This is the SECOND in a four part series on Rob Bell’s new book, Love Wins, by Timothy C. Tennent, PhD, President of Asbury Theological Seminary My problem with Rob Bell is not so much with his diagnostics regarding contemporary popular evangelicalism, as it is with his prescription. The real question is not whether Rob […]
Part One: Why Rob Bell needs to return to Seminary… and bring along quite a few contemporary evangelical pastors
This is the first of a four part series on Rob Bell’s new book, Love Wins, by Timothy C. Tennent, Ph.D., President of Asbury Theological Seminary Rob Bell is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a graduate of Wheaton College and Fuller Theological Seminary. Rob Bell’s latest book, Love […]
Top Ten Mission Trends in the 21st Century: How Missionaries Are Sent Out Today Is Dramatically Changing
9. HOW MISSIONARIES ARE SENT OUT TODAY IS DRAMATICALLY CHANGING. When we think about missionary support, many of us think about a denominational effort which sponsors and supports missionaries who are working in various parts of the world. For example, many denominations participate in a centralized support structure whereby the denomination collects money which, in […]
Top Ten Mission Trends in the 21st Century: Rise of the Pentecostal Church
8. PENTECOSTAL CHRISTIANITY IS THE FASTEST GROWING SEGMENT OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE WORLD. For centuries the church has thought of itself as existing in three major branches: Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox. Within each of these branches there are, of course, countless smaller orders, denominations and bodies of believers. One of the most dramatic changes […]
Top Ten Mission Trends in the 21st Century: Church Planting
7. THE GOAL OF MISSIONS AND THE GREAT COMMISSION IS CHURCH PLANTING The gospels record that the last act of Jesus prior to His ascension was to deliver a final commission to his disciples. Today, this is known as the Great Commission. A close examination of the gospels reveals that Jesus issued the Great Commission […]
Top Ten Mission Trends in the 21st Century: Evangelism vs. Mission
6. THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EVANGELISM AND MISSIONS There is a widespread confusion in local churches today in discerning the difference between the evangelistic mandate of the church and the missionary mandate of the church. This confusion has led many churches to claim a wide array of mission activities which are actually, in […]
Top Ten Mission Trends in the 21st Century: Taking Advantage of Our Growing Knowledge
5. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR GROWING KNOWLEDGE OF NON-CHRISTIAN PEOPLES Going out as a missionary was very different in previous generations compared with today. It wasn’t that many years ago when a young person would present themselves at the altar of a church and declare their desire to become a foreign missionary and in due […]
Top Ten Mission Trends in the 21st Century: Pros and Cons of Short Term Missions
4. SHORT TERM MISSIONS IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS AND THE WORST THINGS WHICH HAS EVER HAPPENED TO MISSIONS IN THE LOCAL CHURCH One of the most frequently asked questions is whether I think short-term missions is a healthy or destructive trend in the church today. Nearly all pastors are aware of the dramatic […]
Top Ten Mission Trends in the 21st Century: Wisely Investing Our Resources
3. AS A CHURCH WHERE DO WE INVEST OUR RESOURCES? With the growing interest in the globalization of Christianity and the unprecedented travel of Christians around the world, it is not unusual for churches to be overwhelmed with financial requests to support various missions projects around the world. Since resources are limited, churches must be […]
Top Ten Mission Trends in the 21st Century: Urban Context of Missions
2. THE URBAN CONTEXT OF MISSIONS Many people still conceive of the typical mission field as a remote jungle area with half-dressed natives who have never heard of a telephone, much less the gospel of Jesus Christ.[1] This mental paradigm has been reinforced through the biographies of Western missionaries from the 19th century who often […]