14 Paradoxes that Made this Friday Good

Reading Time: < 1 minute

When you’re headed overseas, it’s critical you’ve got solid biblical training.

In most contexts, you’ll be placed in a role as a spiritual leader. And because God looks at the heart rather than the appearance everyone else looks at (1 Samuel 16:7)–we want you to be that leader from the inside out.

So for this deeply good Friday–perhaps the blackest Friday ever (in terms of both grief and debts paid), we’re looking at these paradoxes bound up in Jesus’ death: all we gained through his loss. read more

Meet an Agency: OMF International

Reading Time: 5 minutes

We heart this new, ongoing series–a virtual trip to the coffee shop with organizations to help you go there, serve Him, and love them even better. (For more thoughts about why you might join an agency–and a handful of reasons you might not–make sure to check out He Said/She Said/You Say? “Should I go overseas with an organization?”, both the pros and the cons.)

Today, we’re grabbing an almondmilk mochaccino with OMF (Overseas Mission Fellowship) International. read more

The Cultural Iceberg: What You Need to Know about Cross-cultural Communication

Reading Time: 7 minutes

cultural iceberg

We’re excited to welcome back Sheri of Engineering Ministries International. EMI mobilizes architects, engineers, construction managers, and other design professionals–including those through an incredible internship program–to provide design services for those helping the poor. We’re talking water projects, hospitals, schools, orphanages, you name it. Meanwhile, they raise up disciples and trained professionals in-country.

Sheri applies these cross-cultural points poignantly to the elements of designing cross-culturally–but we believe you’ll find inescapable parallels to any cross-cultural work. Hopefully it will help jumpstart real solutions for cross-cultural sensitivities, and help any culture manifest Jesus Christ according to its own cultural icebergs. read more

Meet an Agency: Lahash

Reading Time: 5 minutes

We heart this new, ongoing series–a virtual trip to the coffee shop with organizations to help you go there, serve Him, and love them even better. (For more thoughts about why you might join an agency–and a handful of reasons you might not–make sure to check out He Said/She Said/You Say? “Should I go overseas with an organization?”, both the pros and the cons.)

Today, we’re grabbing a lavender latte with Lahash.

Lahash 1 read more

What Lies Beneath: Recognizing Cultural “Icebergs”

Reading Time: 6 minutes

cultural iceberg

We’re excited to welcome Sheri of Engineering Ministries International. EMI mobilizes architects, engineers, construction managers, and other design professionals–including those through an incredible internship program–to provide design services for those helping the poor. We’re talking water projects, hospitals, schools, orphanages, you name it. Meanwhile, they raise up disciples and trained professionals in-country.

Sheri applies these cross-cultural points poignantly to the elements of designing cross-culturally–but we believe you’ll find inescapable parallels to any cross-cultural work. Hopefully it will help jumpstart real solutions for cross-cultural sensitivities, and help any culture manifest Jesus Christ according to its own cultural icebergs. read more

Meet an Agency: All Nations

Reading Time: 6 minutes

i-saw-the-messiah

We heart this new, ongoing series–a virtual trip to the coffee shop with organizations to help you go there, serve Him, and love them even better. (For more thoughts about why you might join an agency–and a handful of reasons you might not–make sure to check out He Said/She Said/You Say? “Should I go overseas with an organization?”, both the pros and the cons.)

Today, we’re grabbing a green tea frappuccino with All Nations--perhaps better known as the sending organization of the late John Chau.  read more

#BESTOFTHEBESTFRIDAYS: Business as Mission; fundraising bootcamp

Reading Time: 3 minutes

bestofthebestfriday

Business as Mission Infographic

The BAM Review has published a pretty sweet summary of need-to-knows for Business as Mission–all in a tidy infographic. And please, click here for 50+ BAM job openings around the world!

Totally into BAM? From their think tank, BAM Global has produced a series of 19 Issue- and Region-focused reports on business as mission.

New Book, Becoming Whole, from the author of When Helping Hurts

Image result for becoming whole fikkert read more

6 Killer Online Resources for Fundraising

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Fundraising ain’t for sissies. Not that it should, but some might report it makes you feel like you just walked out of the public bathroom with toilet paper stuck to your shoe.

But what if there are resources to make your presentation just that much easier, and a touch more professional to inspire confidence? Though nothing can substitute starting with the right support-raising mindset (! Don’t miss our post on the fear of rejection in fundraising), we’ve gathered a few goodies to make you feel a little less…awkward.

  1. FOR DESIGN: Canva.com

Canva is an easy-to-use graphic-design website for people who’d love a little help in the form of professional-looking free templates and a drag-and-drop format. It’s frequented by non-designers as well as professionals. We’re talking templates for print as well as web: for social media (for your Facebook page, Insta feed, or blog), invitations (for that fundraising dinner a friend’s throwing), brochures, letters, flyers, slideshow presentations, posters–you name it. read more

Meet an Agency: Africa Inland Mission (AIM)

Reading Time: 5 minutes

We heart this new, ongoing series–a cup o’ joe with organizations to help you go there, serve Him, and love them even better. (For more thoughts about why you might join an agency–and a handful of reasons you might not–make sure to check out He Said/She Said/You Say? “Should I go overseas with an organization?”, both the pros and the cons.)

Today, we’re grabbing a cold brew coffee with Africa Inland Mission (AIM). Grab a chair. read more

Meet an Agency: Action International

Reading Time: 6 minutes

We heart this new, ongoing series–a cup of java with organizations to help you go there, serve Him, and love them even better. (For more thoughts about why you might join an agency–and a handful of reasons you might not–make sure to check out He Said/She Said/You Say? “Should I go overseas with an organization?”, both the pros and the cons.)

Today, we’re grabbing a caramel cappuccino with ACTION International. Grab a chair. read more