The Missions Show

Do you have what it takes to be a missionary? In this episode of The Missions Show , Alex and Scott discuss the importance of spiritual readiness, personal holiness, and character formation as someone starts to explore their calling to the mission field. Drawing from Scripture and missionary examples like Hudson Taylor, they highlight the need for intentional training, self-discipline, and a serio...

What does everyday ministry look like in South Asia? In this episode of The Missions Show , Alex sits down with K.Y., a ministry partner serving in a predominantly Muslim country in South Asia, to discuss the realities of gospel ministry in one of the world’s most challenging mission fields. K.Y. shares how his ministry integrates theological education, discipleship, and church planting to strengt...

Are short-term missions trips more helpful or hurtful? In this episode of The Missions Show , Alex and Scott welcome Scott McCoy, Launch Point Missions Lead at ABWE, to discuss one of the most debated topics in modern missions: short-term mission trips. McCoy shares why he believes short-term missions remain valuable when they are thoughtfully designed around the needs of missionaries, local belie...

Can compassion ministry and gospel proclamation work together? In this episode of The Missions Show , Alex and Scott sit down with Dave Phillips, founder and president of Children's Hunger Fund (CHF) , to explore the relationship between gospel proclamation, mercy ministry, and the local church. Dave shares the remarkable story behind CHF’s founding, beginning with a life-changing visit to a pedia...

Is Peru as reached as we think? In this episode of The Missions Show , Alex and Scott talk with veteran ABWE missionary Stephen Douglas to explore more than four decades of gospel ministry in Peru. Stephen shares how God led him and his wife Debbie to the city of Arequipa—a historic Roman Catholic stronghold known as the “Little Rome of Peru”—and how a small church-planting team, where no evangeli...

This week, Alex and Scott tackle a difficult question from a missionary wife who, after experiencing significant trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, family challenges, and cultural stress during overseas service, no longer feels able to return to the mission field while her husband remains convinced they should continue. They explore the realities of missionary hardship, the emotional and spiritua...

In this episode of The Missions Show , Alex and Scott welcome pastor, author, and former missionary J. Chase Davis to discuss the crisis of biblical masculinity and its implications for the church and missions. Drawing from his book Offensive Christianity , Davis argues that the modern church has often replaced robust discipleship with therapeutic, “nice” Christianity that neglects courage, convic...

In this episode of The Missions Show , Alex sits down with ABWE’s Director of International Security and Crisis Management , Bill Gruppen , to discuss the difficult balance between missionary safety and gospel risk-taking in some of the world’s most dangerous places. Drawing from decades of experience in law enforcement, emergency response, and security, Bill shares how God redirected his professi...

Christian missions has never existed in a cultural vacuum. From William Carey’s role in ending widow burning in India to Gladys Aylward confronting foot-binding in China, the spread of Christianity has often transformed entire societies. But where is the line between gospel transformation and cultural imperialism? When missionaries challenge practices rooted in paganism, are they discipling nation...

How do you explain the Trinity to Muslims? On this episode of The Missions Show, Alex and Scott sit down with Dr. Imad Shehadeh, founder and president of Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary , to explore what it means to faithfully articulate and defend the doctrine of the Trinity in a Muslim-majority context. Drawing from decades of theological education and ministry, Shehadeh explains how mis...

In this episode of The Missions Show, Alex and Scott sit down with Dr. Daniel Shayesteh. Dr. Shayesteh shares his powerful journey from a radical Muslim involved in the Iranian Revolution to a follower of Christ. Raised in a devout Islamic context that viewed Christianity as corrupt, he rose to prominence as a religious figure and political activist under Ayatollah Khomeini. But after witnessing d...

Can church planting be done wrong? This episode of The Missions Show explores the debate around Church Planting Movements (CPMs), interacting with a Lausanne article that presents them as a highly effective missions strategy. Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford explain what CPMs are and why they generate both enthusiasm and concern, especially regarding their emphasis on rapid multiplication and minimal...

Did Canada just pass a bill that outlaws particular Bible teaching? This episode of The Missions Show explores the implications of Canada’s Bill C9 (the “Combating Hate Act”) and its potential impact on religious freedom, gospel proclamation, and missions. Guest John Taylor, ABWE missionary in Canada, explains that while the bill aims to curb violence and protect marginalized communities, its vagu...

How do you respond when people say that missions is colonialism? In this episode of The Missions Show , Alex and Scott tackle the increasingly common claim that missions is inherently colonialistic with guest Will Maxson. Prompted by real-world examples and cultural trends, they explore why this critique has gained traction, even within Christian institutions. Maxson acknowledges that while missio...

In April 2001, tragedy struck deep in the jungles of Peru when a missionary flight carrying the Bowers family was mistakenly shot down during a counternarcotics operation gone wrong. Roni Bowers and her infant daughter, Charity, were killed. Jim Bowers and his young son survived. Twenty-five years later, Jim joins Alex and Scott to reflect on that day and what Jim has learned about loss, faith, an...

How should we view Roman Catholicism on the mission field? In this episode of The Missions Show , Alex and Scott tackle the complex and often sensitive question of how Protestant missionaries should engage with Roman Catholics in the context of global missions. They emphasize that missions is not just about generic belief in Jesus, but about faithfully communicating the true gospel with doctrinal...

In this episode of The Missions Show , Alex and Scott speak with ABWE missionaries “Will and Beth McAuliffe” (pseudonyms) about their long journey toward serving among Arabic-speaking people. After years of preparation and ministry in the Middle East, their plans were unexpectedly disrupted when their daughter was born extremely premature with significant medical complications. The experience forc...

How does Scripture order our affections? In this episode, Alex and Scott unpack the historic Christian concept of the ordo amoris —the “order of loves”—and why it matters for missions today. Drawing from Alex’s new book Ordered to Love , they explore how Scripture and theologians like Augustine and Aquinas teach that our loves must be rightly ordered, beginning with God and flowing outward to fami...

How do we exercise discernment on the mission field? In this episode of The Missions Show , Alex and Scott examine common misunderstandings about global persecution and why discernment is essential when evaluating reports of suffering in the church. Drawing from missionary experience, they explain that persecution is not always dramatic or violent, but often appears as marginalization, stigma, or...

How do believers respond to the situation in Iran? In this episode, Scott Dunford talks with “Sam,” an ABWE missionary serving Persian and Iranian communities, about the crisis gripping Iran. Looking at ancient Persia's biblical roots, home of Daniel and Esther, to the 1979 Islamic Revolution that installed a Shiite theocracy, Iran’s story is both historic and volatile. Sam explains the regime’s i...

This week Alex and Scott are joined by ABWE missionary and Western Europe regional director Kyle Farran to explore what true, godly grit looks like in ministry. Rather than defining resilience by personality or overcoming high-pressure moments, they discuss grit as being formed through daily faithfulness, perseverance in the mundane, and steady trust in the Lord. Farran shares insights from Script...

Can reaching Thailand be the key to reaching all of Southeast Asia? In this episode of The Missions Show , Alex sits down with ABWE missionary Benjamin Collins to discuss gospel work in Thailand, a nation with long-standing missionary access yet less than one percent Christian. Ben shares about his role supporting church planters across the country and explains why Thailand remains a crucial missi...

What can the Puritans teach us about missions? This week, Alex is joined by Stephen Yuille, director of Puritan Publishing at Reformation Heritage Books , to explore who the Puritans really were and why they still matter for missions today. Yuille challenges common cultural caricatures of Puritanism, explaining that the Puritans were not merely dour moralists but a vibrant movement of pastors and...

Has global missions strayed from a biblical foundation? In this episode of The Missions Show , Alex and Scott talk with Pastor Jerry Slate Jr. to discuss the theological foundations and practical realities of faithful missionary work. The conversation centers on the question of what sustains missionaries through hardship, rejection, and long seasons of discouragement. Jerry, Alex, and Scott emphas...

Do you believe miracles can still happen? In this episode of The Missions Show , Scott is joined by Dr. Darren Carlson—pastor, author, and founder of Training Leaders International—to discuss the ongoing work of God as revealed in the book of Acts and experienced around the world today. Drawing from Carlson’s new book, Witness: Missional Devotions from the Book of Acts , the conversation explores...