notes from dave...
| I spend about half my year serving as a Christian missionary in Mexico. As part of that work over the years I have helped build a number of protestant churches, met untold numbers of people from all over the country, and have tried, sometimes with more success than others, to do good stuff and leave Mexico better than when I arrived. I have also had hundreds of those short-term mission teams from churches all over the United States come and serve with me. When I am back in the states, I visit churches and speak to groups trying to raise awareness of my ministry, Adventures in Life, and funds for what we are trying to do. I also write, and occasionally, something gets published. Friday, DELTA Ministries, with whom I have worked for a number of years, published one of my articles, titled "God Hates Short-Term Mission Trips... and these things too!" Please check it out here at notes from dave..., my other blog, where I write about the issues affecting short-term missions. Labels: Adventures in Life, church missions, Dave Miller, DELTA Ministries, ministry, notes from dave, short-term missions |
posted by Dave Miller at 10:20 AM
Comments on "notes from dave..."
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BB-Idaho said ... (7:26 AM) :
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Dave Miller said ... (10:59 AM) :
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BB-Idaho said ... (4:11 PM) :
post a commentIt appears that some aspects seem
a business
..and one wonders about the cultural impact-for example 30
some Pentacostal missions opening
in Baghdad even as the ruins of
'Shock & Awe' were still being
shoveled. Islam continues to be
very resistant to Christian mission work and
it seems probable that existing
Catholic traditions in S. America
would make that a difficult field
as well?
BB... just the other day, someone suggested I put a listing on that very site.
Yes, some of it can indeed be very business looking, as even as we try to do good.
I think the question will always boil down to funding.
How can we get what is needed, where it is needed?
Sounds like here, doesn't it.
I think one of the biggest mistakes Christian Mission makes is in not respecting the local culture. I do not agree with the philosophy that says everything that is not seen as Christian by the missionary must be thrown out. And yet I acknowledge that this type of understanding is very prevalent in particularly short-term mission work today.
Primarily because those going do not have the time to invest in really learning the ins and outs of a culture.
We need consider the problem is not
missions per se: the 1958 book 'The Ugly American' demonstrated similar problems for
professional diplomats!