Ten Mission Trip Land Mines

by Bill Allison
www.cadreministries.com

We had just put the finishing touches on what I thought was a great summer mission trip. For a number of people in our group, this was their first time on any sort of mission trip, and since I love watching God use first-hand mission experiences to transform lives, I was pumped up.

As our group was saying goodbye to our newly-made friends overseas, I watched a fifteen-year-old girl from our group walk over to a teenage male, a national and friend of the missionary who hosted us. I was sure she just wanted to say farewell to him. But she didnʼt say a word. To my total astonishment, she simply walked up to him, put her hands on his shoulders, tilted her head, leaned into him, and gave him a l o n g, s l o w k i s s... a kiss that, from my perspective, seemed to last for an eternity. The young man looked stunned but delighted. (Letʼs just say that he didnʼt run away crying to his mommy, nor did he file a sexual harassment complaint. He may, however, still be telling the story to his friends some twenty years later.) I, along with the rest of our group, the hosting missionaries, and the other national believers, didnʼt enjoy the kiss nearly as much. I felt my heart jump out of my chest and flop hopelessly on the ground in a mixture of blood-boiling anger and deep discouragement.

Talk about missing the point of a mission trip! How could she even think that was in the realm of the appropriate? How could we ever undo the collateral damage of this little but profoundly inappropriate goodbye kiss?

This young girl had stepped on a mission trip land mine. Our group and Godʼs work in that area of the world paid the price in damage.

Make no mistake about it: On a mission trip, the collateral damage of one small misstep could have a profoundly negative effect on you, your group, and your ministry.

The fact is that there are a lot of mission trip land mines buried just beneath the surface... waiting patiently... for you or someone from your group to make one wrong step. Shouldnʼt you know where these land mines are buried so you can avoid stepping on them?

Donʼt head out for that mission trip without first having each person in your group read, Ten Mission Trip Land Mines! Itʼs a FREE thirteen page PDF download especially for Cup O' Joe readers like you. Inside this FREE download, youʼll find:

1. Ten mission trip land mines and how you and your team can avoid them.
   
2. A Checklist Covenant that each person can sign.
   
3. A FREE mission trip training session—great for an orientation meeting.
   
4. Recommended training and devotional guide for mission trips.

To download the FREE thirteen page PDF of Ten Mission Trip Land Mines, GO HERE.

And of course, you have my enthusiastic permission to share the FREE thirteen page PDF of Ten Mission Trip Land Mines with everyone you know who is going going on a mission trip this summer!

It's FREE. It's for you to share with others. It's from your biggest fans... your missionaries of encouragement and equipping at Cadre Ministries.

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus

For the last several years, THE question I've been wrestling out loud with anyone who is even remotely interested has been: "What does first century Jesus-like disciplemaking look like in a twenty-first century Western culture?" I love wrestling this question... and trying to apply what I'm learning.

However, note that this question requires one to study first century Jesus-like disciplemaking. Of course, this requires reading and studying the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But, since I'm a product of the 21st century West, I also realized that I needed some help to tune into first century Eastern Jesus disciplemaking. But what resource should I consult? (And one should be careful on this point as there are some popular but not-so-reputable sources out there.)

Enter: Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus

If you've gotten lost in the conversation about Jesus as a rabbi and what his Jewishness means for Christians, this book is probably one of your best tickets to a basic understanding of Rabbi Jesus. For the most part it's enlightening, interesting, well-researched and well-written. It's not necessarily an easy read, but neither is it laden with academic speak. Theologically, the authors are Evangelical with expertise in first century Jewish culture. The glossary of terms in the back of the book could be worth the price of the book.

My favorite chapters are chapter 2 "Why a Jewish Rabbi," chapter 4 "Following the Rabbi," and chapter 5 "Get Yourself Some Haverim" (see, you need the glossary right now to know what Haverim is). Here are a few quotes I found stimulating—to give you a small taste of what you will find if you read the book for yourself:

"...a rabbi's greatest goal was to raise up disciples who would carry on his teaching." —page 33

"The mission of the rabbi was to become a living example of what it means to apply God's Word to one's life." —page 33

"To follow a rabbi meant something other than sitting in a classroom and absorbing his lectures. Rather, it involved a literal kind of following in which the disciples often traveled with, lived with, and imitated their rabbis, learning not only from what they said, but from what they did—from their reactions to everyday life as well as from the manner in which they lived. The task of the disciple was to become as much like the rabbi as possible. This approach to teaching is much more like a traditional apprenticeship than a modern classroom. This approach involves not just information but transformation." —page 51

"God's goal isn't simply to fill the world with people who believe the right things. It is to fill the world with people who shine with the brilliance of Christ." —page 64

Overall, I give it 4 on a 5 point scale. Having said that, let me say that Cadre Ministries is making it required reading for anyone in our Disciplemaking Learning Communities and any trainer that we train to lead Disciplemaking Is Relationships.




A Cracker Jack Moment
If you're still reading, here's a reward for you: to get a FREE PDF sample chapter download of the book, GO HERE.  To purchase this book, GO HERE.

For a FREE PDF downloadable study guide to accompany each chapter of the book, go here.

Stuff only God can do: Join me for a Woot Woot moment

Check out the pictures. Read the stories. It's stuff only God can do. Ain't it fun (though not necessarily easy) to be along for His ride? In the words of my teenagers: "Woot! Woot!" I encourage you to breathe your own prayers of "Woot! Woot!" to God as you read. Click any image below to enlarge for reading. To download this two page ministry update for reading, printing, or sharing, GO HERE.

Your prayers and financial support are much-needed and much-appreciated! For more information about how you can partner with God, the Allisons, and Cadre Ministries, GO HERE. To make a secure online tax-deductible donation, GO HERE.