
My husband stopped counting. Not me. This was the seventh time we’d rebooked our flights. I felt angry and a bit depressed. Would we never get to return home? Living in exile isn’t easy. Whether physical or other, I often find myself not quite where …
Facing trials…again…and again….and again. How do we keep going in the missionary life “race”? The following is a guest post by Rachel A. I am a long-term, hopefully, life-long missionary. The race marked out before us is a marathon, not a sprint. I’ve come to …
Missionary burn-out is very real. We missionaries are a deeply committed people. We are willing to lay down our lives, do whatever it takes, to see people come to Christ. God regularly asks us, His people, to do things far beyond our own capacity. He …
Burnout signs – they are relatively easy to spot. Low energy. Reduced passion for ministry. Not getting things done that normally are quite easy to do. One way of addressing these issues is to consider taking a sabbatical. To make it a success, you need …
What does it mean to live an authentic, transparent life as a leader in ministry? Who do you share what with? Is it appropriate for everyone to know the deep challenges you walk through? Is it somehow false or wrong to “keep secrets” or not …