We want to know. What are your top 3 most influential books for cross-cultural missions? This certainly includes books written specifically with the missional church in the West in view, but lest we leave missions out of missional, what books are you reading or have read that have informed your cross-cultural missiology?

What non-Western authors have influenced you?

Leave your top 3 in the comments. We will be compiling this list and adding it to our Resources page.

Because The Upstream Collective exists to help the church help and think like missionaries, all of this awareness and blowback has caused us to ask: Who has boots on the ground? What is working? And how can the church be involved? To answer questions like these, we often point to creative platforms for global missions. One such platform is The Voice Project.

Brian Pappalardo works with The Voice Project and is a core member of the church plant that Upstream’s Michael Carpenter is planting in Little Rock, AR. He shares his story and his work with The Voice Project below.

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I first became aware of the LRA in 2009, while I was living in Chicago. Almost immediately after I heard the words “child” and “soldiers” used in the same sentence, I began working full-time to see that this rebel group was stopped. In the last few years, I’ve had the honor of working alongside some amazing activists, lobbying for the unanimous passage of anti-LRA legislation, and traveling from coast to coast several times sharing our dream with schools and churches – a dream of a world without rebel warlords and mass atrocities, where children are allowed to grow and learn and dream in peace. It’s been a wild ride.

Last year, I met a man named Hunter while he was working at a displacement camp. Hunter began telling me the story of a group of women – widows, rape victims, survivors of war. He was struck by how resilient they were, and they sang a song to him – a song called “Dwog Paco” (translated: “Come Home”). They explained to Hunter that after their children had been abducted from their villages, they would sing these songs and pray that they reached the ears of their children. Songs like “Dwog Paco” let the children know that they were forgiven and that they would be welcomed home. And it worked; they came home by the thousands.

The Voice Project was born out of this idea, and it is a tribute to these women. We’ve been blessed with the support of popular musicians including Peter Gabriel, Billy Bragg, Mike Mills and Broken Social Scene. They have all recorded one another’s music to raise awareness and funding for locally-led economic development programs, vocational training, education, and small loans.

However, the beauty of what we’re doing lies here:

What one must realize, is that children abducted by the LRA are often forced to kill members of their family or community, and then they are told by their commanders that they will be killed by local peacekeepers if they try to escape. In this way, they keep the child soldiers fighting. By working with local musicians and recording peace songs and messages, The Voice Project is able to encourage defections at a rate that could end this conflict through non-violent means.

My role specifically is to work with college, high school, and church groups who believe, as we do, that love will win over hate, forgiveness will win over war, and hope will win over despair. We are raising $200,000 to build new FM towers so that members of the LRA operating in remote areas can have access to these songs, and know that they also are forgiven. If you would like more information on how your church can get directly involved in The Voice Project, please email me at brian@voiceproject.org.

If you would like to pray for this conflict, here are a few major requests. Pray…

• that the abducted children will know that they are forgiven and come home safely
• that we will receive the funding needed to build the new FM towers
• that these remote communities remain safe from LRA attacks and that this conflict ends soon.

Jason Dukes recently wrote a chapter in theMissionBook.com called Seeking the Sick. Read below to get more of Dukes’ thoughts on what it means to be the church among the “unhealthy.”

When you look for your next place to minister, do you search for the brokenness and the darkness?

Jesus said He did not come for the healthy, but the sick. Thus, those who say they follow Him should do the same. If the “sick” really includes those hungry and hurting for the love of the Father and the presence of “on earth as it is in heaven,” then it is valid to conclude the purpose of the church, to make disciples, is not simply to learn the ways of Jesus with the healthy, but also with the hungry and hurting. A church that only caters to the healthy is a church that is denying the validity of the Gospel and its intended implications.

Ill appearance

Seeking the sick may look unhealthy, which is almost counterintuitive; churches are supposed to promote health, right? Yet if we are loving and walking with the sick, critics may ask, “Why do you look so unhealthy, so in need of getting better, so riff-raffy?” This is similar to what critics said of Jesus in Matthew 9.

Giving themselves away
One local church expression in Winter Garden, Fla., runs a ministry that does more than put a Band-Aid on homelessness; they live out the mandates of Isaiah 58 and actually dine and relate with the poor. They not only offer meaningful and transformational services, but they treat the homeless as friends. Out of this ministry come so many stories of both reentering the norm of society and simply helping those who never want a home again (not all homeless individuals want to stop being homeless).

More than anything, their church family comprises a beautiful mix of people who give into one another in a diversity of ways. Critics look at them and remark, “I am not sure I could do that.” But they are doing it, together, and in turn modeling “on earth as it is in heaven” for the rest of us.

Becoming family, life-on-life
Another local church expression exists among the middle class artisans and young professionals of uptown New Orleans, La. They do more than try to attract locals with a hip gathering; they live and work among them, and are becoming family with people around whom many in a church culture would feel uncomfortable raising their kids.

The beauty of transformation abounds in the stories of these creative, talented young men and women. Sure, people say things that may seem offensive in the more cookie-cutter, conventional church. They wade through crises that may repulse some in the more, “I’m really fine,” shallow communities. But this is life-on-life, no matter how complicated or convulsive. And Jesus is wrecking and restoring both self-indulgence and self-righteousness left and right.

Healthy-sick approach

A church balances ministering to the healthy while reaching the sick in two ways: First, by admitting they are not as healthy as they might think they are, and thus relying on the Gospel more than their own perceived goodness. Unless we see ourselves as needy, we will be less likely to welcome others who are needy into fellowship with us.

Second, by viewing each and every person, both connected and disconnected with the church family, the way Jesus views us—as worth dying for. When we selflessly give of our lives, proactively care for one another and for our neighbors, and actually get close enough to see more than the assumed need, then we live out the love of the One who took the initiative and loved us first.

Written by Jason Dukes. Jason is a co-leader of the Reproducing Churches Network, author of LIVE SENT: You are a letter, and pastor in Winter Garden, Fla.

“Valuable information, very helpful! I appreciated your transparency as you shared from your experiences on the field. I don’t know that it could have been better. Thanks for your encouragement!” -David

“This was an exceptional time of training. Thank you so much for your encouragement, ideas and transparency. My kids are well equipped with so much information about the transitions ahead. They loved it!” -Amy

So you want to be a sending church. You wish to actively engage in sharing the Gospel with members of another culture by commissioning some of your own church members to live and work among them.

But you’re lost. Even though you’re sure of this vision God has clearly laid on your heart, too many unanswered questions seem to hang in a cloud above your head. What steps does your team need to take before you arrive on the field? How do you get there? What should you expect when you do? How do you communicate the Gospel once you do?

Take a deep breath; it’s going to be OK. Others have gone before you and want to share what they’ve learned along the way.

The individuals behind The Upstream Collective know these questions all too well. They have asked them, lived them and seen them answered. They have learned not only from observing others, but also through their own trials, errors and victories.

In its effort to help churches think and act like missionaries, The Upstream Collective offers training to churches wishing to engage members of other people groups by sending believers to live among them. This is not a one-time preparation conference; this is a long-term commitment to walk with your church through the planning and preparing, as well as the going and doing.

Three things Upstream hopes to accomplish with the pre-field training for a sending church include helping others:

• Avoid making mistakes and learn from others’ missionary successes
• Identify what a relocated family’s new normal will look like
• Identify strategy and the effects decisions will make on that strategy, all while being responsive to the Holy Spirit

This pre-field orientation can be spread out over a number of days. Topics covered may include:

• The theology of mission
• Doing mission in a post-Christian context and
• Practical tools of a missionary

It also may include a time of worship that challenges the team to experience what acceptable forms of worship may look like in other cultures. Other focal points, however, depend on the needs and priorities of each team. We’re not talking cookie cutters here; Upstream’s training is customized to each church.

“Mission training for church-based teams is not one-size-fits-all. The process has to consider team dynamics as it is rolled out,” Upstream’s Larry McCrary said.

Sending church training can also involve on-the-field acclimation once team members arrive in their ministry location. The learning relationship then continues as the team on the field continues to adjust to its new home. Yet those who relocate are not alone in reaping the benefits.

“We believe these skills not only help (churches) as they work abroad, but also as they work in their own communities,” McCrary said.

The core of helping a church think and act like a missionary may seem rather simple.

“At root, this is about walking in the ways of Christ,” Almost an M said. “Jesus was the incarnation of God that lived and walked among the people.”

Comment below with questions about this type of training Upstream provides, email us at info@theupstreamcollective.org or contact one of the Upstream leaders for more information.

Written by Natalie Bunch. Natalie is a freelance writer for The Upstream Collective and lives in North Carolina. She served as a missionary writer based out of Prague, Czech Republic, from 2007-2009, and plans to return to full-time international mission work with her husband.

God’s Stories
God’s Stories was developed to communicate to an Arabic audience the narratives of who God is and how He relates to his people. Native directors worked together to produce these visual forms of chronological Bible storytelling. Read Almost an M’s take on the project and catch glimpses of the videos at the God’s Stories YouTube page.

LovingMuslims.org
LovingMuslims.org is exactly what it sounds like—a resource for non-Muslims to help understand the culture of their Eastern-born neighbors and learn how to communicate love and truth with them. This site offers a prayer guide, group study, 9/11 resources, video testimonies and more.

theMissionBook.com
This online book has many authors—and the next could be you. Read through posts from Ed Stetzer, Michael Frost, Alan Hirsch, Caleb Crider, Larry McCrary and many others who have experienced God’s teaching and molding as they’ve pursued His mission for their own lives. Visit theMissionBook.com to gain a variety of perspectives on what it means to be on mission, and tips on how to be effective in doing so.

Unfortunately, the popular method for many churches wanting to engage in international mission is to pick from a list. Whether it be “UPGs” or Spanish-speaking countries or those inside certain longitudinal/latitudinal coordinates, the method of the moment is often nothing less than throwing darts. Yet throughout the book of Acts, it is the Spirit who sets apart, sends and directs people as they go. Ignoring His direction is nothing short of disobedience.

Today’s popular method is also on display in many of our American churches as it pertains to living missionally in our cities and neighborhoods. A church leader casts a “vision” for certain types of local outreach focusing on a few particular ministries from which the congregation can choose. It is likely that some within the church are gifted to carry out the local ministries chosen by the leader, but often many others are not.

It is the Spirit who gives gifts as He wills (1 Cor 12:11) so we, as a unified body, may make disciples among the nations. When we corral everyone into ministries to which they are not called and for which they are not gifted, we deny them the opportunity to “walk in the Spirit” and act according to the gifting they have received.

Conversely, I believe the most biblically consistent manner for determining the people/places to whom a church is sent is simply by asking God, who has orchestrated the Church and given the Spirit to lead. The pastor who equips must know the people he shepherds, help them understand their gifts and equip them to walk in their specific gifting. Thus, the manner in which the church joins God on mission is determined not by the passions and desires of an individual, but by the totality of the gifting within the local body. In other words, the missional direction is determined in obedience to the Holy Spirit according to the gifts He has given to the body.

Instead of engaging in (even good) things to which her people are neither called nor gifted, why would a local church not seek to be unified with other local churches that may be called and gifted to accomplish those things? Why not pray for/with those other churches, offer resources for the work to which they are called and ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to those places (Luke 10:2)? Would this not lead to the greatest of outcomes–our churches operating as one, uniting by the Spirit and working together to accomplish the mission to which we are called (John 17:20-21)?

A church that thinks and acts like a missionary thinks and acts according to her sent-ness. This means we must recognize our gifts and our shortcomings. We will sometimes be on the front lines and sometimes unseen. Sometimes we will be getting our hands dirty and sometimes falling on our knees. We must surrender our will completely to the Spirit and give up our control, following His lead and giving all the glory to the only One deserving.

Written by Rodney Calfee. Rodney helps churches think and act like missionaries both domestically and around the world. He lives with his family in Birmingham, Ala.

One of Vandiver’s goals is to assist believers in befriending Muslims. Arabic-speaking Americans help meet the refugees’ basic needs through English and culture classes. What Vandiver has discovered is many Muslims then begin to inquire about Jesus.

“As we meet the needs of our North African and Middle Eastern friends, they often ask questions about Jesus, who is mentioned 44 times in the Koran,” Vandiver said. “Eighty-six percent of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists do not have Christian friends. We would like to change this stat.”

The SENT Collective exists to help the local church reach its community—including Muslims and other people groups—with the Gospel. One way it’s doing this is by hosting a SENT lab Aug. 11-13 in Austin.

The lab is open to all believers, and includes classes on mapping local communities, mobilizing believers and multiplying disciples. Upstream Collective’s Larry McCrary will lead the discussion on mobilization.

“The nations have come to Texas,” Vandiver said. “We want to equip Jesus followers to make disciples who make disciples among the nations in our state.”

Written by Natalie Bunch. Natalie is a freelance writer for The Upstream Collective and lives in North Carolina. She served as a missionary writer based out of Prague, Czech Republic, from 2007-2009, and plans to return to full-time international mission work with her husband.

Recently Todd Littleton, pastor at Snow Hill Baptist Church in Tuttle, Okla., wrote an article for TheMissionBook.com touching on this topic as related to the Church.

“Circumstances change, but our desire and intent to participate in the activity of God remains the constant. At least it should,” he writes.

Littleton admits that seasons come and go—sometimes a church is “in season” and sometimes it is “out of season.” However, as Paul indicates, the body of Christ is always to be ready.

Yet a church can become distracted. Something that was supposed to be a means to an end slowly becomes the end to which a church is bent toward. Littleton gives the example of local Sunday services.

“Formation and transformation may be encouraged in these gatherings, but rarely produced by them. In other words, these events support the patterns of flesh-on-flesh disciple making rather than lead to them. Over time, the pressure to report larger and larger gatherings makes the pattern of gathered worship an end. When the Sunday worship becomes an end rather than a means, the church is distracted from the mission of God as ‘sent into the world.’”

Littleton notes financial giving as another example. A church may seek to gather money for missions, but somehow these funds get transferred to the hiring of “professional missionaries.”

“In the course of supporting ‘missions,’ American churches may find it easier to give through channels that keep an integrative participation in ‘missions’ at bay,” he said. “Rather than embody the Way of Jesus, Christians become conduits in support of others who take on an elevated status for their sacrifices.”

Littleton noted even church-planting efforts can become an end instead of a means. He pointed out how one denomination is measuring its effectiveness “not on formation and transformation of persons and structures, but instead on numbers of churches planted.”

We are to emulate Jesus, who seemed to always be focused on God’s mission. While in Luke “Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem,” it appears He was bent on His purpose even before this statement.

“It seems as though no matter how near or far from Jerusalem Jesus traveled, He always had a sense of his sent mission of God,” Littleton said. “The Church should carry that same posture into the world as God’s collective of missionaries. The aim in these local communities of faith is then anchored to this posture.

“A Church ‘for’ the world looks like Jesus living ‘for’ the world in His day. Its only limitations under the Spirit are its imagination and will.”

Littleton recommends a church evaluate its conduct. Possibly it would be productive to ask, “Would our community know if we ceased to exist?” or “What would be missed by your absence?” Then a church may be able to take proper steps in being ready both in and out of season.

Written by Natalie Bunch. Natalie is a freelance writer for The Upstream Collective and lives in North Carolina. She served as a missionary writer based out of Prague, Czech Republic, from 2007-2009, and plans to return to full-time international mission work with her husband.

That makes sense, with 500,000 Haitian Americans thriving in the association’s New York City metro area, a 75-mile radius from Times Square. The group’s largest church is the French Speaking Baptist Church of Brooklyn (FSBCB), which started in a living room in 1965. They “almost immediately began chapels in New Jersey and Manhattan,” according to Russ, and today have planted more than 50 churches in French-speaking areas of New York and around the world. The current pastor, Jean Baptiste Thomas, has been on staff since 1965, and leading the congregation since 1969. He was bi vocational for 20 years. In fact, Russ said most of the area’s Haitian pastors are bi vocational.

How do they do it? Russ said training leaders is a major component of FSBCB’s strategy.

“Various expressions of Bible schools and certificate programs have been housed at this church since 1987,” he said. “Indigenous leadership development is the hallmark of their strategy. Their students are members of their churches and they end up pastoring the churches they begin.”

Rev. Valeus Lacoste has been a pastor for 13 years, and currently shepherds the French Speaking Baptist Church of Nassau. His role is to mentor upcoming Haitian pastors and encourage them in their development of Haitian churches in New York.

Whenever Lacoste hears about a new group of Haitians living in a certain area, he encourages pastors to plant churches there.

“We usually begin with prayer meetings at the local centers or in someone’s living room,” he said, “and invite Haitians within the area to worship and pray with us.”

From the beginning of a church plant, Lacoste said he and his colleagues look for local worshipers who have a desire to serve. After evaluating their biblical knowledge and church experience, they guide these individuals toward becoming local leaders. If someone wants to be a pastor, Lacoste encourages him to attend seminary; if he simply wishes to serve, Lacoste advocates that he to attends one of their Bible schools.

As for a church-planting budget, they collect from church offerings, “according to the grace of God,” and fundraisers.

Russ, whose job involves encouraging missional thinking and church-planting, pointed out the Haitian churches’ community-based ministries that reach back to their homeland.

“Most, if not all, of our churches have some kind of mission back in Haiti,” he said, “churches, orphanages, etc.”

It seems as though thinking and acting like missionaries is what these Haitian churches in New York City are all about.

Written by Natalie Bunch. Natalie is a freelance writer for The Upstream Collective and lives in North Carolina. She served as a missionary writer based out of Prague, Czech Republic, from 2007-2009, and plans to return to full-time international mission work with her husband.

You could begin at any one of several starting points. As we look at the mission landscape, we want to start with the first of three concentric circles–cross-cultural opportunities nearby. Nashville’s foreign-born population has more than quadrupled in size between 1990 and 2010. What’s more, Nashville has the fifth fasting growing metropolitan statistical area for a foreign-born population in the United States.

Tennessee as a whole is 12th in the nation for receiving foreign-born refugees and immigrants. One hundred thirty-five languages are spoken in Nashville area schools. Thirty-five of the 70 identified ethno-linguistic people groups in the metropolitan Nashville area number 1,000 or more and are less than 2 percent evangelical. The four largest unreached people groups in metropolitan Nashville are East Indian, Kurdish, Somali and Vietnamese, all of which number over 10,000.

This is our global training ground.

The second circle involves connecting with believers and church leaders from all over the world who have come to live in America. How can we serve our city by partnering with local Chinese, Vietnamese, Latino and Arabic congregations? Who are the Christ-following students at local universities? These people are bridges to the world; they understand different cultural perspectives and can teach us. They can be our consultants.

The third circle is to send. What if we, with churches of other cultures, developed an exchange program that involved swapping our budding leaders to serve on each other’s pastoral staffs for one year? After a year in another culture, they could come back and become a bridge person to that culture in our global training ground and with our consultants.

Furthermore, this kind of mutual exchange could give those individuals the gift of seeing how the world cannot be accurately viewed from a single cultural perspective. This is crucial because the best way we can fully understand the complexity of the Gospel message is to learn from others who are seeing the story from different angles.

We are all called to be on mission, wherever we are. Knowing where to start can be a challenge, but opportunities to reach the nations may be closer and more tangible than you think.

Written by Michael Carpenter. Michael serves as the Missional Instigator at Mosaic Nashville. Mosaic is an 8-year-old urban church plant that dreams of becoming a community that lives by faith, is known by love and is a voice of hope to the world around us.