Tag Archives: mobilization

Is Missions Easier Than You Think? Steven Wendel Explains – #FTC22

Many Christians avoid missions because it’s only for the elite. But ABWE missionary Steven Wendel explains why that isn’t necessarily true. Watch the video version of this episode here. Believe in our mission? Support this podcast. The Missions Podcast is a ministry resource of ABWE. Learn more at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest aContinue reading “Is Missions Easier Than You Think? Steven Wendel Explains – #FTC22”

T4G22: Charles Smith and Paul Davis on Missions, Education, and the Church

Why do so few seminary graduates go to the mission field? Charles Smith, vice president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and ABWE board member, and Paul Davis, ABWE president, share solutions. You can watch the video version of this episode on the Missions Podcast Facebook page. Hear our previous interviews with Charles here. Subscribe now to neverContinue reading “T4G22: Charles Smith and Paul Davis on Missions, Education, and the Church”

Sending When It Hurts: Josh Teis on the Pastor’s Job in Mobilization

Everyone says they believe in sending missionaries. But what about when it hurts? What about when your church’s most gifted people leave? And what about when missions seems to compete in priority with local outreach? In this episode, Josh Teis weighs in. Josh pastors Southern Hills Baptist Church in Las Vegas, N.V. He earned his B.A. inContinue reading “Sending When It Hurts: Josh Teis on the Pastor’s Job in Mobilization”

Does Generation Z Care About Missions? Tanner and Amber Callison Respond

The up and coming generation is a source of confusion and controversy. Are Christians among Generation Z missions-minded? And if they are, do they have what it takes? We ask Tanner and Amber Callison, mobilizers with the Traveling Team. Love the show? Want to help more people think and go? Support this podcast. Want to askContinue reading “Does Generation Z Care About Missions? Tanner and Amber Callison Respond”

Brian Nester: Legendary Mobilizer

In our final mid-week exclusive from our time at Cedarville University, meet Brian Nester, Cedarville’s director of Global Outreach. You’ll be hard pressed to find someone more passionate about missions—or a more effective mobilizer of students to serve overseas. Hear Brian’s story in this interview. Your gift matters to help us bring you this content.Continue reading “Brian Nester: Legendary Mobilizer”

Why Medical Missions Matters: Katie Webb at Cedarville University

Our Cedarville series continues. Healing happens on the mission field—in ordinary ways. In this podcast midweek exclusive, Katie Webb, M.S., RN, Assistant Professor of Nursing, shares why medical missions is vital to reaching the unreached. Support this podcast and impact God’s mission. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email us. The Missions Podcast isContinue reading “Why Medical Missions Matters: Katie Webb at Cedarville University”

Can Parachurch Ministries Serve the Church? Thomas White and Paul Davis Answer

Coming soon, Generation Z will be taking the mantle of the Great Commission. Are they ready? And what role can Christian colleges and missions agencies play in mobilizing them? Dr. Thomas White, president of Cedarville University, and Paul Davis, president of ABWE, join to discuss in this episode recorded on the campus of Cedarville. PreferContinue reading “Can Parachurch Ministries Serve the Church? Thomas White and Paul Davis Answer”

#RMC21: Wayne Chen on Overcoming Apathy and Suffering Well

Recorded live at the 2021 Radius Missiology Conference: Wayne Chen, director of Radius Asia, was a pastor who wanted to send missionaries. In the end, he ended up mobilizing himself—and repenting of his apathy. But as his ministry among the Biem people group in Papua New Guinea reached its climax, he and his wife Gail receivedContinue reading “#RMC21: Wayne Chen on Overcoming Apathy and Suffering Well”

#RMC21: Rick Davis of Engage Global Explains Hands-On Missions Training

Recorded live at the Radius Missiology Conference in Minneapolis: Engage Global is more than an educational experience—it takes missions-minded believers to the streets to immerse them into a cross-cultural experience in the US. In this midweek exclusive, Rick Davis shares how their unique approach is helping believers and churches reframe their perspectives on the worldContinue reading “#RMC21: Rick Davis of Engage Global Explains Hands-On Missions Training”

#RMC21: Luke Womack on Why Student Debt Is Dumb

We’re live at the Radius Missiology Conference in Minneapolis! Student debt is one of the #1 reasons that missions-minded college graduates fail to launch to the field. In this midweek exclusive, Luke Womack of The Go Fund explains how their ministry eliminates student loans for missionaries, and how ABWE’s partnership works for those who go.Continue reading “#RMC21: Luke Womack on Why Student Debt Is Dumb”

Reforming Short-Term Missions: Chip Lamca Explains

Short-term missions needs to change. Missions trips shouldn’t be a means to an end—they should be mission. This week, former missionary and professor Chip Lamca unpacks his recent dissertation work and explains how to reform the uniquely modern phenomenon of short-term missions. We also tackle guidance for college students, what “reverse short-term missions” trips are,Continue reading “Reforming Short-Term Missions: Chip Lamca Explains”

Is the Missions ‘Guilt Trip’ Biblical? Guest: Paul Davis

We’ve all experienced the guilt of being made to feel like we’re not doing enough for world missions. Should preachers emphasize statistics on unreached people groups, the urgency of eternity, and lostness, or simply trust the Holy Spirit—or perhaps both? This week, ABWE President Paul Davis chats with Scott and Alex as they wrestle throughContinue reading “Is the Missions ‘Guilt Trip’ Biblical? Guest: Paul Davis”

Lisa LaGeorge on Women’s Roles and Short-Term Missions

In 20 years of leading missions efforts and teaching students, Lisa LaGeorge has seen it all. This week, she shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of short-term missions trips with high school and college students. In the second half, we explore the role of women and singles on church-planting teams and why everyContinue reading “Lisa LaGeorge on Women’s Roles and Short-Term Missions”

Do Missionaries Need to Meet the Biblical Qualifications for Elders?

In 2019, Paul Washer delivered a stirring message at the G3 Conference defining a biblical missionary. His challenge begs the question: must missionaries meet the standard set by 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9? Are all missionaries elder-qualified lead church-planters, or is there room for a diversity of roles on missionary teams? Scott and AlexContinue reading “Do Missionaries Need to Meet the Biblical Qualifications for Elders?”

Are International Churches Missional? Scott Zeller on Pastoring Expats

Missions means doing hard things in hard places. So are English-speaking churches geared towards expats truly reaching the unreached, or does more need to be done? The answers may surprise you. This week, Scott Zeller, executive pastor of Redeemer Church of Dubai, reframes the issue. Scott Zeller is involved in regional church planting and theological educationContinue reading “Are International Churches Missional? Scott Zeller on Pastoring Expats”

Is ‘Marketplace Missions’ Sustainable? Mark Silvers Talks Mobilization

Increasingly, Millennials and young people are redefining “long-term” missions. At the same time, fewer are willing to raise missionary support. Is recruiting marketplace missionaries—many of whom are short-term tentmakers—a sustainable solution? And if so, how do we get the word out to professionals that the Great Commission isn’t just for full-time religious workers? This weekContinue reading “Is ‘Marketplace Missions’ Sustainable? Mark Silvers Talks Mobilization”

Benjamin Vrbicek: Don’t Just Send a Resume to a Church—Or a Missions Agency

Too often in pursuit of full-time ministry abroad or at home, ministry applicants simply email a church or missions agency their resume and leave the rest of the hiring process to chance. Whether you’re fresh out of seminary or transitioning to ministry after a full career in the outside workforce, such a haphazard approach isContinue reading “Benjamin Vrbicek: Don’t Just Send a Resume to a Church—Or a Missions Agency”

Should We Stop Sending Indebted Missionaries? Luke Womack on Student Loans

The average college student in the U.S. leaves with about $30,000 in educational debt. At what point do we stop sending missionaries to the field with students loans? Is it immoral to send expensive Western missionaries to serve where national partners could do the work of ministry much more affordably? Luke Womack, executive director ofContinue reading “Should We Stop Sending Indebted Missionaries? Luke Womack on Student Loans”

Why You Should ‘Adult’ Before Pursuing Missions: A Chat With Lori McDaniel

What’s the danger in missions conferences and serial short-term missions trips? This week, we welcome back our friend Lori McDaniel, Church Initiatives Manager for IMB and also a pastor’s wife, to give her take on trends we’re seeing among Christian college students and why it’s so critical to learn to “adult”—in finances, education, career, marriage,Continue reading “Why You Should ‘Adult’ Before Pursuing Missions: A Chat With Lori McDaniel”

Danny Akin on Mobilizing Millennials — and Young Men

Where are all the qualified, seminary-educated young men in the missions world? How can a Bible college or seminary maximize its potential to mobilize students for the work of the Great Commission? Where is the modern missions movement going? This week we’re joined by Dr. Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, author, scholar,Continue reading “Danny Akin on Mobilizing Millennials — and Young Men”

What Is a Missionary “Calling”? Caleb Suko Answers

Announcement: It’s the show’s first birthday! As a way of thanking our loyal listeners, we’re giving away some great, free books and spiffy, new ABWE swag. Click here for details and to enter our drawing. What is God’s will for my life? Is God calling me to missions? Is there such a thing as aContinue reading “What Is a Missionary “Calling”? Caleb Suko Answers”

Barnabas Piper on Ministry Kids, Curiosity, and Identity

How do you handle the pressures of growing up hearing “don’t waste your life,” and what lessons can missionary kids and pastors’ kids take away? Barnabas Piper joins us this week as we wander to and fro to discuss those topics along with cultivating a curiosity with other cultures, parenting with an eye towards missions, and avoiding ministry cynicism by grounding our identity in Christ.

Where Did the Gritty Missionaries Go? David Joannes on Missionary Motivations

C.T. Studd is credited with saying, “Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.” But in today’s world where everyone is encouraged to “live on mission,” this classic missionary grit is increasingly absent. What happened, and what are the internal and external motivators that lead someone to risk everything to serve abroad? To answer that question, we invited missionary, author, and researcher David Joannes.