lim World - Missions Resource Network

Brad Crisp
Joyce Hardin
Ron Holland
Evertt Huffard
Van Kimbro
Earl Lavender
Pat Lawson
SUMMER NEWSLETTER
Truitt Adair
Estellene Allen
Mark Brewer
Tod Brown
Justin Chamblee
Winston Chong
Seth Cowan
Carol Manley
Barry Packer
Tebogo Ramatsui
Joel Reed
Daniel Rodriguez
Ken Shumard
Vittorio Vitalone
Staff:
Dan Bouchelle, President
Jay Jarboe, VP of Ministry Operations
Mark Brazle, Director for Missionary Care
Dottie Schulz, Co-Director for Missionary Care
Chris Shelby, Director for African Missions
Phil Jackson, Director for European Missions
Mark Hooper, Director for Asian Missions
Marti Van Roy, Office Manager
Kelley Spies, Bookkeeper
Greg Williams, Facilitator for Sustainable Missions
Evertt Huffard, Church Equipper
Karen Yarbrough, Director of Development
Rita Thornton, Administrative Assistant
2016
ill or estate.
w
r
u
o
y
in
N
R
er placing M
Please consid
Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Sample
1234 Anywhere Drive
Any City, US 56789
www.MRNet.org
Four Ways We Can Serve Your Church
EDITORIAL
2
Mobilizing for
Europe
www.MRNet.org
[email protected] • Toll Free 1.888.641.2229
30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World
One of the exciting things that happened at
MRN in June was a major prayer effort for the
Muslim world, with a particular focus around
the Mediterranean rim (which includes North
Africa, the Middle East, and Southern Europe).
We believe God is at work in that region of the
world and we want to engage the many emerging
opportunities among Muslim people who are
searching for a faith of peace. We decided to
challenge and encourage brothers and sisters
around the world to embrace what God is doing
though a unified commitment to prayer.
Beginning June 6, we launched 30 days of Prayer
for the Muslim world. This prayer coincided with
the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, during which
Muslim peoples prayed and
fasted for 30 days. On the
last day of Ramadan, July
5th, we called on 100,000
people to join together in
prayer for Muslim people
in the Mediterranean rim,
that they will come to know
Jesus Christ.
While our 30 days of prayer
may have ended, our
response to what God is
calling his people to do is
just beginning. If you want
to hear more, call us!
3
How MRN serves can be defined by the four terms
above. This issue, we’ll focus on MOBILIZING, a
term we frequently use at MRN. What do you think
of when you hear that word?
Our friend Rick Atchley once said about Churches of
Christ, “We are so autonomous we are anonymous.”
We know what he means. Sometimes in our focus
on respecting the role of the individual congregation,
we lose sight of opportunities to accomplish more
together because we don’t always know what is
happening outside our church.
Jesus’ final command calls us to take the good news
of Jesus to what is now well over 7 billion people
in 200+ countries on 6 continents. It requires us
to engage thousands of people groups, each with
unique languages and cultures, and all of them in
transition as they progress through the numerous
forces reshaping our increasingly globalized world.
Missions involves every church, but it can quickly
outstrip the capacity of individual congregations to serve
well alone. That is not only true for American churches
but for churches around the world as they mature and
develop the capacity and heart for global missions.
That is where MRN comes in. MRN seeks to be
the connective tissue that helps churches and
ministries around the world connect and serve
well together – mobilizing – without trying to
control or direct anyone. We are paying attention
to what God is doing all over the world and have a
grasp on the global forces reshaping our world. We
see vast opportunities for partnership. We have a
network of relationships on each continent and are
already connecting churches and ministries for more
powerful global service together.
In just the last 5 years, MRN has connected 31 global
ministries for better service together. Whether through
our Global Launch Sites, Mid-Term Missionaries,
Resource Sustainability, or our developing
Mediterranean Rim Initiative (which you’ll read about
in Dan Bouchelle’s editorial), we are committed to
casting vision to advance God’s work together.
DFW
Missions
Benefit Dinner
New Global
Launch Site
4
30 Days of
Prayer for the
Muslim World
Partner with MRN
2016 DFW Missions
AN EDITORIAL FROM THE PRESIDENT
BENEFIT DINNER
On June 6th, we began a major prayer initiative for the Islamic world in conjunction with the month of Ramadan.
We wanted prayer to be the first step in a larger response to a call from God to address one of the most significant
opportunities for the Kingdom in our lifetimes.
WRITTEN BY:
Dan Bouchelle,
MRN President
Committed Jesus-followers in Europe have an immediate opportunity that challenges churches globally to mobilize
together in response. Years of immigration from Africa and the Middle East to Europe, recently accelerated by Islamic
extremism, has brought people from inaccessible nations and placed them in accessible countries. Many people view
this migration of people from Africa and the Middle East as only a threat. But we also need to see God creating new
hope for the expansion of Jesus’ reign to people from hard-to-reach countries.
Now is the time to think and work more broadly regarding European missions. European
efforts must include a major outreach to the non-Christian immigrant populations from North Africa
and the Middle East. We can now take the gospel to the Middle East and Africa through Europe,
while also creating powerful movements of disciples who can begin to impact the dominant European
peoples as well.
MRN is seeking to
mobilize churches around
the world to engage in
making disciples among
Muslim immigrants in
Europe who can take the gospel back to hardto-access countries in North Africa and the
Middle East. While MRN has relationships in
Europe and Africa necessary to proceed, we
need the support of Christians in America to
make this effort possible. MRN will provide
the connections, logistics, and coordination to
help this vision become a strategy. MRN will
foster a network to join what God is doing in Europe in a more powerful way than any congregation or mission team could
do alone. This is a potential for mobilizing, possibly only comparable to the first century church that we read about in Acts.
We are looking for churches that will capture this vision and build their missions ministries around these opportunities. We are
looking for disciples who MRN can train as disciple-makers to engage immigrant communities in order to prayerfully equip and
empower them to reach their own people groups, including, in some cases, launching them back to their home nations.
What a great time of encouragement and fellowship was enjoyed with missions friends at our annual Dallas-Fort Worth Missions Benefit Dinner
on April 15th! The enthusiasm was contagious as brothers and sisters from 25 or more missions ministries and churches shared an evening
focused on joining God in His mission. There were so many special moments….the stirring call to prayer for the Muslim world led by Chris Shelby
(Director for African Missions) with Phil Jackson (Director for European Missions) and members of supporting churches… the presentation of our
annual “Antioch Award” to Dr. David Hatfield on behalf of the Downtown church in Searcy, Arkansas, for their missions heart and commitment…
and the honoring of Sam and Nancy Shewmaker with our annual “Crystal Globe Award” for their years of sharing God’s message of redemption
in Africa. We talked about our deep commitment to helping ministries, churches and mission workers toward increasingly effective Kingdom
service, through the mobilizing, equipping, preparing and caring we provide. In particular, we shared four stories that describe aspects of our
caring: equipping a sending church to care for their missionaries with excellence; helping prepare family members to graciously release their
missionary children to God’s work; encouraging and coaching mission workers while on the field, and walking with a family who experienced a
traumatic re-entry. (You can see these inspirational stories for yourself at www.MRNet.org/media.) We are grateful for the many friends who
were able to be a part of this special evening, and who continue to link arms with us as we serve in God’s mission together.
Crystal Globe award received by
Sam and Nancy Shewmaker
Dan Bouchelle, MRN President
Antioch Award received by Downtown
Church of Christ, Searcy, AR
Jay Jarboe, MRN VP
Van Kimbro, MRN Board Chair
Chris Shelby, MRN Africa –
call to prayer
New Global Launch Site Partnership
We are excited to announce that God has blessed us to form a Global Launch Site
Will you or your church join what God is doing in Europe? Please be in prayer, and let us know if you would like to
visit more about this opportunity. Email me at [email protected].
partnership with Korea Christian University in Seoul, Korea. We’re looking forward
to seeing how God will use our
partnership to help train disciples
to go into all the world.
2
3
2016 DFW Missions
AN EDITORIAL FROM THE PRESIDENT
BENEFIT DINNER
On June 6th, we began a major prayer initiative for the Islamic world in conjunction with the month of Ramadan.
We wanted prayer to be the first step in a larger response to a call from God to address one of the most significant
opportunities for the Kingdom in our lifetimes.
WRITTEN BY:
Dan Bouchelle,
MRN President
Committed Jesus-followers in Europe have an immediate opportunity that challenges churches globally to mobilize
together in response. Years of immigration from Africa and the Middle East to Europe, recently accelerated by Islamic
extremism, has brought people from inaccessible nations and placed them in accessible countries. Many people view
this migration of people from Africa and the Middle East as only a threat. But we also need to see God creating new
hope for the expansion of Jesus’ reign to people from hard-to-reach countries.
Now is the time to think and work more broadly regarding European missions. European
efforts must include a major outreach to the non-Christian immigrant populations from North Africa
and the Middle East. We can now take the gospel to the Middle East and Africa through Europe,
while also creating powerful movements of disciples who can begin to impact the dominant European
peoples as well.
MRN is seeking to
mobilize churches around
the world to engage in
making disciples among
Muslim immigrants in
Europe who can take the gospel back to hardto-access countries in North Africa and the
Middle East. While MRN has relationships in
Europe and Africa necessary to proceed, we
need the support of Christians in America to
make this effort possible. MRN will provide
the connections, logistics, and coordination to
help this vision become a strategy. MRN will
foster a network to join what God is doing in Europe in a more powerful way than any congregation or mission team could
do alone. This is a potential for mobilizing, possibly only comparable to the first century church that we read about in Acts.
We are looking for churches that will capture this vision and build their missions ministries around these opportunities. We are
looking for disciples who MRN can train as disciple-makers to engage immigrant communities in order to prayerfully equip and
empower them to reach their own people groups, including, in some cases, launching them back to their home nations.
What a great time of encouragement and fellowship was enjoyed with missions friends at our annual Dallas-Fort Worth Missions Benefit Dinner
on April 15th! The enthusiasm was contagious as brothers and sisters from 25 or more missions ministries and churches shared an evening
focused on joining God in His mission. There were so many special moments….the stirring call to prayer for the Muslim world led by Chris Shelby
(Director for African Missions) with Phil Jackson (Director for European Missions) and members of supporting churches… the presentation of our
annual “Antioch Award” to Dr. David Hatfield on behalf of the Downtown church in Searcy, Arkansas, for their missions heart and commitment…
and the honoring of Sam and Nancy Shewmaker with our annual “Crystal Globe Award” for their years of sharing God’s message of redemption
in Africa. We talked about our deep commitment to helping ministries, churches and mission workers toward increasingly effective Kingdom
service, through the mobilizing, equipping, preparing and caring we provide. In particular, we shared four stories that describe aspects of our
caring: equipping a sending church to care for their missionaries with excellence; helping prepare family members to graciously release their
missionary children to God’s work; encouraging and coaching mission workers while on the field, and walking with a family who experienced a
traumatic re-entry. (You can see these inspirational stories for yourself at www.MRNet.org/media.) We are grateful for the many friends who
were able to be a part of this special evening, and who continue to link arms with us as we serve in God’s mission together.
Crystal Globe award received by
Sam and Nancy Shewmaker
Dan Bouchelle, MRN President
Antioch Award received by Downtown
Church of Christ, Searcy, AR
Jay Jarboe, MRN VP
Van Kimbro, MRN Board Chair
Chris Shelby, MRN Africa –
call to prayer
New Global Launch Site Partnership
We are excited to announce that God has blessed us to form a Global Launch Site
Will you or your church join what God is doing in Europe? Please be in prayer, and let us know if you would like to
visit more about this opportunity. Email me at [email protected].
partnership with Korea Christian University in Seoul, Korea. We’re looking forward
to seeing how God will use our
partnership to help train disciples
to go into all the world.
2
3
Brad Crisp
Joyce Hardin
Ron Holland
Evertt Huffard
Van Kimbro
Earl Lavender
Pat Lawson
SUMMER NEWSLETTER
Truitt Adair
Estellene Allen
Mark Brewer
Tod Brown
Justin Chamblee
Winston Chong
Seth Cowan
Carol Manley
Barry Packer
Tebogo Ramatsui
Joel Reed
Daniel Rodriguez
Ken Shumard
Vittorio Vitalone
Staff:
Dan Bouchelle, President
Jay Jarboe, VP of Ministry Operations
Mark Brazle, Director for Missionary Care
Dottie Schulz, Co-Director for Missionary Care
Chris Shelby, Director for African Missions
Phil Jackson, Director for European Missions
Mark Hooper, Director for Asian Missions
Marti Van Roy, Office Manager
Kelley Spies, Bookkeeper
Greg Williams, Facilitator for Sustainable Missions
Evertt Huffard, Church Equipper
Karen Yarbrough, Director of Development
Rita Thornton, Administrative Assistant
2016
ill or estate.
w
r
u
o
y
in
N
R
er placing M
Please consid
Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Sample
1234 Anywhere Drive
Any City, US 56789
www.MRNet.org
Four Ways We Can Serve Your Church
EDITORIAL
2
Mobilizing for
Europe
www.MRNet.org
[email protected] • Toll Free 1.888.641.2229
30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World
One of the exciting things that happened at
MRN in June was a major prayer effort for the
Muslim world, with a particular focus around
the Mediterranean rim (which includes North
Africa, the Middle East, and Southern Europe).
We believe God is at work in that region of the
world and we want to engage the many emerging
opportunities among Muslim people who are
searching for a faith of peace. We decided to
challenge and encourage brothers and sisters
around the world to embrace what God is doing
though a unified commitment to prayer.
Beginning June 6, we launched 30 days of Prayer
for the Muslim world. This prayer coincided with
the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, during which
Muslim peoples prayed and
fasted for 30 days. On the
last day of Ramadan, July
5th, we called on 100,000
people to join together in
prayer for Muslim people
in the Mediterranean rim,
that they will come to know
Jesus Christ.
While our 30 days of prayer
may have ended, our
response to what God is
calling his people to do is
just beginning. If you want
to hear more, call us!
3
How MRN serves can be defined by the four terms
above. This issue, we’ll focus on MOBILIZING, a
term we frequently use at MRN. What do you think
of when you hear that word?
Our friend Rick Atchley once said about Churches of
Christ, “We are so autonomous we are anonymous.”
We know what he means. Sometimes in our focus
on respecting the role of the individual congregation,
we lose sight of opportunities to accomplish more
together because we don’t always know what is
happening outside our church.
Jesus’ final command calls us to take the good news
of Jesus to what is now well over 7 billion people
in 200+ countries on 6 continents. It requires us
to engage thousands of people groups, each with
unique languages and cultures, and all of them in
transition as they progress through the numerous
forces reshaping our increasingly globalized world.
Missions involves every church, but it can quickly
outstrip the capacity of individual congregations to serve
well alone. That is not only true for American churches
but for churches around the world as they mature and
develop the capacity and heart for global missions.
That is where MRN comes in. MRN seeks to be
the connective tissue that helps churches and
ministries around the world connect and serve
well together – mobilizing – without trying to
control or direct anyone. We are paying attention
to what God is doing all over the world and have a
grasp on the global forces reshaping our world. We
see vast opportunities for partnership. We have a
network of relationships on each continent and are
already connecting churches and ministries for more
powerful global service together.
In just the last 5 years, MRN has connected 31 global
ministries for better service together. Whether through
our Global Launch Sites, Mid-Term Missionaries,
Resource Sustainability, or our developing
Mediterranean Rim Initiative (which you’ll read about
in Dan Bouchelle’s editorial), we are committed to
casting vision to advance God’s work together.
DFW
Missions
Benefit Dinner
New Global
Launch Site
4
30 Days of
Prayer for the
Muslim World
Partner with MRN