Witnessing the Gospel in Context (Intro to Missions)

10/40 window

window b/t 10th and 40th latitudes; Contains bulk of unreached people in world and bulk of non-Christian religions

4/14 window

age where children are most likely to commit lives to Christ; ages in which most vulnerable

Business as mission

BAM; for-profit commercial business venture that’s Christ-led, to be used as missio Dei, operated cross-cultural environment

Church-planting movements

rapid multiplication of indigenous churches planting churches that sweeps thru a ppl group or population

Contextualization

Taking the gospel to new context and finding ways to communicate it so that it’s understandable to ppl in that context

Diaspora

contemporary scattering of ppls across the globe

Ecumenical Movement

20th century phenomenon of Protestant churches and demoninations working together in context of World Council of Churches w/ goal of achieving some type of external unity

Environmental mission

Mission that focuses on caring for environment and making disciples among all ppls

From everywhere to everywhere

Mission is 2-way everywhere in world; both sending and receiving ppl who serve in some capacity, whether as refugees, workers, missionaries, business ppl, etc

Glocalization

Intersection of global w/ local; global perspective while engaged in local setting

Holistic or integral mission

Mission in consideration of whole human needs - spiritual, social, personal; evangelism, church planting, development, and social transformation emphasized

Incarnational mission

Missionaries “incarnate” themselves into new context

Indigenous church

Church that fits into local culture

Indigenous missionary

Missionary from what once was considered to be a receiving nation

Insider movements

Movements to obedient faith in Christ that remain integrated w/ or inside natural community

Mainline denominations

Prominent denominations of 19th and 20th centuries in NA and Europe; Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, and United Church of Christ

Majority world

World outside of the “West”

Member care

Practice of caring for missionaries and families - emotional, psychological, social, physical, spiritual needs of messionaries

Missio dei

Latin: “mission of God”, God is the One who initiates and sustains mission; mission is God-centered but church has important role

missional

Participation in missio Dei

Mobilizer

A person who energizes a church or group of ppl and its resources for mission

Monastic mission

Missionaries who live a monastic lifestyle; simple lifestyle

Orality

Reliance on the spoken word rather than on writing

People groups

Usually defined and categorized by ethnic or linguistic terms

Reverse mission

Missionary engagement of ppl from countries that have received missionaries to send ppl to countries who’ve sent missionaries (ex: Asia —> America)

Shalom

Hebrew for peace; means wholeness, complleteness, soundness

Short-term missions

Trips w/ mission focus lasting 1 week-1 year-2 years

spiritual warfare

Reality that Satan doesn’t want ppl to convert to Christianity

Syncretism

Replacement of important truths of gospel w/ non-Christian elements

Tentmaking

Practice of paid employment to gain entry in cross-cultural setting

Transformation

Changing society by transforming unjust structures into just ones

Unreached peoples

People groups that have no access to gospel

missionary

Prepared disciple whom God sends into the world with his resources to make disciples for the kingdom