March - April 2009

Editorial Rick Wood

Dear Reader: For the first time in the 30 years of its publication, Dr. Ralph Winter is not writing the editorial for an issue of Mission Frontiers. His treatments for lymphoma have forced him to cutback. Mission Frontiers will continue to fulfill the mission with which Dr. Winter started it in 1979. download pdf of this story

My predecessor, Tim Lewis, popularized the in-house phrase, “beyond the edges of the kingdom” to describe those things the Strategy Division of the U.S. Center has to be concerned about. We believe, “what is not happening” should dominate our thoughts and lives. The desired outcome of the Strategy Division is to discern why what is not happening is not happening and to make sure that changes appropriately. Additionally, “what is already happening” also often deserves a second close look to evaluate whether the strategy being used will bring the most effective result and outcome. download pdf of this story

The Mobilization Division in Arkansas In 2004 we moved a significant part of the Mobilization Division of the U.S. Center for World Mission to Fayetteville, Arkansas in order to be more centrally located in the US. We serve the Body of Christ all across the U.S. As behind-the-scenes catalysts, our mission is to see churches, ministries, businesses, and whole communities mobilized to take the name of Jesus Christ to every people group where He is not yet known or followed. download pdf of this story

Curricula for the Kingdom! The USCWM Training Division exists to assist the mission movement by developing academic curricula and promoting existing programs that equip missionaries, mission agencies, churches, laymen, and students in frontier kingdom mission. Training Division programs are often piloted through our related William Carey International University and are made available to schools around the world. download pdf of this story

Providing the Infrastructure - Services Division Lee Purgason

Doing ministry requires infrastructure and capable people to provide smooth operations; our Services Division provides both! In the USCWM, Services has both external and internal customers. Our Records and Subscriptions team uses technology to maintain electronic files which enable us to prepare mailings for the Global Prayer Digest and Mission Frontiers — you can thank Dan (who telecommutes from Ohio!), Marjorie, Diane, Ed and Josiah for the roles they play in providing such services and sending out packaged quantities for groups. download pdf of this story

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WCIU Mission William Carey International University prepares men and women to discover and address the roots of human problems around the world by offering graduate degrees in International Development, emphasizing the cultural and historical aspects of this field. Through partnerships with NGOs WCIU seeks to improve the effectiveness of their agency members and the quality of NGOs around the world. download pdf of this story

I find my attention riveted to the financial channel on TV, and, along with millions of other Americans, I feel in my very bones the wild gyrations of the current market as it dramatically shrinks my retirement account. New words have intruded into my vocabulary. One of those words is deleveraging. It is applied to banks, hedge funds, and all manner of corporate entities. The talking heads all say these huge corporate entities are deleveraging, and until the deleveraging process is over, the markets will remain volatile and chaotic. download pdf of this story

Checking out a “99 Cent Store” was one of my husband’s favorite pastimes—almost a hobby. One day he came home to show me his bargains and displayed a jar of honey. Imagine his chagrin when he read the fine print and discovered that one of the ingredients listed on the label was water. It wasn’t pure honey. We who care that children find and fulfill God’s awesome destinies for their lives, sometimes discover that we are dispensing diluted honey. I don’t mean to disparage any effort to engage young lives in God’s global purposes. Increasingly, effective and creative strategies are being deployed. I simply want to challenge us to think carefully about our efforts and to make sure we are giving kids “pure” ingredients. download pdf of this story

What is in Your Hand? Years ago I had the privilege of meeting a Christian worker in East Africa who told me an inspiring story. She was once assigned to oversee a local congregation that met in an uncompleted church building surrounded by an overgrown plot full of trash and weeds. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, she approached the Lord about how to proceed. download pdf of this story

"During economic “crisis,” or any crisis, believers should be the calm ones. Jesus said, Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or your body, what you should wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? (Matthew 6:25, NET Bible) Simple truth. Difficult to apply. It could be more difficult to apply if someone really doesn’t have enough — such as our brothers and sisters in certain parts of the world. But many I’ve met around the world seem to have an easier time trusting God from day-to-day than those of us in the West, who have and expect so much more. download pdf of this story