The Missions Show

Let’s admit it: ministry depends on money. But ministry partnership development, deputation, or raising missionary support were already hard enough. Now, with global economic shutdown and mass layoffs, making the “ask” feels wrong. How can missionaries connect with partners and churches and maintain funding in a way that is good, decent, and biblical? Jason Ruch explains. Jason is Director of Infr...

Does online worship count as “church?” Is Sunday unique as the Lord’s Day? Does the Bible give us a regulative principle or worship, or a normative principle of worship? The current global crisis has brought up these important questions about ecclesiology—questions that missionaries already face in parts of the world where gathering openly and regularly may be impossible or illegal. In this episod...

In the current crisis, it has never been harder to do global missions. It has also never been a better time. But who are the “nations” Jesus commands us to reach, and how can struggling churches engage right now? At Together for the Gospel 2018, an  expert panel  of theologians, missiologists, and ministry leaders assembled to address some tough missions questions. In honor of T4G20, we...

What is the difference between folk Islam and orthodox Islam—or folk religion in general and any other major religion—and how can Christians meaningfully present Christ in a context of traditional spiritism? Dr. Robin D. Hadaway joins us this week to unravel these complex missiological questions. Dr. Hadaway is professor of missions at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, having joined the fac...

Healthcare missionaries across the globe are acutely feeling the pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic—even in countries where there are few reported cases. And in developing nations where subsistence living is common, “shelter in place” isn’t feasible. What does coronavirus mean for medical missions? Joining Scott and Alex this week to answer is Jodi Boyd , ABWE missionary nurse serving with Internat...

The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging churches to be more bold, evangelistic, and loving towards our neighbors than we’ve ever needed to be. But this isn’t the first time in church history that Christians have faced the challenge of a plague. In this episode, our friend Glenn Sunshine returns to share a history of pandemics, the Black Death, and how believers over the last 2,000 years have stared i...

How can Christians with a high view of God’s moral law in the Old Testament address the apologetics challenged posed by the Islamic doctrine of sharia ? That’s one of a number of thought-provoking questions tackled by Matt Bennett this week as he connects with Scott and Alex about his newest book, 40 Questions About Islam . Dr. Matthew Bennett joined the faculty at Cedarville University in fall 20...

Global travel restrictions are in place. Hordes of healthy people throughout the U.S. and abroad can’t even get to their local church service in-person—much less to the mission field. Should we temporarily shift our focus away from global missions during the current crisis? Scott Dunford and Alex Kocman explore this complex question in this exclusive conversation. Announcement:  In spite of the co...

In the missions community, we all believe the gospel must be spread. But there is increasing resistance to the idea of “preaching” or “proclaiming” the gospel with authority and simplicity. Why is that? ABWE President  Paul Davis  joins Scott and Alex this week to explain what is burdening him and what he’s seeing in the heart of the unreached world in South Asia. Announcement:  Even though T4G ha...

The death of Qasem Soleimani. Coronavirus. The shooting down of Ukrainian flight PS752. Iran has been in the news a lot lately, but it’s critical that Christians look beyond the headlines. How are Iranians and Persians worldwide processing these events—and what are the implications for the spread of the gospel among Shia Muslims? This week, Scott and Alex discuss the spiritual state of Iranians ac...

Throughout southeast Asia, where John m has ministered with ABWE for years, one of the major barriers to the gospel is the misconception that Christianity is a Western or even American religion. Is that true—and if not, how can we counteract that understanding? In this episode, John explains the miraculous story of The Ancient Path tract and how God is drawing people from the East to Christ. John...

Note: With the ever-changing nature of the COVID-19 situation, some of the information in this podcast may now be outdated. For the latest on ABWE’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, see  here . For the latest medical facts and figures, please refer to the U.S. CDC or WHO.​ With global health and economic implications, how should Christian missionaries throughout Asia and beyond respond...

Anthony Mathenia ministered faithfully in Ethiopia as a missionary, but the pragmatism and watering-down of the gospel he saw from his fellow cross-cultural workers worried him. He was charting a new course—until God’s sovereignty directed him elsewhere, and the sudden passing of his wife brought him back to the U.S. to raise their children. Now he’s pastoring and preaching the gospel to abortion-...

Our soldiers are already deployed to some of the hardest places in the world and learn foreign languages and important cross-cultural skills. What if they carried the gospel to the people around them? This week, ABWE North America missionary Rich Culp explains the pros and cons of the strategy and why oftentimes U.S. military personnel are the real mission field. Rich leads the Centurion Project ,...

“Eastern” and “Western” aren’t just geographic labels—they’re terms that signify a massive worldview chasm. How do Chinese culture, the Confucian system of thought, and Eastern patterns of thought impact the church in Asia? What questions to Chinese Christians tend to bring to the Bible, and what questions should they—and we—be asking instead? Dr. Diane Poythress provides answers, drawing upon her...

We often talk about the state of theology in the American church, but what about on the mission field? In this episode, Mark Tatlock, president of The Master’s Academy International (TMAI) , explains why there is reason for rejoicing but also much concern—and how the root of many heresies overseas can be traced to a gradual retreat from biblical inerrancy and sufficiency in the West. Dr. Mark Tatl...

Of the world’s 7,100 languages, less than ten percent have a complete, written Bible. The Great Commission depends on translations into the heart languages of the lost. How can we get Scripture into the remaining languages without waiting for English-speaking experts in Greek and Hebrew to learn multiple foreign languages—or, is speeding up the process the wrong idea altogether? We dive deep this...

Is it possible to “finish the task” of missions? How should we count converts—if at all? Is it necessary to feel a sense of calling before pursuing missions? We tackle these questions are more received by listeners in this week’s special episode. In the conversation, we also referenced these past episodes: “ Do We Need to Redefine Unreached? ” with Matt Bennett “ How Many Unreached Are There Reall...

How should missionaries argue for the Christian faith? If human beings are dead in sin, then they need more than evidence—they need to realize that even their refusal to believe is an act of rebellion and a sin for which Jesus died. To argue this way is to argue using presuppositional apologetics , but how to apply this method in missions isn’t always clear. How can missionaries take this way of p...

For most Americans, Ferguson, Missouri only entered their consciousness in 2014 when news broke of the controversial shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown. But the story of Ferguson goes much deeper, and the gospel is spreading slowly. This week, ABWE missionary Chris Brown shares how God is moving in this area and opening hearts to Christ even amidst political, cultural, and racial ten...

Can you identify as “socio-culturally Muslim” while still following Christ—and making disciples? That question lies at the heart of the Insider Movement methodology. In this episode, Matt Bennett joins to offer definitions and explain the dangers of the Insider Movement and provide practical guidance for pastors and missionaries navigating these controversial waters. Dr. Matthew Bennett joined the...

As we leave the Advent season and enter the new year, it’s important to get back to the basics of the Christian life. Should we consider every Christians a “missionary”—and if not, why not? This week we’re diving back into the archives to enjoy our conversation with Pioneers USA  VP Denny Spitters and  16:15  President Matthew Ellison, authors of  When Everything Is Missions ,...

The holidays are a time of quaint familiarity, but let’s be honest. We wax philosophical about the royal gifts the magi later bring the Christ-child, but we treat “King” mainly as an honorific title. We think, after all, this Boy grows up to be a controversial Jewish Rabbi, an inspiring religious figure, not a Caesar. It doesn’t appear from a human perspective that Jesus is in charge of anything....

Nothing requires Christians across tribal lines to work together quite like the Great Commission. However, nothing divides Christians quite like our mission and methods, either. How can we cooperate and disagree agreeably in an age of separatism, without compromising on gospel issues and matters of sound, biblical, conservative theology? How can missionaries understand fundamentalism and how it ha...

By default, most missionaries and pastors tend to focus their ministry only on those age 18 and up. But if we refocused on the evangelism and discipleship of children—both at home and abroad—might we not see God bless the efforts of church planters in a new way? Taylor Lassiter of Awana thinks so. Taylor Lassiter serves as Awana Missionary and as an Awana U.S. Field Director. As an Awana Missionar...