Monday, November 22, 2010

Lausanne: A History Lesson in Missions

With the conclusion of the Capetown 2010 meetings, and various reports now filtering out through the blogosphere, etc., it seemed appropriate to draw attention of my fellow CoJourner blog-ites to the Lausanne Movement History Video. Its three minutes is a refreshing step into the last century to consider how God has worked.


My favorite quote:

We must have the compassion to answer the honest questions, which men and women have, and this answering the honest questions is also a part of evangelism. (Francis Schaeffer)

True in 1974. Still true today!

This is why the third CoJourner role is "The Builder" - constructing bridges over and beyond the obstacles in the spiritual journeys of others, whether intellectual, emotional or matters of the will, helping them move toward Christ.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories that Stretch and Stir

Nanci and I are enjoying the reading the early chapters of Hansen & Woodbridge's, A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories that Stretch and Stir.

What difference can it make? Here is a glimpse...


Chapter 8 "First Comes War, Then Comes Revival: Evangelical Boom, 19402 to 1950s, North America" includes a section on the birth of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Thanks, John, for sending me a copy!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Overflow Show: Going video

I have drawn attention in the past to the great resources and work of "The Overflow Show". But I hadn't mentioned that the show has moved from audio podcasts to video. Nice.

Here is the latest - a three-minute interview with Greg Koukl, author of Tactics. This deals with religious pluralism. Haven't gotten his book yet, but it is on my list for later.


Friday, November 12, 2010

International Students: Demographics

According to the Institute of International Education (as quoted in the Colleges of 2010 report, Institute of Higher Education), the 2007-08 Top Places of Origin for International Students in the U.S. are:

1. India - 94,563

2. China - 81,127

3. South Korea - 69,124

4. Japan - 33,974

5. Canada - 29,051

6. Taiwan - 29,001

7. Mexico - 14,837

8. Turkey - 12,030

9. Saudi Arabia - 9,873

10. Thailand - 9,004


Interesting to reflect on these from a missiological point of view. Makes one thankful for the work of Bridges, International and International Students, Inc.


India and China have far more graduate students than undergraduates, Korea and Japan more undergraduates than graduates.


BTW - in 2007-08, there were 623,805 International Students in US, amounting to 3.5% of our total 17,958,000 students (according to the National Center for Education Statistics).


Having been to India this fall and contemplating this emerging global power, it is fascinating to consider that we live at a time and in a place where 94,000 of their brightest and best are present in our country, being shaped through our education for positions of influence. Hmm. Imagine if...


Interesting indeed.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Social Media Revolution

In the genre of the Did You Know videos, here is The Social Media Revolution:


Had you seen this one already? What did you think?

What are the implications for outreach and evangelism?