Global Mission

Veteran missiologist Samuel Escobar explores the new realities of our globalized world, assesses the context of a changing mission field, sets forth a thoroughly biblical theology of missions, and considers implications for how Christians are to go about the task of global mission.

Christianity Today Book Award of Merit Winner Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year The world has changed. A century ago, Christianity was still primarily centered in North America and Europe. By the dawn of the twenty-first century, Christianity had become a truly global faith, with Christians in Asia, Africa and Latin America outpacing those in the rest of the world. There are now more Christians in China than in all of Europe, more Pentecostals in Brazil than in the United States, and more Anglicans in Kenya than in Great Britain, Canada and the United States combined. Countries that were once destinations for western missionaries are now sending their own missionaries to North America. Given these changes, some think the day of the Western missionary is over. Some are wary that American mission efforts may perpetuate an imperialistic colonialism. Some say that global outreach is best left to indigenous leaders. Others simply feel that resources should be focused on the home front. Is there an ongoing role for the North American church in global mission? Missions specialist Paul Borthwick brings an urgent report on how the Western church can best continue in global mission. He provides a current analysis of the state of the world and how Majority World leaders perceive North American Christians' place. Borthwick offers concrete advice for how Western Christians can be involved without being paternalistic or creating dependency. Using their human and material resources with wise and strategic stewardship, North Americans can join forces with the Majority World in new, interdependent ways to answer God?s call to global involvement. In this critical age, the global body of Christ needs one another more than ever. Discover how the Western church can contribute to a new era of mission marked by mutuality, reciprocity and humility.

Comprehensive treatment of the biblical foundation and unique purpose of global missions.

A deeper understanding of the grand history of mission leads to a faithful expression of God's mission today. From the beginning, God's mission has been carried out by people sent around the world. From Abraham to Jesus, the thread that weaves its way throughout Scripture is a God who sends his people across the world, proclaiming his kingdom. As the world has evolved, Christian mission continues to be a foundational tradition in the church. In this one-volume textbook, Edward Smither weaves together a comprehensive history of Christian mission, from the apostles to the modern church. In each era, he focuses on the people sent by God to the ends of the earth, while also describing the cultural context they encountered. Smither highlights the continuity and development across thousands of years of global mission.

Global Mission is divided into two sections: the first, Reflections and Foundations, comprises nine essays of a more general nature; the second, Contextualization at Work, contains twenty one essays of a more specific nature, most of them case studies from a particular location and people group. The thirty-three contributors come from five continents, and a host of contexts. Some are veterans, some quite young, but every one of them is passionate about God's mission, and about building bridges for the gospel in a way that is absolutely faithful to Scripture but also sensitive to specific contexts. North and South, East and West, demonstrate precious unity in Christ in our common calling.

Christians of all ages recognize the heartbeat of God to take the Gospel to the nations and wrestle with the implications of the Great Commission in their own lives. The Missionary Call explores the biblical, historical, and practical aspects of discerning and fulfilling God's call to serve as a missionary. Pointing the reader to Scripture, lessons from missionary heroes, and his own practical and academic experience, Dr. Sills guides the reader to discern the personal applications of the missionary call.

Global Mission is divided into two sections: the first, Reflections and Foundations, comprises nine essays of a more general nature; the second, Contextualization at Work, contains twenty one essays of a more specific nature, most of them case studies from a particular location and people group. The thirty-three contributors come from five continents, and a host of contexts. Some are veterans, some quite young, but every one of them is passionate about God’s mission, and about building bridges for the gospel in a way that is absolutely faithful to Scripture but also sensitive to specific contexts. North and South, East and West, demonstrate precious unity in Christ in our common calling. Contextualization is complex, and none of the authors claim to have got everything right. But their essays are thoughtful, and written out of love for God and love for his world. They tell the stories of trial and error, of struggles and triumphs, as each seeks to present Christ in terms that make sense and can be understood. It is following the process, quite as much as specific conclusions, which make this book valuable and transferable to many other parts of the global church. The essays also give us a peep into many different societies, and the birthing of faith in the grace of the Holy Spirit. Thus we give thanks to God for all that he is wonderfully doing around his world and stimulate our prayers for those who work cross-culturally, especially in pioneer situations. Not all contributors agree on every point, especially when it comes to the difficulties of mission in the Muslim world (and increasingly, amongst Hindus). There has been no attempt to standardize different approaches, letting a robust conversation develop. Each chapter ends with some suggested study questions, useful for personal reflection or group or class discussion. The book is deliberately accessible to lay people, but stimulating to career missionaries and academics. We pray that it may serve the purposes of God, for his glory. This book was published in partnership with the World Evangelical Alliance.