Most people in the U.S. do not know their neighbors. And those that do rarely move beyond names and a simple wave from the driveway. In my hemisphere, fall is upon us with winter to follow. The days grow shorter and colder, and even the neighborly waves grow fewer in […]
contextualization
You have heard me state on numerous occasions research is important. The use of the God-given tools we have to understand God’s world is a matter of Kingdom stewardship. We must be BOTH students of God’s Word AND His world. A great deal of my work over the years has […]
Know Your City
Communication breakdown is inevitable when it comes to disciple making. This is especially true when engaging in intercultural communication. Every team wants to reduce (or even eliminate) the cultural stumbling blocks they often set before others before giving them the stumbling block of the cross (1 Cor 1:23; 9:12; 2 […]
10 Ways to Understand People
Roland Allen was born on this date in 1868. He turned the world of missions upside down. Allen (1868-1947) was an Anglican, priest, missionary, author, and provocateur. While his influence was felt in the latter twentieth and twenty-first centuries, his views were often disregarded during his lifetime. Books such as Missionary […]
Roland Allen’s Birthday
Last week, I drove past the first KFC. I grew up in the small Southeastern Kentucky town of Corbin. Here is where the Colonel started frying it decades ago. My mother’s house is about two miles from the restaurant. As we visited for the holiday, she mentioned the place had […]
Christmas, Japan, and KFC
Our present pandemic has not only forced churches to host on-line worship gatherings, but led some to begin having conversations about transitioning to house church models. I have heard more discussions regarding house churches in the past five months than in the last several years. But what makes a house […]