As we look forward after Urbana to the many opportunities for the summer, there are some key skills and areas that we all need to prepare our hands to face.

One of these is innovation. I have just launched a book called Innovation in Mission that will be released in the next week or so. It is a great resource to prepare you for missions because it is full of practical examples of innovation in mission.

The book has chapters on Business in Mission, Elearning, Member Care, Media Missionaries, Short Term Missions, Missional Churches, Content Management, Resourcing Pastors, and the list goes on.

Innovation is key to the next Century of Missions so jump in and learn from some of these key innovators who are out there getting their hands dirty.

You can also join our ongoing conversation about innovation at www.innovationinmission.com 

When it all gets sorted out, the key to interdependence is value. If I am interdependently connected with someone else, there is value all around. I value the person I am working with based on how God has gifted them and they value me based on my giftings/passions.

So the big question as we take Oscar's comments to heart is this, "Do we value those we work with?"

So many times in missions when you go to the heart of things, you see a sad lack of value placed on each other.

Lets pray that as we put our hands into missions, that we would strive to value others! 

We had some great comments as we start this discussion on Interdependence in missions. So lets move on to another key point that Oscar made:

"Mission organizations need to retool and restrategize themselves not just to send out missionaries, but the enable the budding missionary movement in the 2/3 world, and to facilitate “Reverse Missions”, bringing in African and Asian missionaries into Canada, Europe and America. When you send Short-Term-teams over to Latin America, work equally hard to bring-in their ST-teams the following year, and enable them to come over to your context to enrich your faith. Do not allow missions to be one sided.BUILD IN RECIPROCITY."

It is fun to imagine what the world would look like if this happened. Imagine how the church in the West would change if reverse missions was as strong as the traditional missions efforts? It would bring us into a new reality of the global church. It would force us to better understand how other cultures view and live out their faith.

The key with reciprocity is that it is very intentional and proactive. It doesn't just happen. We have to be constantly looking for how we can strategically use our influence to help see this back and forth relationship that Oscar is speaking of.

Do you have a vision for a global church that is serving each other? 

One of the themes at Urbana 06 was the interdependence of the missions movement around the world. We talked a lot about unity and reconciliation.

So what does it mean to be interdependent in missions? We are going to begin talking about that over the next week or so on this blog. If you have ideas or thoughts, please share.

Lets start out with this thought from Oscar Muriu (one of the key note speakers at Urbana):

"But here’s a question for you “The African church KNOWS it desperately needs the American church, . . . but . . . how does the church in North American need the African church?” I have spoken with Pastors on this continent who cannot answer that question. They cannot imagine why the church in North American would ever need the African church. This is not the body of Christ."

Listen to Oscar's presentation! 

Are you ready to experience interdependence in your missions efforts? Do you need those who you wish to go and serve?