Missions and Church Planting: Foundational Study Bundle

Introducing Global Missions (MI101) introduces the reality of the rapidly changing sociopolitical world of the last 70 years. Dr. Don Fanning explores the development of a theology of mission, reviews a history of missions from the first century to the present, and assesses possible directions for global missions in the future based on current trends. Dr. Fanning also discusses practical matters of preparing for missions, developing a strategy for a proposed mission, understanding cross-cultural considerations, fund-raising, and interacting with other religions of the world.

Contents:

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker
• Introduction to Global Missions

Unit 1: The Mission of Missions Continues

• The Beginning of Missions
• Researching Early Christian Persecution with Studies in Early Church History
• Spreading throughout the Known World
• Researching Traditions about the Journeys and Martyrdom of the Apostles
• Post-Apostolic Expansion
• From Persecuted Church to Legalized Church
• Missions to Europe and North Africa
• Orthodoxy and Nominalism
• Arian Barbarians
• Patrick Evangelizes Ireland
• The Christianizing of Europe Continues
• Expansion to the East
• The Re-Evangelization of Europe
• Eastern Europe
• Confrontation with Islam
• Effects of the Crusades
• Islam and the Mongols
• Marco Polo
• The Black Death
• The Muslim Offensive into Eastern Europe
• Roman Catholic Missions
• More Roman Catholic Missions

Unit 2: Missions in the Reformation

• Pre-Reformation “Evangelicals”
• Desire for Reformation Grows
• The Matter Comes to a Head
• The Reformation Begins
• The Institutes of the Christian Religion
• Sacramental Controversy
• Restart Rather Than Reform
• Separation of Church and State
• All Ceremonies Not in the Bible Are Idolatry
• The Reformation Comes to England
• Purifying the Church of England
• Catholicism Colonizes Central and South America
• Baptist Beginnings
• A Vision for the Unreached Peoples of the Globe
• A Mission to Native North Americans
• Pietism
• Christian Community at Herrnhut
• Moravians and Missions
• The Moravians’ Influence on Wesley
• Using the Timeline Tool to Find Relevant Historical Concurrences
• The First Great Awakening in America
• The Second Great Awakening in America
• Another Mission to Native North Americans
• The Third Great Awakening in America

Unit 3: The Golden Age of Missions

• The Status of Missions in 1800
• Clarifying Some Missiological Terms
• The Great Century
• William Carey
• Performing a Heading Text Search on William Carey
• Carey Goes to India
• Robert Morrison to China
• David Livingstone to Africa
• Revival, Evangelism, and Missions
• The Haystack Prayer Meeting Sparks Missions
• Adoniram Judson in Burma
• Luther Rice Organizes Missions Support at Home
• Three Eras of Evangelical Missions
• The Faith Missions Concept
• The Pioneer of Faith Missions
• Slow Start of Missions in Other Areas
• Examining Applications of the Three-Self Church
• The Bible Institute Movement
• The Student Volunteer Movement
• Four Stages of Mission Development on a Mission Field
• Colonialism
• Ecumenism and Global Mission
• The Ecumenical Movement
• Liberal Theology
• Missions’ Reaction to Liberalism
• Two World Wars Undo Colonialism
• The Evangelism Scale

Unit 4: Missions in Transition

• Everything Is Changing
• The Retreat of the West
• Communist Expansion and Defeat
• Vatican Council II
• Basic Search for Articles on the Second Vatican Council
• The Pentecostal/Charismatic Boom
• Changes in Missionary Personnel
• New Attitudes toward Indigenous Missionaries
• Innovations in Methodology
• What’s Next?

Unit 5: Hearing God’s Call

• The Call to Salvation
• Called to a Purpose
• Call or Guidance?
• The Term “Missionary”
• Using BDAG to Study New Testament and Ancient Uses of Apostolos
• The Church’s Mandate for Mission
• Does the Need for Workers Constitute a Call?
• What Does It Take to Be Used?
• The Call to Full-Time Ministry
• The Spirit’s Guidance
• Who’s Speaking?
• Start with Obedience; God Will Lead You from There
• How to Know It’s God Who’s Guiding
• Seven Motivating Incentives
• Studying the Greek behind the English Words “Good” and “Evil”

Unit 6: Preparing a Missionary to Go

• Identifying Potential Missionaries
• Three Types of Training
• Spiritual Formation
• Ministry Skills
• Seven Wisdom Steps
• Saying “Yes”
• Biblical Basis for Mission Boards
• Types of Mission Boards
• Choosing a Mission Agency
• Functions of Mission Agencies
• Problems and Challenges
• Strategic Trends
• Strategies for the 21st Century
• Where Do We Go from Here?

Unit 7: Preparing a Church to Send

• The Sending Church
• Churches Are Not Just Senders
• Involving the Congregation in Missions
• Educating the Congregation
• Training Prospective Missionaries
• Two Necessary Policy Decisions
• Caring for Missionaries on Home Assignment
• The Sending Church/Missionary Partnership
• Three Types of Missional Churches

Conclusion

• Missions Show the Heart of God

Unit 4: Missions in Transition

• Everything Is Changing
• The Retreat of the West
• Communist Expansion and Defeat
• Vatican Council II
• Basic Search for Articles on the Second Vatican Council
• The Pentecostal/Charismatic Boom
• Changes in Missionary Personnel
• New Attitudes toward Indigenous Missionaries
• Innovations in Methodology
• What’s Next?
• Unit 4 Quiz

Unit 5: Hearing God’s Call

• The Call to Salvation
• Called to a Purpose
• Call or Guidance?
• The Term “Missionary”
• Using BDAG to Study New Testament and Ancient Uses of Apostolos
• The Church’s Mandate for Mission
• Does the Need for Workers Constitute a Call?
• What Does It Take to Be Used?
• The Call to Full-Time Ministry
• The Spirit’s Guidance
• Who’s Speaking?
• Start with Obedience; God Will Lead You from There
• How to Know It’s God Who’s Guiding
• Seven Motivating Incentives
• Studying the Greek behind the English Words “Good” and “Evil”
• Unit 5 Quiz

Unit 6: Preparing a Missionary to Go

• Identifying Potential Missionaries
• Three Types of Training
• Spiritual Formation
• Ministry Skills
• Seven Wisdom Steps
• Saying “Yes”
• Biblical Basis for Mission Boards
• Types of Mission Boards
• Choosing a Mission Agency
• Functions of Mission Agencies
• Problems and Challenges
• Strategic Trends
• Strategies for the 21st Century
• Where Do We Go from Here?
• Unit 6 Quiz

Unit 7: Preparing a Church to Send

• The Sending Church
• Churches Are Not Just Senders
• Involving the Congregation in Missions
• Educating the Congregation
• Training Prospective Missionaries
• Two Necessary Policy Decisions
• Caring for Missionaries on Home Assignment
• The Sending Church/Missionary Partnership
• Three Types of Missional Churches
• Unit 7 Quiz
• Conclusion
• Missions Show the Heart of God
• Final Exam

Appendix

• Special Terms to Know, Part 1
• Special Terms to Know, Part 2
• Special Terms to Know, Part 3
• Special Terms to Know, Part 4
• Special Terms to Know, Part 5

In Current Issues in Missions (MI102), Dr. Tim Sisk discusses the changing world situation since the beginning of the modern missions movement in the mid-19th century and introduces new mission opportunities and approaches these changes have created. He explores the impact and implications of globalization and the shift of the “Christian center” from Europe and European-derivative cultures to the southern hemisphere. Dr. Sisk also introduces the contemporary debates regarding appropriate contextualization and the relationship between evangelism, humanitarian relief, and issues of justice.

Contents:

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course

Unit 1: Transforming and Transitioning World Missions

• The Changing World
• The Difference a Hundred Years Makes
• From Edinburgh to Cape Town
• Growth in Global Christianity
• A Snapshot of Global Christianity
• 20th-Century Changes in Global Christianity
• Whose Religion Is Christianity?
• Previewing Global Theology Resources
• The Impact of Globalization
• The Changing Global Context
• The Changing Missionary Movement
• Emerging Leaders in Global Missions
• Changing Roles for Western Missionaries
• 21st-Century Paternalism
• Listening to the Global Church, Part 1
• Listening to the Global Church, Part 2
• Transforming Missionary Training
• Search for Articles on Missional Scripture Reading
• The North American Church’s Future Role in World Missions

Unit 2: Tent Making and Business as Mission

• Introduction to Business as Mission (BAM)
• Exploring Trends behind Tent Making and Business as Mission
• Reasons for and Models of Tent Making and Business as Mission
• Biblical and Historical Examples of Tent Making and Business as Mission
• Understanding the “T” Scale
• Positive Aspects of Tent Making and Business as Mission
• Negative Aspects of Tent Making and Business as Mission
• Basic Search on Protestant Clergy-Laity Dualism
• The Effect of Affluence on Mission
• Attitudes toward Affluence
• Barriers to Mission Created by Affluence
• Living in Intentional Simplicity

Unit 3: National Missionaries and Short-Term Missions

• National Missionaries from Indigenous Churches
• Positive Characteristics of National Missionaries
• Cautions regarding Use of National Missionaries
• Evaluating Support of National Missionaries
• Short-Term Missions
• Challenging Some Short-Term-Missions Presuppositions
• Listening to the Hosts
• Cautions regarding Short-Term Missions
• Potential Benefits of Short-Term Missions
• Your Role in Short-Term Missions

Unit 4: Ethics in Missions

• Run, Walk, Limp, Fall, or Finish Well
• Ethical Guidelines and Guard Rails
• Areas for Ethical Consideration

Unit 5: Theological Issues in Missions

• Theological Drift?
• Starting a Study on “Hell” Using the Bible Word Study
• Views Held on Hell and Salvation
• Defining “Hell” from Scripture
• Performing a Morphology Search on Jesus’ Use of “Gehenna”
• Do Theological Views Diminish a Passion for Evangelism?
• Is the Problem Solely Theological?

Unit 6: Spiritual Conflict and Missions

• Models for Spiritual Conflict
• The Mass Marketing of Spiritual Warfare
• A Warning and Some Observations
• Animism and Secularism
• Territorial Spirits
• Evaluating Strategic-Level Spiritual Warfare
• Demonization and Deliverance
• Using the Bible Sense Lexicon to Study Demons
• Encounters with Demons in the New Testament
• Avoiding Demonic Influence

Unit 7: Dreams and Missions

• The Underappreciated Importance of Dreams
• Dreams in the Bible
• Using the Bible Sense Lexicon to Find Dreams in the Bible
• How Dreams and Visions Are Used by God
• Current Research on Dreams Leading to Conversion

Unit 8: Contextualization

• Contextualized Mission to Muslims
• Defining Contextualization
• Contextualization or Syncretism?
• Contextualization in Scripture
• Researching Contextualization in the Lexham Bible Dictionary
• Guidelines for Contextualization
• Creating a Faithlife Group for Missionaries
• Contemporary Evangelism and Contextualization
• Searching Themelios for “Insider Movement”
• Cautions regarding the Insider Movement

Unit 9: Words and Deeds

• Finding the Balance
• Three Approaches to Words and Deeds
• A Brief History of the Debate
• An Evangelical Debate
• The Primacy of Evangelism

Unit 10: The Local Church in Mission

• Can “Small” Succeed where “Big” Fails?
• Christ, Church, and Kingdom
• Changing World, Changing Missions

In this course, Dr. Michael Goheen provides a framework for understanding and analyzing world religions. He discusses the theology of religions and gives an overview of three major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. Goheen examines the heart or core behind the beliefs and practices of these religions and discusses how Christians might begin to dialogue with people of these faiths.

Contents:

Unit 1: Religious Plurality: An Urgent Issue

• The Fact of Religious Plurality
• Finding Charts That Represent World Religions
• Religious Pluralism
• Unit 1 Quiz

Unit 2: Proper Approach to Studying World Religions

• Missionary Encounter
• The Comprehensive Scope of the Gospel
• Creating Notes from the Resource Christ and Creation
• Religion as a Comprehensive Vision and Way of Life
• Comprehensive Religion: Testimony from the Third World
• Two Approaches that Undermine Missionary Encounter
• Western Humanist Faith
• Christian Pluralism
• Critiques of Pluralism
• The Need for a Theology of Religions
• Creating a Collection of World Religions Resources
• Unit 2 Quiz

Unit 3: The Truth of the Gospel

• Public Truth and Comprehensive Scope
• The Finality of Christ
• Exclusivism and Inclusivism
• Salvation of Those Who Have Never Heard
• Strong and Weak Inclusivism
• Questions about Inclusivism
• Unit 3 Quiz

Unit 4: God’s Revelation in Creation

• Revelation beyond Scripture
• Adding Resources on General Revelation to a Bibliography
• The Locus Classicus: Romans 1:18–32
• Performing an Exegetical Study of Romans 1:18–32
• Beneficial Effect of God’s Revelation in Creation
• Unit 4 Quiz

Unit 5: Theology of Religions

• Origin and Nature of Religion
• Religious Consciousness and Empirical Religions
• God’s Revelation and Humanity’s Sinful Response
• Content of Religious Consciousness
• The Rise of Empirical Religions
• Orienting Core and Various Components of World Religions
• The Orienting Core of Religions
• Using The Apologetics Study Bible to Study World Religions
• Unit 5 Quiz

Unit 6: A Missionary Approach

• Introducing a Missionary Approach
• Insider, Sympathetic Approach
• Outsider, Critical Approach
• Continuity and Discontinuity
• Subversive Fulfillment
• Subversive Fulfillment in the Bible
• Unit 6 Quiz
• Midterm Exam

Unit 7: Hinduism

• Introduction to Hinduism
• Using the Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics
• Vedic Period: Vedas
• Vedic Period: Upanishads
• Period of Classical Hinduism
• Hinduism through the Ages
• Four Goals for Life
• Atman, Brahman, and Moksha
• What Does It Mean to Be Human?
• What Kind of World Do We Live In?
• Four Paths to Moksha
• Supreme Being: Transpersonal or Personal?
• Religious Pluralism
• Christian Outsider Analysis of Hinduism
• Unit 7 Quiz

Unit 8: Buddhism

• Buddha’s Quest
• The Four Noble Truths
• The Eightfold Path
• Basic Beliefs
• Three Rafts
• Amida and Zen Buddhism
• Vajrayana Buddhism
• Christian Outsider Analysis of Buddhism
• Unit 8 Quiz

Unit 9: Islam

• Introduction to Islam
• Saving Links to Websites in Logos
• Muhammad: The Seal of the Prophets
• Times of Muhammad
• Muhammad: Preparation for Public Ministry
• The Night of Power
• Helpful Resources for Studying World Religions
• Hijra and Political Power
• Ummah and Its Mission
• Unit 9a Quiz
• Pillars of Belief
• Pillars of Religious Duty
• The Qur’an
• Who Is Allah?
• Historical Developments of Islam
• Using Timelines to Establish Historical Context
• Sunni, Shi’ite, and Sufi Sects
• Islam in the 20th Century
• Christian Outsider Analysis of Islam
• Unit 9b Quiz

Unit 10: The Mission of the Church

• Missional Dimension and Missional Intention
• Review of Important Concepts
• Christian Witness in Plural Society
• Point of Contact: Attitude and Disposition
• Point of Contact: Fulfilling Religious Longings
• Point of Contact: Subversion
• Point of Contact: Universal Human Issues
• Fear of Dialogue
• Dialogue Based on Confessional Commitment
• The Importance of Dialogue
• Words, Lives, and Deeds
• Unit 10 Quiz
• Final Exam

In this course Dr. Michael Goheen examines the identity of the church according to the Bible and then considers the implications of this identity for the church’s mission. Beginning with the concept of a missional community in the OT, Goheen traces God’s work among His people into the NT community of believers and offers perspective on how the ministries of today’s church can be structured to fulfill God’s calling.

Contents:

Unit 1: Missional Church in the Biblical Story

• Starting with the Gospel
• Understanding How Jesus Used the Term “Gospel”
• The Bible as One Story
• How to View the Bible Text without Editorial Additions
• The Story of God’s Mission
• A Missional Hermeneutic
• Unit 1 Quiz

Unit 2: Missional Community in the Old Testament

• The Importance of the Old Testament
• An Overview of the Formation of God’s People
• Two Hermeneutical Lenses
• Blessed to Be a Blessing
• Bringing about the Promise
• A Display People
• Israel in the Land
• Failure and the Prophets
• A People Gathered and Renewed
• Intertestamental Period: Missional Vision Lost
• Unit 2 Quiz

Unit 3: Missional Community in the New Testament

• Jesus Gathers a Community
• Gathering and the Arrival of the Kingdom
• Finding the Metaphorical Uses of “Sheep”
• Jesus Restores the Missional Vocation
• Jesus’ Death and Resurrection
• Jesus Commissions His Gathered People
• A Witnessing Community
• Exaltation: Lordship of Christ
• Pentecost: Spirit of Mission
• Jerusalem Community
• A Distinctive Community
• Gathering Israel
• Antioch Church
• Using the Logos Deluxe Map Set
• A Missional Church in Acts
• Missionary Encounter with Culture
• Studying the Ministry of Barnabas Using the Bible Facts Tool
• Continuing the Story
• Unit 3 Quiz
• Midterm Exam

Unit 4: Pastoral Ministry in a Missional Church: Nurturing Ministries

• Nurturing Ministries in a Missional Church
• Nurturing New Life
• Scripture as a Tool of God’s Mission
• Preaching Christ
• Preaching the True Story of the World
• Preaching to Confront Other Stories
• Preaching a Gospel That Is the Power of God
• Preaching to Orient God’s People Outward
• Worship in a Missional Church: Thick and Comprehensible
• Worship Thick Enough to Nourish a Missional Church
• Worship and the Book of Revelation
• Researching Worship and the Roman Emperor in Revelation
• Sacraments: Nourishing a Missional Congregation
• Unit 4a Quiz
• Worship: Orienting the Church Upward and Outward
• Worship: Comprehensible Enough to Be Understood
• Fellowship: Gifts
• Fellowship: “One-Anothering”
• Creating a Categorized List of Uses of Allelon in the New Testament
• Prayer in the Missional Church
• Using the Topical Index of An Exposition on Prayer in the Bible
• Training Parents for Their Task
• Pastoral Care
• Unit 4b Quiz

Unit 5: Pastoral Ministry in a Missional Church: The Calling of the Church in the World

• The Calling of the Missional Church
• Missional Analysis of Culture, Part 1
• Missional Analysis of Culture, Part 2
• Missional Engagement with Culture
• Being a Distinctive Community
• Pastoral Task in Shaping a Distinctive Community
• The Importance of Training People for Their Calling in the World
• Training the Local Congregation for Their Calling
• Evangelism, Part 1
• Evangelism, Part 2
• Involvement in the Neighborhood
• The Gospel of Charity in the Early Church
• Mission and Missions
• Missions and the Local Congregation
• Unit 5 Quiz

Unit 6: Pastoral Ministry in a Missional Church: Organizing to be Missional

• Importance of Structures
• Small Groups and the Life of the Church
• Missional Communities
• Importance of Leadership
• Two Resources Useful for Studying Early Church Leadership
• Leadership Training
• Unity and Mission
• Examples of Missional Ecumenicity
• Budgetary Issues of a Missional Church

Unit 7: Conclusion

• Next Baby Steps
• Missio Dei: It Is God Who Works
• Unit 6–7 Quiz
• Final Exam