Is God calling you?

Fellow missionary, Kevin: Somewhere in South America serving just to the south of us, asks whether God might be calling more of us to plant our lives overseas than have responded.

Let's be generous for a moment. Let's say that there are one billion evangelical believers in the world. I think that is a little high, personally; but let's call it an even billion, as some claim.

Of those one billion, how many do think are missionaries? Go ahead, take a guess.

Would you believe about 98 thousand? I jest not. Ninety-eight thousand, give or take a few, have responded to the call of God.

Now the world is at an estimated 6.7 billion. One billion of those are evangelical believers. Ninety-eight thousand are missionaries, those men and women who carry the gospel around the world to others who have not yet believed...

...let's just suppose that those 98 thousand are represented by the thickness of one sheet of paper. One sheet of standard paper is .0038 inches thick...

...If that represents all the evangelical missionaries of the world, then it would take a stack of paper some 31,000 feet high to represent all the evangelicals of the world. Shades of Mount Everest, folks! I can't even get my mind around the ratio for the other 5.7 billion left in the world.

Do you think that perhaps God may be calling more than those 98 thousand who have responded?

Is He calling you? Have you ever really prayed about it? Can you say with complete truthfulness, "I definitely know He is NOT calling me to serve Him overseas?"

Might I be so bold to suggest, unless the Lord of the Harvest has made it quite clear He does NOT want you to go, maybe He intends you to GO!

Do any of Bryan Riley's suggestions for Sure-fire ways to avoid becoming a missionary hit too close to home?

What are you waiting for? If you were the Lord of the Harvest, would you be content with a response rate representing a single sheet of paper lying at the bottom of a stack piled as high as Mt. Everest? Just asking.

Why are we so afraid of NT house churches?

I have been thrilled to see the growing interest for house churches in the North American context and especially amongst my Southern Baptist brethren. As IMB-SBC missionaries, most of us are engaged in training, teaching, and planting NT house churches much like the one described below.

A while back on sbcImpact! blogging friend, Geoff Baggett, asked his readers (mostly Southern Baptist) House Churches: Will They Really Work In North America?

The following phrases were lifted from the 67 comments generated from that post. To be fair to those commenting, I would encourage you to read their complete thoughts in context. Most are fairly common objections about house churches heard quite often...

...accountability and proper doctrine would be my two red flags

...the rise of house churches is more of mark of unhealthiness

...house churches are dominated by people who do not want to submit themselves to the leadership of the church

...the lack of biblically trained leadership would often create an environment rich in heresy

...early churches meeting in homes, is that descriptive or prescriptive?

...I tend to think of this as more a reaction against the mega church and mega-wannabe

...I think that house churches work better in some cultures than in other cultures

...To me, the key biblical point is not where the church meets. The key point is whether the pastor meets the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

...House churches work well in places where there is persecution and a need for secret meeting places.

...I don't think it would work in my context...

Rather than spend time refuting each of the above concerns, I would rather share what DOES take place in a house church gathering (at least in our Guayaquil, Ecuador context.)

After reading, you can judge for yourself if any of the above are relevant concerns.

1) At 6:30 pm we began with 15-20 adults and several children, meeting in the home of the church planter, which also doubles as a beauty parlor during the week. All the hair dressing equipment had been moved to another room to make space for the plastic chairs that were set up in a circle. It was very hot and crowded, but nobody seemed to mind (except the visiting missionaries!)

2) We sang a cappella 2 hymns, 1 psalm, and 1 praise chorus, all chosen at random by those present from tattered song books and a few xeroxed copies. No instruments--nobody there could play--no praise band, no over-head projected screens, no PowerPoint presentations, no choir, no microphones, pulpit, or any of the other "essentials" that many consider necessary in order to have "church." The singing was off-key, but it was a loud, heartfelt joyful sound!

3) Several people shared testimonies of how God is working in their lives and what God had been teaching them this past week from His Word. There was an open time of prayer with several people praying for one another as they were led of the Spirit.

4) The church planter led in a participatory inductive Bible study of Matthew 10. The focus was on persecution and how we are to confront it as Christians. There were no theologians quoted, books referenced, Greek word studies--just pure Bible, verse by verse. The illustrations were all from their own personal life experiences. Lots of participation, questions, and dialogue. The visual aid was a piece of newspaper print with the main points handwritten and taped to the wall.

5) We next observed the Lord's Supper as commanded by Jesus...1 Cor.11:23ff was read, followed by several moments of silent confession of sins. 3-4 people shared testimonies of what Christ meant to them and how grateful we all were for what Jesus had done for us. While partaking of the elements we sang a love song to Jesus. [NOTE: Here one might have reason to raise an eye brow--they used Ritz crackers and grape Kool Aid instead of unleavened bread and wine--but nevertheless, what was done, was done in remembrance of Jesus.]

6) An invited guest was introduced and it was quickly ascertained she was not a believer. At that point 2-3 shared with her their stories of how Christ had turned their lives around. A couple of others shared relevant scripture verses with her. The lady asked us to pray for her sick husband. Several people gathered around her, and did just that. The woman appeared very moved by the prayer and concern.

7) The offering was then collected with nearly everyone putting something in the small basket. I was one of the last to give. It appeared like there was less than $5 in total. All the proceeds of the offering were to go for #8 below.

8) Several minutes were spent going over details for next Sunday's evangelistic blitz of the whole neighborhood. This little church is dead set on winning their whole community to Christ. The offering collected tonight would be added to the previous weeks offerings and help buy needed tracts, Bibles, and EvangeCubes for the outreach event. If any money was left over, they planned on using it to buy cool drinks for all those who would be out sharing in the hot sun.

9) As they continued to talk about the planned door-to-door evangelistic blitz, refreshments were brought out. Each of us was served on a saucer a half slice of white bread, an empanada (fried meat pie), a spoonful of tuna fish (straight out of the can), one tiny cookie, and a small glass of soda pop. There were only eight glasses for 20+ people so most had to share a glass (we guests got our own glass and didn't have to share.) We sat around visiting, laughing, and sharing for about a half hour. I noticed that while we ate, several continued to gather around the visitor and were making her feel at home in the group as they chatted with her.

10) As the clean-up proceeded, the other IMB missionary, who was also visiting, was asked to share about her work with the Chinese. She taught us a song in Chinese, and we prayed for the Chinese in our city. Many questions were asked of her to better understand these odd "Samaritans" that live among us. Everyone was moved that there are so many Chinese in Guayaquil who do not know the Lord, and are actually Buddhists rather than Catholics.

11) A little after 9pm the meeting came to a natural close. Everyone hugged, kissed one another on the cheek and we all went home happy that we had been together in the "house of the Lord."

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THREE QUESTIONS: What part of the above is not New Testament? What would be objectionable, even by Baptist standards? Do not these kind of gatherings closer resemble what we find in the pages of Acts and the Epistles than today's churches?

Again, go through the above list of house church concerns/objections and see if any are really relevant to what actually took place in what is, a typical house church gathering in Guayaquil.

Your thoughts and observations are welcome!

Better yet, contact us by email (in our profile) and help us reach an unreached/under-reached county of our province. Maybe by coming down and helping plant a church will dispel any remaining doubts about house churches being New Testament churches.

Conversational Prayer

Over the years of working with house/simple churches one of the most meaningful aspects of our gatherings are the prayer times. We encourage church planters to vary group prayer times so that they are more participatory. One of these is conversational prayer.

*Conversational Prayer:

• Acknowledge God’s presence in the group. Praise and adoration is always good to help focus the group on communicating with the Lord.


• Pray short prayers of one, two or three sentences.


• Pray about one subject, idea or person at a time until everyone has shared as much and as often as prompted by the Spirit.


• Be reluctant to change the subject as you would in any conversation until everyone is finished with it.


• Times of silence can give the timid and the thoughtful time to contribute.


• The more the conversation with God is passed around the group the deeper the intimacy grows. In time a small group becomes totally unified and purely transparent.


• Watch God’s love flow freely, lives transform and answers to prayer abound.

*I am not sure who first sent me these suggestions for conversational prayer, but they have worked well for us over the years. I am thinking it may have been Gail Graves or John White. Anyway, whoever sent them, thanks!

My secret for good health

Just about everyone out there has a life changing gadget, diet or formula for good health and well being. Well, after 45 years, I am finally joining the ranks and will now disclose my own special secret to good health and well-being.

Get yourself a SanDisk Sanza Fuze mp3 player.

That's right. For me it has been the key to healthy living. Seriously!

--I have lost weight
--feel more energetic
--reduced my chronic migraines by 85%
--sleep better at nights and wake up early and refreshed
--feel less stressed
--have not been sick for many months now
--find myself in the best physical shape I have been in since high school

And all this, thanks, to my Sansa Fuze health gadget!

For years I have struggled to exercise, eat correctly, and do all those things we are supposed to do to be healthy. But nothing...repeat...NOTHING has worked, that is, until I bought my portable mp3 player.

Here's my brief testimonial success story (SanDisk ought to pay me a promotional fee for plugging their product like this!)

It all started one day as I was wandering up and down the aisles of an electronics store in San Antonio, TX. I chanced upon SanDisk mp3 players on sale. My two kids and wife already had their own (my wife an iPod) so felt guilty about spending money for a fourth one. But the price was just too good to pass up, so I bought myself a shiny red 4GB Sansa Fuze.

Like most of you reading, I have tried everything over the years with little success and no lasting results to show for all the effort, hunger cravings, sacrifice, and sweat.

I can think of fewer things I hate more than exercising--I absolutely hate every second.

Dieting...well that is a source of marital stress and tension, so that has never worked for more than 2-3 days at most.

Then I went through a phase where I got myself a stationary bike and would watch TV while exercising. The problem with that one is there are just too many commercials on TV and I have zero tolerance for commercials. So then I progressed to watching DVD movies (without commercials), but, that too, didn't work because I don't like wasting a good movie while sweating on a stationary bike. I'd much rather watch a good flick with a large bowl of butter popcorn, Coke, and my easy chair!

So what was it about the mp3 player that has made all the difference?

I LOVE BOOKS...I HATE EXERCISING. (You can probably guess where this is headed.) About nine months ago, I began downloading and listening to audio books (and podcasts) while going for morning walks. I was totally engrossed in the audio content and without even realizing it, was walking 30-40 minutes six days a week.

I have now been following this daily routine consistently for close to a year. It is the only thing I am doing. But the results have been amazing.

Now, to be honest, my secret success formula for good health is no rapid weight-loss plan. I have only lost an average of about 1 pound per month, but I FEEL so much better, have a lot more energy, and have lost more weight than all the combined efforts of the previous 20 years!

Lately I have tried to do something about the eating side of things. Dieting and low-fat eating are just not my cup of tea. I love my sweets, fried foods, snacks, carbs, etc. But what I have begun doing, though, is eating LESS of all these yummy things. Instead of 4 slices of pizza, it's now two. Instead of six panes de yuca, I stop after enjoying four.

The net result has been dramatic--at least for me. I am thinking about writing a book, "How to lose a pound a month and feel great by doing nothing more than listening to audio books!" The $19.95 sticker price could help finance some of our missions projects. Who knows, maybe it could even surpass Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life" (which by-the-way is on my list to download!)

So, what works for you? What do you do for good health? Do you have a secret the rest of us could benefit from?

Is shepherding a spiritual gift or a church office?

One of the on-going topics that continues to generate discussion amongst my peers is the role of women in church planting, and especially as these begin to take on more and more of a shepherding role with the new believers being added to the flock they have helped plant.

One of my missionary colleagues writes...

Could it be that, in the biblical sense, that a woman could be a pastor in the city/region church just as there were women prophetesses and a female apostle in the city/region church, but that women...not be elders in the house churches?

I confess these thoughts have gone through my mind as well: women functioning as Ephesians 4 apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers in the city/region church, and only men as "elders" of local assemblies.

In most of the churches we relate to we don't refer to leadership (whether men or women) as pastors. We don't use titles. All of us are hermanos(as) brothers/sisters. We teach that ALL believers are servants and ministers of the Gospel. Both men and women alike are charged with fulfilling the Great Commission. That package includes: going, making disciples, baptizing, and teaching.

Peter's own words in 2Pet2: "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood...that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light..." You=all of us.

Our part is to "make disciples." His to "build his church." When half of the work force are women, it only makes sense that a good percentage have shepherding gifts, as well as all the other lists of spiritual gifts mentioned in Paul's writings.

So, is shepherding/pastoring a spiritual gift (function) or a church office?

Because of what we have seen and experienced over the years, I personally lean towards shepherding as a spiritual gift (function) given for building up the body of Christ. I have seen plenty of evidence that the Spirit indeed gives this gift to certain sisters, just as He gives this gift to certain brothers.

What I have a hard time finding in the pages of the NT is where shepherding/pastoring is referred to as a church office. I don't see church offices in the New Testament. But do see much attention given to serving one another and to spiritual gifts for the building up of the Body of Christ.

That some sisters are given the gift to shepherd other believers seems perfectly normal--except, of course, when you make shepherding an OFFICE, and we know from the Baptist Faith and Message that women pastors is a no-no! But, then again, I don't see in the NT where pastor/shepherd is ever referred to as an office.

In Paul's two lists of ministries the Holy Spirit has given to the church for her edification--1 Cor.12:28 and Eph.4:11--only in the later do we find pastors being mentioned, and in neither are these referred to as offices. (If you see something different, please share book, chapter, verses. And if you use 1 Tim.3:1 where 'office' is used in some English translations, please point out to me how the term 'office' is arrived at from the Greek.)

Would it then be correct to say only men will be "elders" of local assemblies, but any believer (male or female) who possesses shepherding gifts, be encouraged to use their spiritually imparted gift to build up the church? In such a scenario, male elders (plural) would share the shepherding and care of the local church with all those who possess the gift and aspire to shepherd/oversee/pastor.

So, to recap, women cannot be pastors--in the sense of title or office. Why? Because offices and church titles are not to be found in the NT. But it also seems Biblical to say any sister who is spiritually gifted in shepherding ought to exercise their gift. Agree? Disagree?

Still open for input and instruction from anyone out there caring to share your thoughts on the matter. What's your take on this matter? Please share your understanding of these matters with us so that we might be corrected if we are wrong, and affirmed if we are headed in the right direction.

The pineapple story

Remember the pineapple story about the missionary to New Guinea who kept getting his pineapples stolen? Like many others, I was first introduced to this remarkable story through one of the Bill Gothard, Institutes of Basic Youth Conflicts back in the 70's.

I had always assumed the story was fictional to illustrate some of the spiritual truths being taught at the seminars. Recently a friend emailed me a website where the "real" New Guinea missionary, Otto Koning, shares what happened through this preserved video recording.

If you like stories that are hilariously funny, challenge your thinking, inspiring, full of adventure, deep spiritual lessons, cross-cultural insights, and offer descriptions of everyday life on the mission field, you'll love taking a few minutes to hear Bro. Otto's testimony. I guarantee this beats anything you'll watch on TV this weekend, so enjoy, and feel free to share any thoughts you might have.

Great evangelism and missions quotes

EVANGELISM is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. --D. T. Niles

If your Gospel isn't touching others, it hasn't touched you! --Curry R. Blake

We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God. — John Stott

The greatest hindrances to the evangelization of the world are those within the church. --John R. Mott

The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed. --Hudson Taylor

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. --Jim Elliot

People who don't believe in missions have not read the New Testament. Right from the beginning Jesus said the field is the world. The early church took Him at His word and went East, West, North and South. -- J. Howard Edington

The Holy Spirit can’t save saints or seats. If we don’t know any non-Christians, how can we introduce them to the Savior? --Paul Little

Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. — John Piper

Evangelization is a process of bringing the gospel to people where they are, not where you would like them to be. When the gospel reaches a people where they are, their response to the gospel is the church in a new place... --Vincent Donovan

The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become. -- Henry Martyn

How you believe God perceives people will determine how you respond to them. --Jacquelyn K. Heasley

Life is too short and hell is too hot to just play church. --Larry Osborne

Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell. — C.T. Studd

It is possible to do evangelism without planting churches, but it is not possible to plant churches without doing evangelism. --unknown

God's plan in these last days is revival in His worldwide church and through the revived church the reaping of a final great harvest of souls. --N. Grubb

The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose. --C. S. Lewis

We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first. -- Oswald J. Smith

We Christians are debtors to all men at all times in all places, but we are so smug to the lostness of men. We've been "living in Laodicea ", lax, loose, lustful, and lazy. Why is there this criminal indifference to the lostness of men? Our condemnation is that we know how to live better than we are living. --Leonard Ravenhill

Being an extrovert isn’t essential to EVANGELISM–obedience and love are. --Rebecca M. Pippert

It is now possible to live a "christian life" without doing the things that Jesus commanded us to do. We have hired people to go into all the world, to visit those in prison, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to care for widows and orphans. The average Christian doesn't have to do it. --Cal Thomas

Missionary zeal does not grow out of intellectual beliefs, nor out of theological arguments, but out of love. -- Roland Allen

Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth. --John Wesley

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Which speak to your heart? Any quote in particular stand out for you? Please share in the comments section any other good quotes you have run across.

Some of the above quotes come from EvangelismCoach.org and Tentmaker.org.

How to change traditional churches into New Testament churches

*Victor Choudhrie's 15 essential steps for changing traditional churches into New Testament churches.

1. Replace professional clergy with Priesthood of all Believers with authority to baptize, break bread and equip fishers of men. (1 Peter 2:9)

2. Replace Church building with "House of Peace." (Luke 10:5-9; Matt. 10:11-13)

3. Replace programmed Sunday service with daily informal gatherings. The Bride of Christ must have intimacy with her Lord every day and not just for a couple of hours a week lest she become unfaithful. (Acts 2:46-47; Hebrew 3:13)

4. Replace tithing with sharing the enormous financial resources and goodwill available in Christian homes. (Deut. 8:17-18; Acts 5:32-34)

5. Replace the "Crumb and Sip" Holy Communion with simple "Community meals" eaten together with gladness from house to house. (Acts 2:46; 1 Cor 11:20-23)

6. Replace loud music with speaking to each other in psalms and spiritual songs making melody in your heart. (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16)

7. Replace the spectator church to participatory, interactive, prophetic and Missionary sending church. (1 Cor 14:26-31; Acts 13:13)

8. Replace organizational and denominational churches with citywide network of house churches. (Romans 16:3-15)

9. Replace barren church with multiplication. The Bride must not remain barren, but reproduce and fill the earth. (Acts 1: 8; 1 Cor 9: 19-30)

10. Replace submitting to one man - by submitting to each other. We must encourage, comfort, exhort, edify and serve one another. (Galatians 5: 13; Eph. 4: 2, 15)

11. Replace purposeless church with a goal oriented mandate to disciple nations. (Romans 15: 20; Matt. 28: 19)

12. Replace powerless and fruitless church with militants who heal the sick, raise the dead, expel the demons, bind the ‘strongman’ and plunder his possessions. (Matt 11:12, 12:29)

13. Replace all presidents, directors, chairman, secretaries and all the other non-biblical titles with apostles, prophets, and the fivefold ministry gifted elders. Change from a dead organization to living organism. (Eph 4:11; Titus 1:5-9)

14. Replace all Sunday schools, Bible schools, and prayer cells and cottage meetings and call them full-fledged churches. So that they can disciple, baptize, break bread, equip and send missionaries. (1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15)

15. Replace all selfish goats who are members for hatching, matching and dispatching with sheep who take care of the hungry, thirsty, naked, strangers, sick and the prisoners. (Matt. 25:31-46)

*Victor Choudhrie is a cancer surgeon by profession. He is a senior Fellow of the American and British colleges of surgeons. He quit his job as the Director (CEO) of the Christian Medical college, Ludhiana in Punjab, India in 1992 to take up full time Church planting ministry in central India. His wife Bindu is also in full time church planting ministry, equipping women to be house church leaders and trainers. God has blessed this ministry abundantly. Large numbers of grassroots level leaders have been trained who have planted thousands of house churches all over India as a result.