September 01, 1997 by

So much happens within and through the various departments and ministries of the USCWM, yet our readers hear so little about these things. The following news was pulled together so that you can be encouraged by what God is doing.

Perspectives in India

The South Asia Mobilization Task Force of the USCWM sends in the following report from beautiful South India. The pilot Indian version of the Perspectives course has been tested for over one year and is now out of print. Several organizations including IMA, YWAM, OM and many Bible colleges have tested it and given their feedback. The new improved course should be ready in four weeks to meet increasing demand. Modifications, based on Indian suggestions, have expanded the workbook to 240 pages including fresh insights from many Indian authors. Also, included is a new chapter called “Learning from Failure” that explores the history of missions in India and provides answers for why some people movements flourished while other missionary efforts failed. Another new chapter deals with spontaneous multiplication vs the creation of projects that promote dependency on Western funding.

The course will be ready in time for 300 Indian delegates to review at a mission education conference this coming December. The conference, whose theme is, “Training with the End in Mind”, represents a big step forward for the Indian mission movement and will be attended by prominent Indian mission leaders like, Ebenezer Sunderaj, KP Yohanan and Richard Howell. Delegates will equally represent, local churches and denominations, mission agencies, seminaries and Bible colleges.

Since the new Indian Perspectives is a pilot version, the conference will provide an opportunity to gain more suggestions from experienced Indian mission leaders. The result will be a course that will be useful in mobilizing some of the millions of Christians in India and helpful in training some of the 10,000 plus Indian missionaries. Keep your eye out for a more detailed report in one of the upcoming issues of Mission Frontiers.

Internship Offers New Opportunity

The USCWM’s Serve-Work-Study (SWS) internship program, has taken on a new and exciting dimension. Until recently the study aspect of SWS consisted of Perspectives classes and weekly USCWM Staff training meetings. As of October, 1997, SWS has begun including an “academic track.” Both current and incoming SWS participants now have the opportunity to use up to twenty hours each work-week for study of the new World Christian Foundations curriculum. David Hesselgrave, a leading educator, says of WCF, “I know of no other curriculum on planet earth that combines such an enormous amount of relevant information in a study program that is so absolutely and unapologetically biblical.”

For those readers who may be interested, the SWS internship is designed especially for singles and couples without children and provides an excellent opportunity to be involved in advancing the unreached peoples movement, while also preparing for future service through WCF. (WCF may be taken at the B.A., M.A. or Doctoral level.) If you’re single, or a couple without children, we invite you to consider serving, working and studying at the USCWM, a crossroads of mission activity and strategy. (Couples with children are invited to explore the possibility of a staff position with the USCWM). For further information call Eugene Clingman at: 626/398-2337, or send Email to: [email protected].

GPD Gets a Face Lift!

Starting with this year’s “Praying through the Window” edition (October), the Global Prayer Digest now has an upgraded cover design! Managing Editor, Keith Carey reports, “We’re also in the process of improving the inside graphics, and it’s looking 1,000% better—thanks to the hard work of Kent Lawson in our graphics department. Our January issue will include improved graphics on the daily entry pages as well.”

The October issue is designed to be a supplement to the Praying Through the Window III book. Since this year’s campaign is covering the unreached people groups of the 10/40 Window, the GPD has chosen to focus prayer on some of the key ministries working with the specific peoples targeted during the month. To order a copy write to Records/Subscriptions, 1605 Elizabeth St., Pasadena, CA 91104 Ü (626) 398-2249. Enclose $1.00 to cover costs.

World Christian Foundations Pilot Program Completed

The pilot run of the World Christian Foundations study program is now complete. This crowns with success the work of 75 persons, carried out over the past half dozen years. Videotaping of Module 4 was finished in August 1997. All modules are now available for use in photocopy, pre-publication draft form.

Praise God for the encouragement three recent additions to the WCF staff bring. Dr. Charles White, from Spring Arbor College, and Mr. Daniel Harris, who holds an M.A. in Old Testament from Fuller Theological Seminary, are assisting in revisions to WCF as the materials are prepard for publication. Mrs. Betty Campbell has joined the WCF staff as administrative assistant in production.

Vision for the Nations

Since Vision for the Nations (VFN) was released a year and a half ago it has sold over 950 units. If each unit averaged only one class with 10 participants per class, some 9,500 believers have been solidly exposed to mission and the unreached peoples vision. Through prayer, networking and accelerated marketing we hope to eventually see this curriculum impact thousands of churches throughout the US and worldwide.

Latin America Hungry for Missions

The following was wrtitten by Rigoberto Diguero, Director of the USCWM’s Latin American Division:

Ten years have passed since the declaration of COMIBAM in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1987. At that particular time, more than 3,000 Christian leaders from across Latin America came up with a new pardigm “Latin America is no longer a mission field, but a mission force!”

Every time I travel to Latin countries, I can see how the Lord is stirring His church to catch that vision and make it real. The following report is just one example:

Recently I received a call from a missionary friend, in San Quintin, Baja California, Mexico. He wanted to know if I had any missions videos/materials in Spanish to take to Monterrey, Mexico where He was asked to share about missions with a group of Foursquare pastors. I saw the opportunity and offered to go with him. What a blessing it was! Ninety-six pastors from Mexico’s Foursquare National Church gave us the green light to speak and we ended up speaking almost nine hours over a two day period! Over five hours in the mornings with 80-90 pastors and leaders and around three hours with a mixed audience of 150 leaders and church members, followed by discussions with numerous pastors, missionaries and denominational leaders.

Last but not least, arrangements were made to return in February of next year to coordinate a five-day intensive Perspectives with approximately one hundred-twenty pastors expected. Thanks be to God for this awesome mobilization opportunity!

Regional News from Pasadena and the Field

We’ve just added an extra person to our Pasadena office—Stan Williamson—who will assist Mike and Patti Cammack (currently working part time with Regional Ministries). Stan will considerably increase Pasadena’s contact with Regional Offices and Area Representatives around the country.

Recently the U.S. Center added two new Area Representatives: Mark Mihalyov in the Pittsburgh, PA area, and Ralph McFarland in the Tucson, AZ area. Welcome aboard to both of you! Currently several other persons are being considered for Area Rep positions, so we are keeping busy.

We are looking forward in anticipation to the Regional Interface Meeting to be held in Pasadena the first week of 1998. This meeting allows field personnel to meet and share past experiences and future endeavors, as well as to review, plan and strategize for the future. We’re also excited that all of our new reps will be able join us in January.

PRAYER POINT: Please pray for Mike and Patti Cammack who were both recently diagnosed with a life-threatening liver disease.

Promising New National Network

The following news is not from a particular USCWM ministry, rather it is from a significant networking meeting that the USCWM participated in recently.

Noting that her prayer was for participants to “Do it or stop it; define it or drop it,” Karen Simons of Woman’s Missionary Union, called the more than twenty representatives to bring form and function to the emerging Missions Education/Mobilization Network September 16-17 in Birmingham, AL. After two days of intensive discussion and review of the previous gathering held in April on the same subject, the group agreed that there was indeed a need for increased networking to further missions awareness and involvement in the lives of individuals and churches.

The vision statement for the loosely organized network is “to co-labor together in order that the body of Christ become aware of missions and missions opportunities, pray for missions, give to missions, become involved in cross-cultural ministry, and mobilize others.” Just how that will be done was hashed out in three small groups specifically looking at resources, communication, and a proposed children’s missions education network that had previously been identified as a need at last year’s ACMC meeting in Wheaton.

The group agreed that the purpose of the new network is to “facilitate identification, evaluation, and awareness of missions education/mobilization resources and the developing of future-oriented resources for strategically-targeted audiences.” Ideas that were added to the network's “to do” list was research on the development of resource databanks, evaluation of existing missions education materials, identification of educational gaps, websites that would link users to material producers as well as missions involvement opportunities and recognition of the diversity in audiences as far as age, church size, and missions interest are concerned. A primary concern was for continuing communication and avoiding needless duplication.

Participants requested that Woman’s Missionary Union continue its facilitation capacity and as a result, Karen Simons has agreed to continue her facilitation role through October 1998. For those interested in more information on the meeting or participating in the network, please contact her at (713)728-5512 or her e-mail address [email protected].

Participating entities at this meeting included: USCWM, SIM, TEAM, CBInterntaional, Evangelical Free Church Mission, ACMC, Kids Can Make a Difference, SEND, World Vision, Wycliffe, Association of Christian Schools International, the Global Center at Beeson Divinity School, the International Mission Board of the SBC and two mission pastors.

Video Library Waiting to be Discovered

This incredibly versatile curriculum is still one of the best kept secrets in mission mobilization. So far we’ve sold 168 Video Library sets, yet testimonials are revealing how user-friendly and heart-impacting this nine video curriculum really is. One pastor reports, “The folks are really enjoying it. I’m hearing lots of comments about how people are being challenged in their prayer life and in their overall Christian commitment. I shared about this series with a pastor friend and even showed him a couple of the videos in my office. He was so stirred that he asked if I would bring the series to his church to use on Wednesday nights!”

Still wondering whether or not this is something you should get for your church/fellowship? Then you’ll find the Video Library intro video, Mobilizing Your Church Using Videos extremely helpful. It includes testimonials from two churches and twenty minutes of video clips from six of the nine videos. To order the intro video, or the whole library (which includes the intro video and an extremely versatile curriculum guide) call William Carey Library at: 626/798-0819.

USCWM’s Website Upgraded

Recently an Australian, named Keith Cattel, helped the USCWM to upgrade its website with better graphics and a comprehensive layout of our goals, ministries, resources and links to other websites. Though it’s still in the creation and refinement process, you will find an enormous amount of helpful information including full listings from William Carey Library and the Childrens Mission Resource Center.

Check us out at: http://www.uscwm.org

Adopt-A-People US Update

The AAP Campaign office sent out a questionnaire recently to over 4500 inquirers who in the past have requested AAP introductory materials. So far close to 300 responses have come in with a wide range of responses—from those who don’t remember inquiring to those who have successfully adopted unreached peoples. If you didn’t receive a questionnaire but belong to a church that has adopted, please let us know who you adopted and what agency you are working with. NOTE: If you have reported to the AAP Clearinghouse or to AD2000 and Beyond you are already accounted for. Also, all churches requesting further personal assistance—we need your patience in waiting for us to get to you.

Volunteers

The Volunteer has been undergoing some personnel changes which are noteworthy. Rose Masser returned to Canada last summer, and is now working with YWAM in the Toronto area. Stan Williamson has taken her place and has been busy recruiting volunteers from various outlying areas. There is a growing number of folks like yourselves, who are volunteering their time from their homes, and we are grateful for their help. As an example; we have need for transcription, typing, editing, World Wide Web research of Unreached Peoples group information, and a variety of other jobs which can be done from your own computers. If this seems like a place for you to spend some of your time while impacting the unreached nations for Christ, please notify us by email at [email protected]. (note the dot between names). If you would rather call, the number is (626) 398-2313, extension 313 if the voice mail comes on.

The MMAPers are here for their yearly work party of six months. MMAPers are a group of retired folks who work through the Mobile Missionary Assistance Program by doing a variety of jobs—such as electrical, construction, mechanical and other. We provide the parking space and hook ups for their RV’s and they provide a wonderful assistance that we thoroughly appreciate.

Think you might be interested in RV’ing to Southern California for the winter to volunteer at least 20 hours a week? We’ll provide inexpensive parking facilities and a whole bunch of Christian love. Give Josh Andersen a call at (626) 398-2313.