Kingdom Come!

Recently, I was reminded of a photo taken in New York on the infamous 9/11. You probably remember it. In it sooty-faced men and women run terrified from the fiery Twin Towers as smoke billows through every door and window. Their faces show the anguish of their burning, horrifying world. They are fleeing for their lives, leaving everything else behind. The whole feeling is one of terror and fear.

But in the background running in the opposite direction is a firefighter, decked out in all the equipment necessary to protect him as he resolutely goes about his job of rescuing those trapped inside. These guys are on a mission!

Our world is reeling from rising gas prices, a looming economic recession, falling real estate values at home and a crumbling dollar abroad. The United States is involved in two real on-going death-causing wars. And cyclones, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis seem to devastate somewhere almost monthly.

USA Today recently reported that in the near future crude oil will rise to $200 per barrel. Delta Airlines is raising airfares by 15-20% to keep up with rising fuel prices; one third of their total budget is now spent on fuel. Delta also reported a $6 Billion loss the first quarter of 2008. Most airlines are reducing the number of routes they fly and implementing other drastic cost-saving measures. They’re not talking about profits anymore. They are talking about survival.

Like in the photo, they’re running from the building!

Businesses across the country are also scrambling to find ways to save money by lowering fuel consumption. One news commentator recently declared: “Take your money out of savings and buy food.” He was serious. He wasn’t talking about food shortages, but about food prices. These days, with such low interest rates and soaring prices, buying food is a better savings plan than putting your money in the bank!

So here’s one reason why this sits so heavy in my mind and heart…

Missionaries, like firefighters are those who run – not away from the flames and the danger and the difficulties, but toward them.

Their life, their goal, their focus is not on safety, security or comfort, but on taking the Good News of
Jesus to a world aflame!

The assignment God has given Phyllis and me for all these years is to prepare and equip men and women – not to run from danger and difficulties, but to run toward them! Not to seek comfort, success and ease, but to listen to the voice of God, understand His Great Mission and to run to the place He wants you!

In the next few days, we will once again graduate around twenty people from Globe’s Institute for Global Ministry (IGM). They will be better prepared to take the Gospel of the Kingdom to a hurting world! They will understand the biblical mandate to take the Gospel to the hard places. Places where there are no churches. Places where the governments are antagonistic. Places where the dominant religion is radically opposed to Jesus and the Gospel of the Kingdom.

These graduates will better appreciate the biblical understanding of “people groups,” tribes and cultural boundaries. They will understand biblical story-telling to non-literate learners. They will better understand the great Mission of God to change lives, reverse misfortunes, see His great Name glorified and worshipped by all men and women everywhere.

This season in our life is spent mostly in America with Americans. It is one of preparing, encouraging, mentoring and assisting them to explore God’s purpose and plan for their lives. A little different, but yet the same. And it’s a pretty big task – it seems. Everything in the world seems to be falling apart and the natural tendency is to disengage – run away. Flee where it’s safe and warm. But the men and women we’re training aren’t looking for the easy way.

Thanks for standing with us – in prayer and by giving – in our assignment to train and equip another generation to run toward the fire, not away.

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Tags: missions, missionaries, Globe International, IGM,

Well Peggy (whom I met a the Allelon gathering at Seabeck) read my yesterday blog about time and had (her words) a “bit of a blog storm.”  Seems she did double-duty after reading super-blogger Scot McKnight over at Jesus Creed.

Well, I’m humbled.  Peggy is a blogging, thinking “contemplative practitioner” in the Pacific Northwest .  (“Contemplative practitioner” is a phrase Bill Taylor used to describe the kind of missionary needed in the 21^st century.  We met in a North Africa Partnership conference in Malta some years back.  I’ve used the phrase often since then, cause I like it!)

It’s been a whirlwind week.  The Globe Missions Conference was amazing.  A great time but very tiring.  So the office is closed today and I’m spending a day with my Honey (AKA Phyllis).

I had a great time with a bunch of folks.  I especially liked the time with Josh and Akiko Jones.  They are an awesome young couple doing a church plant in Japan . 

Andreas and Marion Pestke - our German friends on their way to Nicaragua - are out of our house for a few days.  They’re travelling with Brad and Jan Thurston in Alabama and then back next week for the Globe Summit.  The house is quiet without them.

And now a word from our sponsor…

Someone asked me how we do what we do, and I answered that it’s through “missionary support.”  That is a code word for donors and contributors.  So just in case someone out there cyberspace wanted to help us continue doing what we do, you can click here and give all day long!  Any amount is ok!  However many zeros you want to include on the end of the number is fine!  We’ll use it to keep ourselves fed, clothed, housed and healthy so that we can do the stuff God has for us to do.  Enough said…  Thanks.

And now back to the show…

I believe in missions done well.  I believe in men and women taking Jesus’ words serous enough to sacrificially lay aside the “good life” and the American Dream to serve a bigger Dream and see the Kingdom of God – His loving rule and reign – established in the lives of men and women around the world. 

I don’t like “missions” being delegated to an underfunded and neglected department of the church or relegated to an annual offering or Missions Sunday.  I don’t like missionaries relegated to super-hero status nor left out in the cold when they limp home with stories so out of the zone that people’s eyes glaze over.  I don’t like missionaries belittled by uber-pastors who feel superior having 500 spectators, when missionaries labor in primitive conditions and have 12 disciples. 

And I don’t like the sacrifice of traveling zillions of miles, living on a shoestring while learning languages and starting from scratch equated to a youth group making a two week pre-planned safe and solid missions trip.

I believe in missions done well; with sacrifice, patience, wisdom and hope.  I believe in missions done well that results in disciples being made and churches being planted.  Whether in New York or New Delhi, Nairobi or Newark, Seattle, Sarasota or Katmandu . 

As Sandy Carter (a Globe Missionary who herself can be quite a rock star) once said, “Missions isn’t glamorous – if it’s done right.”

Today, I get a few minutes - 3 separate times - to share a little about the Globe Learning Community.  I go into such times with fear and trembling.  This morning in the Globe Family Meeting, I’ll talk about how training becomes our doorway into Globe and how this fits into our emphasis: “Making Disciples, Planting Churches, Reaching Nations.”  Somehow I’ll want to fit that into our core values: Faith, Service and Mercy.

Then this afternoon I’ll have an hour with Globe trainers and educators from all over the world to chat a little about how we can do it better and move toward indigenous ministries.

Tonight at the Globe Banquet, we’ll show our IGM recruitment video and then I’ll give a plug for IGM and our training ideas.

Recently Phyllis came up with a slogan for us at Globe: “Do it right, do it well, do it together.”  This whole conference - in the midst of many challenges and conflicts - is about learning these things.

Missionaries (and their agencies!) have many conflicts regarding serving and doing things together.  I’ve been watching a lot of people over the last few days, both missionaries and IGM students, and it’s obvious that we are all challenged to bring things together leaving egos, agendas and wounds behind.  And it’s ahrd to do it well, or even right, when every step is a path of wounds and pain.  So we pray also for healing and renewed faith.

Today and the rest of the week should be a great challenge.

Well here we are in the midst of Globe International’s missions gathering.  We’ve got missionaries here from South Africa, Mexico, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Scotland, Germany, Indonesia, Russia, Japan, India and Nepal.  And there are more.  these are the ones my tired mind remembers.

Today there was an extended prayer session for missionaries.  Pastor Sam Webb ministered to many as he prayed with them.  Phyllis and a group of ladies worked like Trojans (I don’t know where that expression came from, but I use it…) making lunch for the missionary gang.

Tomorrow many of the missionaries will be speaking in local churches.

Monday I have a part in sharing about the training initiatives we have going and the development of the Globe Learning community.  I get about 5 minutes in the morning Family Gathering, about an hour to foster discussion among those who do training all over the world. And then 5 minutes at the Globe Banquet Monday night.  (You might say a wee prayer for me… it’s easier for me to speak for an hour than for 5 minutes!  Yikes!)

We also have in our home for a few days Andreas and Marion Pestke.  They are from Germany where  he has bi-vocationally pastored a church.  They are enroute to Nicaragua to work with Sandy Carter and Globe Nicaragua.  They are “sent out” by Globe Europe (GE) and my good friend Brad Thurston is the director.  (Brad gave me a GE cap!  As usual I look quite striking in it!  Has a nice GE logo on the front… and says “together for the nations.”  Cool!)

Andreas and Marion are great folks!  (I have to say this because they read this blog and were concerned that I would say something unkind about them as our houseguests… but I can’t think of anything that I could say about them that would be unkind… unless I lied.)  But they are irritating: they are very thin; they get up every morning and walk or jog in the neighborhood and they help with the dishes and make coffee and all that.  Terribly irritating.  Phyllis will now expect me to be like them.  And lose weight.  And exercise.  And make coffee throughout the day and keep things tidy.  Germans!

Speaking of coffee, both Johnny Cruz (Honduras) and Sandy Carter (Nicaragua) brought me coffee from their respective countries.  Colleen Hawthorn promised me some coffee and perhaps some tea from Burma.  She’s just come from there.

I had a great conversation with Danny and Judy Armstrong.  They are long time Globe International missionaries.  They are doing lots of things in missions awareness and emphasis on taking the Good News to Asian Muslims.  They are fantastic people.

We have an IGM attendee (he’s not actually enrolled) named Jack Frost.  He’s just completed a time with Teen Challenge and is so very interested in missions.  But here the very coolest thing: he keeps hanging around and cleaning up!  Taking out trash, vacuuming and tidying (you’d think he was German or something, but he ain’t!) and just helping out.  He keeps saying what a privilege just to hang with missionary heroes and serve them.  Wow!  What a heart!

But these men and women I’m around these days are heroes!  They’ve set aside success and advancement and achievement to serve God and give heir lives for Him and His ministry.  Heroes!  When I stand and chat with men Roger West and Bob Hill and Johnny Cruz and Jerry Smith and all these guys and ladies, I feel like I’m kinda on holy ground.  They’ve given - and continue to give - their lives for the Gospel.  And hey, men and women like these are worthy of honor.

Every year Globe International has it’s “homecoming” missions conference.  it’s the time when Globe’s folks come to Pensacola for times of refreshing, fund-raising, family-gatherings and renewing of vision.

Friday we begin by offering a missionary video school taught by DME here in Pensacola.  That nigh we have an open house at Globe HQ where missionaries, friends and family will gather.  Then on Saturday there is a time of prayer and mnistry with Pastor Sam Webb from Hawaii - who’s flown in just to minister to our missionaries and a family outing afterwards. 

Sunday, missionaries will be speaking on the varioud Liberty Church campuses, Charity Chapel - with my good friend Mike Collins - and CrossFaith Church in Molino.

Monday we have the big Globe Family gathering in the morning and then the Globe Banquet where missionaries and supporters will gather to honor one-another.  We’ll have over 300 participants.

Tuesday is a day of ministry with Pastor Sam, a Thanksgiving Luncheon at Charity Chapel and we’ll have missionaries telling stories at IGM that night.  Wednesday we have a seminar on fund-raising and Thursday we all collapse. 

Then the 21st through the 23rd we have summit with leaders from Globe International and Globe Europe! 

Lot’s happening

One of the things about blogging and the internet is you don’t know who’s out there and who’s watching and reading.  As a real live lurker myself, I’m aware that I look and read more than I ponder and post…  So anyway – or because of the anonymity of the big ole webnet, I thought I’d throw out a couple of things… I know you’re out there.  I just don’t know who you are… (Crazies need not respond.)

• The No-name Non-Retreat:  I’m looking at putting together a small un-conference and non-retreat in March or April for about 15-25 guys.  It would be multigenerational, highly missional and very relational.  The common denominator is me – hence, “relational.” (smile) I have some sort of relationship with at least the top tier of these guys.  (I’ve been doing this mentoring/discipling thing for a long time…)  Some of these guys will ask some of “their guys” – those with whom they have some sort of discipleship, mentoring relationship.  And that’s what makes it multigenerational – and if we could bring some guys from overseas, it could be multinational.  Because it’s “by invitation only” it seems kinda dumb to put it on the Net.  But here’s my thing – because it’s 20+ guys, we’ll need a place with meals and quiet and outdoors and room to interact and think and pray and read and listen – to one another and God.  The idea is to shape missional people in missional thinking – just through hanging out together – and a little input from me…
  • So here’s the question: Is there a group out there that would help underwrite such a gathering?  And if there is enough (or any) financial interest, I would even invite some guys from Russia, Egypt and Morocco .  Maybe even Kenya .  We’d need to pay their way.  And the idea is to be together and hear each other’s story and re-think how we can better impact our own world with the Gospel.
• Globe International Missional Training Center :  We begin the second Institute for Global Ministry (IGM) in Pensacola on 8 January.  It’s about training and thinking toward the “next missional step.”  This is a one-night-a-week school, but we have enquiries about moving to Pensacola to take the course. 
  And then in August 2008 we hope to begin our first Globe Candidate School – a 2 week 24/7 intensive cross-cultural training as the last piece of the Globe training mosaic.  And it makes sense to have a residential place for these things to happen.  (Globe Europe has a great place just outside Dusseldorf …)
  • So here’s my question:  Is there anybody out there who would like to contribute a place – either permanently or on a sharing basis – where continued training can be carried out?  There are certain criteria that we’d need but we’re flexible and open to change.  And it needs to be totally residential – meals, etc. in-house.
  • Or… Is there anybody out there who would contribute resources so that a residential purpose-build building can be built for Globe?

My conviction is that there are people, families, organizations, groups who are very much interested in seeing the missional Kingdom thinking forwarded and making lasting investments in people’s lives.  I just don’t know who and where they are… I’ve been away.  If you’re interested get in touch with me.  I’m just thinking out loud… Fields are ripe and we’re here to get the workers ready…

Phyllis and I - on the invitation of my friend Buck Waters - went to Olive Baptist Church yesterday to hear Dr. Ed Stetzer.  As always his message was missionally good!  Funny, poignant and mission-shaped. 

Olive is this huge plant!  Huge!  Phyllis says it’s so big they have maps in the hallway with arrows saying “You are here.”  That’s big.  Ed says that 89% of Southern Baptist churches are not growing by “decisions” or people coming to Christ.  89%!  And that’s among Southern Baptists - who are probably one of the most evangelistic groups in America!  Although most of the churches are still attractional rather than missional.

I chatted for a few with Dr. Ed about our history and his blog and Chris Wright’s The Mission of God.  I’ve spent hours reading Ed’s thought on his blog about the terms missio dei  and missional. 

I guess I have been blessed in that my roots - Southern Baptist… house church charismatic… New Covenant, Valdosta… Globe International - have all (at least most of the time) been about going outside the building to “seek and save.”  The Baptist churches I grew up in always reached out.  Attractional, but in the pre-mega-church environment of the 50’s and 60’s they were looking to take Christ to the streets.  And did.  In the 70’s charismatic world of house churches and store-fronts were did radical things like taking care of widows and old people and disenfranchised kids.  Doing it ‘cause Jesus and the book said do it!  (I blogged a little about it back on 6 NOV.)

But the mega-church move of the last few years makes us mega-consumers.  We come one-stop shop to get it all.  And we get it!  Spoon-fed to us every week - or as my new analogy has it - drizzled on us every week.  As I’m borrowing from Ed and changing it for my thinking… we become Sponge Bob Church Member - we sit, soak and sour!  (Told you I’d use it!  Take that!  Dr. Ed!)

Sit, soak and sour!  And occasionally we have “revival” - get squeezed out and a whole new infusion of clean water!  So we can soak again in the sink/pew waiting for the next “outpouring.”   Sponge Bob Church Member.

Andrew (aka Tall Skinny Kiwi) is doing a cool thing on Monday called Andrew’s Happy Hour.  It’s kinda like an virtual on-line Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.  Probably. 

(BTW, Craig Ferguson is my favorite late night person.  I realize I’ll be burned at the stake for liking him instead of well, you know… those other guys.  But he’s funny in a self-debasing way and a little sensitive [he refuses to make fun of Britney Spears and other rehab kinda celebs.  I saw one of the other guys interview Paris Hilton and almost make her cry.  Even though some of my on-line heroes thought it was hilarious, I thought it was pathetic.  Strong personalities should not take advantage of the weak.  That's a real principle of justice isn't it?  And Paris is... whatever else you can say about her... pretty weak.]

Phyllis and I “discovered” Craig when we came back to the US after being away so long.  We’d come in from the Globe IGM late every Tuesday night and relax with Craig.  Or at least his monologue.  That’s the funny part.  Usually.  Most of the interviews are with people I don’t know.  Hey! We’ve been away…)

Anyway, it looks like a typical TSK event: always informative and extremely diverse.  It happens at 11 AM here where I am.  So I’ll try to tune in for the hour and see what’s happening.  And Andrew is planning to make new ministry announcements.  (Maybe he already told me at Seabeck?  Or not…)

Brad, my new Seabeck front porch rocking-chair buddy, has tagged me to do the 30-20-10 history gig.  He wants me to blog my history in decade increments.  So that requires that I think back, so here goes…

30 years ago… that would make it 1977… I was a just a mere twinkle in my daddy’s eye - gone bad.  By about 26 years!  Yikes!  Phyllis - my college sweetheart - and I had been married about 5 years and have no children.  We are living in a small South Georgia hamlet called Hahira - 2000 people, cats and dogs.  I am the controller and personnel manager of a small private hospital and part of the leadership in a cell-church store-front plant.  We don’t know anything about church planting, cell churches or anything really.  We’re just newly filled with the Spirit, coming from a background that taught (by neglect) that gifts ceased with the Apostles and that speaking in tongues indicated that the person was “one brick short of a load” (or as one friend prefers, “one sandwich short of a picnic”).  We are surrounded by a host of great people (many of whom still remain our friends and supporters!) who have input into our lives and for whom we are accountable.  It is a great time.  We as a church reach out to the widows and young people of the town.  We ran a Friday night movie and popcorn for the kids (mostly black) who could not afford to go out and get in trouble in the bigger towns.   (Unfortunately, everything imploded about 5 years later through difficulties in the leadership.  There was - I might add - no sexual misconduct or financial impropriety.  We lost much of our missional vision and things began to be about command and control… so along with a small band of followers, we left.)

Fast forward… 20 years ago (1987)… (Please hum along) …it was twenty years ago today; Sgt Pepper taught the band to play… Now we are living in Valdosta, Georgia, the “big city” of our South Georgia world.  Zachary is seven years old, driving his mother crazy because he’s so smart and stubborn.  And Jane our blue-eyed girl is a newborn. We live between the fraternity houses at Valdosta State College so at night there is always a bass-beat somehow permeating the air.  On campus and in our home, I do numerous Bible studies and teaching events and travel to three other colleges in Georgia.  Our emphasis is on making disciple-making disciples, teaching them to believe and do.  Although our campus ministry is independent and contributor-supported, we are part of a dynamic charismatic church family.  The pastor and I are great friends.  We are seeing good things happen on all fronts.  The church has a great vision for missions, church-planting, worship and discipleship.  It is balanced and growing.  Our campus ministry is about community and the Word.  We have two Koinonia houses around campus and Kingship Groups on-campus.

Another decade… Yikes!  10 years ago (1997)… Phyllis, Zach, Jane and I are now living in Nairobi, Kenya.  We are “faith missionaries” (that means we raise our own support) with Globe International.  I travel all over East Africa (and beginning this year - I think - into Egypt) teaching in leadership seminars mainly among indigenous churches and denominations.  I also oversee Manna Bible School in the hills outside the city.  Manna is a three-year interrupted-service school, bringing pastors and church leaders in for classes three times per year.  My children attend Rosslyn Academy.  Phyllis is active on-campus with Mom’s In Touch.  I work with a tremendous Kenyan team at Manna.  The school has grown from twelve students to around 125; from three times a year to a 12 month school.  We are seeing great success.  Our biggest struggle is financial not so much spiritual or relational.

So, Brad et al, this is the Hatcher History lesson.  Somehow we’ve always been about  discipleship and preparing the next generation.

We have a wild and wooly few days coming up!  Yikes!

Zach is here in Lillian, Alabama visiting until Wednesday (for the very first time since we moved here!) to celebrate his 27th birthday!  So last night we went to a wonderful (wonderful = expensive + tasty + expensive!) resturant in downtown Pensacola.  It was great!  Ate too much, but the Thai ribs are to die for!

Wednesday Phyllis and I help host a booth at a local church’s festival.  I’m sure it’s an alternative-to-Haloween-type gig, but Globe will have a booth giving candy, etc. to kids who can find a location on a map.  Fun!  Hey! Globe’s all about education, huh?

Thursday (All Saints Day) we have a lunch gathering of the Globe Leadership Team.  Truly a gathering of the Saints!  (smile)  It’s always fun and challenging as we look at Globe and it’s future.  Doug and Beth Gehman will host, of course, but Sandy Carter, Scott and Dawn Brown and Phyllis and I will round out the grand gathering.

Friday morning Doug and I fly to Tegucigalpa, Honduras for the weekend.  Back on Tuesday.  We’ll be there with Juan Cruz, a great Globe missionary whose making a big difference training leaders in Latin America.  It’s the INSTE graduation.  We get back on Tuesday.  Not sure what all we’ll do there.  First time in Honduras.  I understand the landing at the airport is the most exciting part of the trip…

On Wednesday, Phyllis and I are figuring a way to get to New Braunfels, TX.  There is a memorial service for our good friend Bob Keith who died last weekend.  He was the retired rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church there in New Braunfels, but he was living out his retirement in Georgia.  We met when he was serving the Church of Uganda (Anglican) and we were living in Nairobi, Kenya.  I was speaking at an Anglican Renewal Kenya conference out in western Kenya.  He was there sitting on the front row with Henry Orombi, then a bishop in the COU, but now the archbishop.  Bob was a great guy!  We laughed a lot together!  And cried together, too.  The earth is poorer without his laugh.

Phyllis and I want to be at this service, but boy it’s hard to figure both time and money to get there.  So right now, we’re thinking to drive (11 hrs) on Wednesday and spend the night with Chuck and MaryNell Hall in New Braunfels.  (Don’t tell them we’re coming, yet.  I haven’t called them.  But I will!  I will!  Don’t panic!)  We’ll go to the service and then drive back Thursday afternoon.

Saturday we have the big Walking on Water premier movie in Pensacola.  We’re showcaseing our Globe training initiaves and doing concessions there.

Wild!