When I wrote Strangers Next Door (2012), I shared stories of churches that caught the vision of reaching unreached peoples who had migrated into their neighborhoods. These churches–with these new believers–then followed those social networks across the world to reach others. In today’s post, I want to draw your attention […]
Diaspora
For several years now, brothers have been coming to me asking a similar question, “Where are the greatest needs in the United States where I should plant a church?” My immediate response usually is something like: “Go to the 300,000 Indian Hindus in New York. The 60,000 Somalis in Columbus. […]
That Deer in the Headlights Look
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life recently released an important report on the religious affiliations of international migrants. I sent out a few tweets linking readers to Pew’s site and the fascinating interactive maps. If you have not seen them, you need to check them out HERE and […]
Missions To, Through, and Beyond the Diasporas
In my last post, I shared 5 of the key global migration trends of 2011 according to the “World Migration Report 2011“. Regional overviews are also found in this document. Gone are the days of missions being geographically defined. We presently live in an age where the lines are blurred […]
Regional International Migration Trends
I had told my students not to be surprised when it happened to them. Now while I had not personally experienced it, I had been waiting for the day when it would happen to me. Finally, it occurred–I got to meet my first, real-live foreign missionary! Not a big deal? […]
Missions in Reverse?
While I am still catching up on my Cape Town 2010 video viewing, I watched this six minute plenary presentation by Dr. Sadiri Joy Tira on the Great Commission opportunities resulting from the movement of peoples across the globe. You need to watch this clip. Dr. Tira reminds us that […]