Strategic Christian

Surprisingly good news!

Pope Benedict’s choice to publicly baptize the most prominent Muslim in Italy, Egyptian-born Magdi Allam, highlights a quiet worldwide exodus from Islam. In recent years, millions have moved on. With this high-profile action, Pope Benedict demonstratively blesses this massive conversion from the highest levels of the Church.Interviewed by al-Jazeera in 2006, Ahmad al-Qataani, leader of the Companions Lighthouse for the Science of Islamic Law in Libya, explains the decline:

As to how that happened, well there are now 1.5 million churches whose congregations account for 46 million people. In every hour, 667 Muslims convert to Christianity. Everyday, 16,000 Muslims convert to Christianity. Every year, 6 million Muslims convert to Christianity. These numbers are very large indeed.

[From Pajamas Media » Blog Archive » Muslims Leaving Islam in Droves]

Posted by Tom Gilson under Progress | No Comments »

Mark D. Roberts begins a series on planning and goal-setting in Christian ministries:

Can we make plans and formulate goals and still leave room for the Holy Spirit?
Should churches and other Christian organizations have formalized processes for clarifying vision and setting goals?
Can the Spirit of God speak to us in the midst of a goal-setting process? If so, how?
What can we do to let God guide our strategic planning processes?

[From Planning and Goals: Is There Room for the Holy Spirit? An Introduction | www.markdroberts.com]

Posted by Tom Gilson under Church & Missions | 1 Comment »

Young, Restless, and Ready for Revival

Over the last three years, I have witnessed thousands of such confessions at churches and at more than 30 campuses, both secular and Christian. I’ve discovered that this generation of young men and women is crying out for revival….

Technorati Tags: Students, Revival

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The List: MissionsWatch | Liveblog | Christianity Today:

A list of recommended websites on missions, courtesy of the editor of Evangelical Missions Quarterly, by way of twoorthree.net.

Posted by Tom Gilson under Missions | No Comments »

So the next time you hear an earth-shattering announcement about Jesus from the media, don’t get angry. Rather, take three deep breaths, sit down with your Starbucks coffee, and watch how the announcement is treated on blogs and other media. Above all, prepare yourself for the opportunities it presents.

That was how Darrell Bock closed his article in Christianity Today on popular media challenges to Christianity. He’s right on the money. Last night I completed the second of two book discussions based on The Golden Compass. The turnout was small, but I believe there was groundwork laid for growth. The people who came–especially library directors–are people who can encourage others to come.

At any rate, it showed me how these challenges can really be opportunities. Do you desire to share your faith? Do you want others to know more about Jesus Christ? What’s the hardest part about that, usually? It’s getting started, raising the topic. They’re raising the topic for us!

Thank God for that, and take advantage of the opportunities.

Keith Plummer has further insight on this.

Technorati Tags: Books, Message, Darrell Bock, Media

Posted by Tom Gilson under Church & Strategy | No Comments »

Gunman Kills 2 at Missionary Center Near Denver - New York Times:

Two missionaries-in-training were killed early today and two more were wounded when a gunman burst into a residence hall at the Youth With a Mission center in the Denver suburb of Arvada, the police said.

Police officials said they did not know whether the shooting was at random of if individuals were targeted. The gunman is still being sought.

Technorati Tags: missions, Persecution

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How Short-Term Missions is Becoming a Two-Way Street

If you define “mission” as crossing cultural boundaries for the sake of the gospel, the global church is engaged in mission on a scale that would have been unimaginable to previous Christian generations.

Yet…

Perhaps this is one thing we need to learn, and unlearn: Even the shortest cross-cultural mission trip is fraught with opportunities for God to make himself known—and with the real potential that we will unwittingly misrepresent him.

Technorati Tags: church growth, missions

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Mission to Suburbia: A resource center for reaching middle America for Christ.

Technorati Tags: America, Methods, missions, Research, Strategic Planning

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Book Review

I’ve lost several hours of sleep over David Kinnaman’s and Gabe Lyons’s book, unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity And Why It Matters. James Emery White, in his Serious Times email newsletter, said* in response to this book, “Christianity has an image problem.” With all due respect to Mr. White, one of the authors I most respect, I disagree. Christianity has a reality problem. The problem is shallow discipleship, and the rest of the world sees it for what it is. It’s a disturbing picture.

Technorati Tags: America, Barna, church growth, Methods, Research

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Posted by Tom Gilson under Book Reviews & Church & Culture & Progress | 1 Comment »

CADRE Comments: Revival in North Korea?:

September 5, 2007: The North Korean Army has started a special propaganda effort to discourage soldiers from practicing religion. There’s apparently an outbreak of Christianity in the ranks, and it’s so widespread that the generals are getting nervous.

Very interesting!

Technorati Tags: church growth, missions, Persecution

Posted by Tom Gilson under Missions & Progress | No Comments »