CHURCH MISSIONS RESOURCE LIST
~by Kevin Guttman circa 1998, edited by Nate Wilson and Dick McNeil Nov. 2003
If you have a relationship with a denomination or other mission agency, contact them for specific resources that can help you. The following resources are fairly generic and could be used in any church context. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list but represents some of the best material available.
Click on the link below to jump to the category or scroll through the categories below:
· Books & Maps (Into to Missions, Missionary Biographies, Where to Buy)
· Mission Curricula (For Adults, for Kids)
· Networking Agencies and Mission Team Resources
· Prayer Resources (Books, Magazines, Initiatives)
· Programming (Music, Drama, Video)
· Short-Term Mission Resources
BULLETIN INSERTS
· CHURCH AROUND THE WORLD - Tyndale House, 351 Executive Dr., Carol Stream, IL 60188 - Monthly highlights of what God is doing around the world.
· FRONTIER SCAN - U.S Center for World Mission, 1605 Elizabeth St,. Pasadena, CA 91104 - Monthly focus on unreached/frontier areas that the Gospel has yet to penetrate.
· PRAYERLINE - (800-977-5650) Monthly bulletin on indigenous workers with prayer request for every day of the month.
PROGRAMMING
· WORSHIP MUSIC
o LET THE NATIONS REJOICE - 32 powerful mission hymns and choruses from across the English speaking world. Includes sheet music, CD, and instrumental tracks. .
o www.DISCIPLETHENATIONS.ORG - Lists of Music and arts resources by Grace Weibe.
o Mission Mobilizers' E-zine Archive - Lists of Mission-oriented worship music.
· CALEB PROJECT MOBILIZATION SKITS (21 popular skits) and KIDS’ MISSION SKITS (20 creative presentations) www.CalebResources.org (303-459-5405).
· WHO WILL FILL OUR SHOES? - 13 dramatic sketches for missions awareness: New Hope, P.O. Box 12065, Birmingham, AL 35202 (205-991-4933).
· EE-TAOW! - New Tribes Mission, 407-323-3430 - #1 missions video. Inspiring story of a missionary who brings the Gospel to an unreached tribal group (30 minutes).
· THE WORD LIKE A RIVER - Passionate portrayal of Bible translation on three continents. Catalogue with other videos and books. www.Wycliffe.org (800-992-5433).
· www.CHRISTIANVIDEOS.ORG - Lots of lists, Look under “English Christian Videos” for an extensive list a list of mission videos, including profiles of unreached peoples.
· BEHIND THE SUN - Gripping, feature-style movie on the conversion of a Muslim. Only available through www.OpenDoorsUSA.org (949-752-6600).
· GOSPEL FILMS - www.GospelDirect.com (800-253-0413) Feature-style missions films like “The Wait of the World” & “Guess Who's Coming to America,” and true-life films like “Bamboo in Winter.”
· VISION VIDEO - www.GatewayFilms.com (800-523-0226) Half-hour missionary classics in their catalogue include: “First Fruits,” “Peace Child,” “The Harvest,” and they also have feature-length mission films like “Candle in the Dark,” “China Cry,” and “Inn of the Sixth Happiness.”
NETWORKING AGENCIES & MISSION TEAM RESOURCES
· VOICE OF THE MARTYRS - www.Persecution.com (918-337-8015) - Excellent magazine on persecuted church.
· DESIGN YOUR IMPACT - www.DualReach.org (949-248-1236) Workshop facilitated by locally-trained consultants that helps church leaders discover their congregation’s key characteristics and resources and identify a strategic missions focus that can unleash powerful, new global dynamic from their church.
· SERVANTS OF THE CALL youth events unite local youth ministries to reach their community for Christ and mobilize youth for the completion of the Great Commission. (800-299-8336 Ext. 8965) or www.TeenMania.org.
NEWSLETTERS
· Evangelical Missions Quarterly $19/yr.; 500 College Ave., Wheaton, Illinois 60187 USA click here to subscribe
· MISSION NETWORK NEWS - www.MNNonline.org - The best source on the Internet for daily world news from a Christian perspective.
· MISSION FRONTIERS, 1605 Elizabeth St., Pasadena, CA 91104 (www.MissionFrontiers.org) - Published bi-monthly from the U.S. Center for World Mission, focuses on mission strategy particularly among unreached peoples in the world.
· BRIGADA TODAY - www.Brigada.org - Weekly posting from Doug Lucas of Team Expansion. Contains about 10 brief descriptions of mission-related resources.
· MISSIONS CATALYST E-ZINE - (www.MissionsCatalyst.org) Weekly email to encourage, equip, and network mission leaders. Q&A, Articles, Resource reviews, Newsbriefs, and Calendar Of Mission Events.
· THE OPERATION REVEILLE SHOFAR - Quarterly print and Internet publication on missions issues and resources relating to unreached peoples in theaters of US military operations. (719-572-5908) or www.OpRev.org.
BOOKS & MAPS
Introductory Books On
Missions
· Let The Nations Be Glad - by John Piper (Baker, 2nd Ed. 2003). The #1 missions book shows from the Bible that missions is all about worshipping God.
· Catch The Vision (Bethany, 1991) and Run With The Vision (Bethany, 1995) - by Bill and Amy Stearns. Very readable and engaging, full of great stories and practical plans for involvement in missions.
· The Great Omission (Gabriel, 2nd Ed. 2002) Classic introduction to missions by Dr. Robertson McQuilken. Short and easy-to read.
· Unveiled At Last - By Bob Sjogren (YWAM, 1998). The best Bible overview on Missions. See also Cat & Dog Theology (Gabriel, 2003).
· Passion For The Heart Of God - By John Zumwalt (Heart of God, 2002). Fresh, exciting reading; very convicting and challenging, too.
· Loving The Church, Blessing The Nations (Gabriel, 2003) By George Miley of Antioch Network.
· Faith Promise - By Norm Lewis (Gabriel, 1988). Details the practice of faith giving to support missions.
Missionary Biographies
· Heroes Of The Faith - A whole series of missionary biographies developed in the 1990's by YWAM Publishing. Highly Recommended.
· Bruchko - Bruce Olsen's best-selling autobiography of hair-raising adventures and evangelism in the jungles of South America (Creation House, 1989).
· Peace Child - A modern missionary classic, chronicling Don Richardson's work among the Sawi people of Papua New Guinea (Regal Books, 1975). Also Eternity In Their Hearts (Regal Books, 1985).
· And the Word Came with Power - By Joanne Shetler (Multnomah Press, 1992) How God met and changed a tribe in the Philippines through Bible translation.
· From Jerusalem To Irian Jaya - By Ruth Tucker (Zondervan, 1983) The best one-volume encyclopedia of Christian missionaries from the time of Christ to the 20th Century, containing brief sketches of their lives and mission work.
· Shadow Of The Almighty - By Elizabeth Elliott (HarperCollins, 1989). Diary excerpts from Jim Elliot, one of the missionaries killed by the Aucas/Waoranis in South America. Like the 18th Century diary of David Brainerd in its influence on mobilizing young people for missionary service.
· Death Of A Guru - By Ravi Maharaj. (Harvest House Pub., 1986) The story of a Hindu who came to Christ.
· I Dared To Call Him Father - By Bilquis Sheikh (Baker Books, 1980) A Muslim woman finds Jesus.
Sources To Buy Books &
Maps
· GABRIEL RESOURCES - www.missionbooks.org (1-8MORE-BOOKS) Most comprehensive inventory of mission books. You can get just about anything on this page here!
· WORLD CHRISTIAN NEWS & BOOKS - www.YWAM.org/books (888-WCN-NEWS).
· GLOBAL MAPPING - www.GMI.org (719-531-3599) - Best source of world maps detailing mission strategy.
PRAYER RESOURCES
· OPERATION WORLD The #1 resource on prayer for the world, this book profiles every country in the world along with prayer requests from missionaries in each country. Available as a book, a CD-ROM, and a website: www.OperationWorld.org.
· WINDOW ON THE WORLD by Daphne Spraggett with Jill Johnstone (Gabriel, 2001). This is the family edition of “Operation World” with 100 countries and peoples from A - Z in full-color layout.
· OPERATION CHINA by Paul Hattaway (Piquant, 2001) Profiles in full color 500 distinct people groups and tribes in the world's most populous country.
· GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST, 1605 Elizabeth St., Pasadena, CA 91104 (www.Global-Prayer-Digest.org) A daily prayer guide for unreached nations & peoples. Comes out monthly in magazine format or daily as a text email.
· PRAY! and PRAYKIDS! Magazines, P.O. Box 469085, Escondido, CA 92046 (www.NavPress.com/Magazines/Pray!)
· TOUCH THE WORLD THROUGH PRAYER by Wesley Duewel (Zondervan, 1986) - A modern classic with inspiring stories.
· CALEB RESOURCES - UNREACHED PEOPLES PRAYER GUIDES www.CalebResources.org or call 303-459-5405.
· ANNUAL PRAYER INITIATIVES:
o 30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World (www.30-Days.net) Coincides with Ramadan in the Fall/Winter.
o Praying Through The Window (www.WIN1040.com) For 70 least-evangelized countries every October.
o International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (www.IDOP.ca) November.
o Praying Through The Arabian Peninsula (www.Pray-AP.info) Year-round prayer for the heart of the Muslim world.
SHORT TERM TEAM RESOURCES
· www.SHORTTERMMISSIONS.COM - Information on short-term missions and a directory of current short-term opportunities.
· NATIONAL SHORT TERM MISSIONS CONFERENCE (www.nstmc.org).
· INTO ALL THE WORLD from Berry Publishing Services, P.O. Box 40519, Pasadena, CA 91114 (626-798-2712) - An annual magazine-style guide to short-term missions.
· FELLOWSHIP OF SHORT TERM MISSIONS LEADERS (www.fstml.org).
MISSION CURRICULA
For Adults:
· PERSPECTIVES ON THE WORLD CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT - The #1 missions course, a 15-week, college-level study on the Bible, the history of missions, missions strategy, and culture. Hosted every semester in local churches - find one near you at www.Perspectives.org or call 626-398-2125. There are many shortened forms of the Perspectives course, including: WorldWide Perspectives and Perspectives Exposure (Crossman), Path to God's Glory (Marliluke), Catch the Vision (Stearns), and Vision for the Nations (USCWM).
· GOD'S HEART FOR THE NATIONS by Jeff Lewis - Top notch introductory Bible study on missions with profiles on unreached people groups. 2nd Edition 2003. www.CalebResources.org (303-459-5405)
· UNVEILED: GOD'S HEART FOR HIS PEOPLE by Bob Sjogren - The best video Bible study on missions. www.Gospelcom.net/unveilinglory/Video.html (888-661-9920).
· EXPERIENCING GOD, by Henry Blackaby (LifeWay, 1990) Life-transforming study that helps you be on mission with God. Not about missions directly, but the application is clearly there.
· SEND ME! YOUR GUIDE TO THE NATIONS - Steve Hoke and Bill Taylor (World Evangelical Fellowship, 1999) This workbook is for people who feel called to missions, it is one of the best resources for helping them in the process of getting to the field.
· ENCOUNTERING THE WORLD OF ISLAM- www.encounteringislam.org (303-459-5405) Seeks to mobilize and educate believers to understand and reach Muslim peoples with the gospel of Christ through readings, field trips, and interactions with people from the Muslim world.
· SERVING AS SENDERS by Neal Pirolo (Emmaus Road Int'l.,1991) www.ERI.org (858-292-7020) - Premiere guide on supporting missionaries - practical teaching and ideas. Also Re-Entry (ERI, 2002).
· SHAPING ETERNITY - 5-minute multimedia clips that show the Biblical basis for missions and how ordinary Christians can find a fulfilling part. www.CalebResources.org (303-459-5405).
· BECOMING A WORLD CLASS CHRISTIAN book & study guide by Paul Borthwick (Gabriel Books, 2000) A practical way to help people think globally & act locally. Paul has also written several other good books.
For Children:
· M & M KIDS by Jill Harris, (JealousGod, 199?) Teacher training as well as missions conference for kids. This is highly recommended as a first step, laying a Biblical foundation. www.Gospelcom.net/unveilinglory (888-661-9920).
· KIDS AROUND THE WORLD (Caleb Resources) Videos and curricula help children understand the different cultures around the world from a missionary perspective. www.CalebResources.org (303-459-5405).
· GOD'S GOT STUFF TO DO (Caleb Resources) Building on the M&M Kids and Kids Around the World curricula, this extensive package equips teachers to help children find a place of strategic involvement in fulfilling the Great Commission. www.CalebResources.org (303-459-5405).
· GREAT COMMISSION TOOLBOX from Wycliffe Bible Translators in Canada (2003) www.wycliffe.ca/store (800-992-5433) This CD-ROM is packed full of “Bright Ideas” for teaching missions to all ages.
ADOPTING PEOPLE GROUPS
· AD2000 & BEYOND ADOPTION GUIDANCE PROGRAM - www.AD2000.org/adoption - A great place to start for information on adopting a people group.
· US CENTER FOR WORLD MISSION - www.adopt-a-people.org (626-398-2204) Providing AAP consultation, introductory literature, Bruce Camp's Adoption Manual, various AAP how-to videos and the Vision for the Nations video curriculum.
· ADOPT A PEOPLE CLEARINGHOUSE - www.AdoptAPeople.org (708-367-8513) - Register your adoption here.
· JOSHUA PROJECT II - www.JoshuaProject.net - Database of people groups and who is working with them. More information than Adopt-A-People Clearinghouse, but fewer tools for developing a program in a church.
· CALEB RESOURCES - www.CalebResources.org (303-459-5405) Media information on unreached people groups and a good workbook entitled Keys to the Nations.
· ADOPT A PEOPLE CD-ROM - National Target 2000, PO Box 8501, Perth Business Centre, Perth WA 6849, AUSTRALIA Illustrated 30-step process of adopting and engaging an unreached group. Best adoption resource, but hard to order.
