Do you want to see the hands of missionaries in action? One of the new and exciting ways to do that is to view many missions videos online.

Check out the new MinistryTube Directory - a blog directory of missions/ministries on YouTube.

You can see missionaries in action and get a better idea of what it takes to do missions today. 

One of the realities in missions is connecting with churches and making lasting relationships. Well, that meant one thing 50 years ago, but means something very different today.

Understanding church marketing will help you as a missionary to connect with churches who are using marketing to make their ministry more effective.

There is a new book called Church Marketing 101 that is excellent. Check it out today. 

The world of wikipedia has changed a lot about how we search for and gather information.

Did you know that there is a missions wiki out there that is helping to gather missions info?

Check out Missiopedia. It is a great start but you can help to add more info on the things about missions that you are passionate about. 

If you want to read more about what HCJB Global is doing you can go to the Urbana Today newspaper site to check it out.

Have a great day using your hands to serve HIM! 

There are so many resources to consider, but another one worth looking into is Mission Maker Magazine. You can find it online at www.missionmakermagazine.com.

This magazine is a key resource as you are considering missions. It is designed for those who are searching for their role.

Have you read it before? What do you think? 

If you are considering missions, there are many things that you are doing to prepare, but have you thought about your resource library?

Before you go, make sure that you identify the key books and resources that you need for the work you are doing. Many of them are available in digital form or in audio or even podcasts. Obviously space is an issue, but resources can fit on Thumb Drives these days.

As your missions prof, your missions agency, friends, whoever and find out the key resources. Once you are in your new location it will be a bigger pain to get them.

One resource that is a huge help online is online access to Evangelical Missions Quarterly. It is a key magazine on how to do missions - very practical. You can purchase an online subscription at www.emqonline.com.  Another one that is free is www.worldpulseonline.com. You can also go to www.mislinks.org for hundreds of sites and resources.

Or just do a google search for Missionary Resources and you will be amazed at what you find. 

 

The Summer is an intense time for those considering missions. It is the time in between . . . school . . . jobs . . . marraige . . . and it goes on and on.

What are your hands doing this summer that will get you ready for the next step. Those times in the middle serve as the greatest preparation and the greatest focusing.

Find 5 things that you want to do in preparation for the next step and use this summer to get ready! 

This question has many potential answers and it may be that the answer varies based on where you are. But the question is one that we don't ask enough. Many times we assume that a missionary should do anything that needs done. But is that the case?

Many times a missionary shouldn't do certain things because it creates dependency, western models of work or a disconnect with the people they are serving. It takes great wisdom for a missionary to know what we should do and what we should pass on.

As you read this blog and really consider some of the characteristics of a missionary, also consider the kind of things you can do with those characteristics.

It is sad but true that a well-intentioned, talented person can cause crazyness if they put their hands to the wrong activities.

Have you thought about what you should do as a missionary? 

One question I have recieved as we have been doing this blog about effective service in the 21st Century is, "How do you define effective?"

Good question!

Effectiveness is not objective. Effectiveness cannot be defined in a list. There are many things that you will see very quickly rise to the surface through this blog, but you cannot simply define effectiveness and be done with it.

Effectiveness has a lot to do with culture and with God's heart for a specific set of people. 

This Blog, "Missional Hands", explores what it takes to be a missionary in the 21st Century.

1 Timothy 2:8

"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer..."

What kind of hands do you have? Are they small, calloused, tan, soft, stubby . . . ?

Well, God probably doesn’t care what our hands look like, but if we use our hands as an image of our willing service, he cares a lot!

Are you considering becoming a missionary? One of the questions you have to be asking is, “What does it take to be a missionary today and am I ready?”

This blog will be a conversation with missions staff from around the world who are uniquely qualified to talk about what it takes to be a missionary today. As I dialogue with them and share it with you through this blog, I hope that you will be challenged to think big about the Great Commission and thing smart about how you join in God’s Kingdom work.