CGCS http://cgcs.sebts.edu Mon, 14 May 2012 14:24:03 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Ten Who Changed the World: a look into the hearts of Gospel servants http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2952 http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2952#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 14:21:00 +0000 CGCS http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2952 Ten Who Changed the World is Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary president Daniel Akin’s powerful tribute to the transformational work done by some truly inspiring Christian missionaries. With each profile, Akin journeys into the heart of that gospel servant’s mission-minded story and makes a compelling connection to a similar account from the Bible.

David Brainerd (1718-1747; missionary to Native Americans) reminds Akin of Paul’s missionary life in 2 Timothy. The faithful ministry of George Leile (1750-1820; missionary to Jamaica) is aligned with Galatians 6.

William Carey (1761-1834; missionary to India) lives out the Great Commission of Matthew 28. There are parallels between Adoniran Judson (1788-1850; missionary to Burma) and Romans 8.

Lottie Moon (1840-1912; missionary to China) displays the power of a consecrated life described in Romans 12. The work of James Fraser (1886-1938; missionary to China) illustrates Revelation 5. Eric Liddell (1902-1945; missionary to China), his life documented in the film Chariots of Fire, illuminates Hebrews 12.

Together, John (1907-1934) and Betty Stam (1906-1934; missionaries to China) embodied Psalm 67. William Wallace (1908-1951; missionary to China) was a shining example of Philippians 1. Jim Elliot (1927-1956; missionary to Ecuador) is a bold reminder of Psalm 96.

Available on Amazon – here

]]> http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?feed=rss2&p=2952 0 Upcoming Mission Trips – 2012 and 2013 http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2936 http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2936#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 15:58:27 +0000 CGCS http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2936

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the Church and fulfill the Great Commission.

Each year the CGCS sponsors several mission trips designed to offer practical, hands-on experience in the field, and to equip team members for a lifetime of kingdom service. Relying on each team member’s calling, gifting, background and future goals, the overall  mission trip experience is enhanced for the whole team. Team members return with a greater understanding of God’s mission in the world and of his or her contribution in the mission of God. To this end, each mission trip includes coursework, discussion and practicum, and also counts for 3 credit-hours toward your degree. Tuition charges are waived. Southeastern encourages every student and every faculty member to participate in at least one mission trip during their course of studies.

Fall Break ’12 – Spain

  • October 2012
  • 15 seats available
  • Led by Scott Hildreth
  • Total cost of trip, deposits (pending)
  • Deposits are non-refundable

For more information, contact Scott Hildreth (shildreth@sebts.edu) or Dayna White (dwhite@sebts.edu). Stop by the CGCS to sign up, to put down your deposit, and to receive fundraising help and instructions.

Get your application now [ Click here for editable .pdf ]

Thanksgiving Break ’12 - Guyana, South Africa

  • Thanksgiving Break
  • 13 seats available
  • Total cost of trip, deposits (pending)
  • Deposits are non-refundable 

For more information, contact Dayna White (dwhite@sebts.edu). Stop by the CGCS to sign up, to put down your deposit, and to receive fundraising help and instructions.

Get your application now [ Click here for editable .pdf ]

Fall  ’12 - Malaysia

  • October 2012
  • 13 seats available
  • Led by Ben Merkel
  • Total cost of trip, deposits (pending)
  • Deposits are non-refundable 

For more information, contact Dayna White (dwhite@sebts.edu). Stop by the CGCS to sign up, to put down your deposit, and to receive fundraising help and instructions.

Get your application now [ Click here for editable .pdf ]

Winter ’13 - India

  • Winter 2013
  • 10 seats available
  • Led by Dr. George Robinson
  • Total cost of trip, deposits (pending)
  • Deposits are non-refundable 

For more information, contact Dayna White (dwhite@sebts.edu). Stop by the CGCS to sign up, to put down your deposit, and to receive fundraising help and instructions.

Get your application now [ Click here for editable .pdf ]

Easter Break ’13 - Taiwan

  • Easter 2013
  • 13 seats available
  • Led by Dr. Steven Wade
  • Total cost of trip, deposits (pending)
  • Deposits are non-refundable

For more information, contact Dayna White (dwhite@sebts.edu). Stop by the CGCS to sign up, to put down your deposit, and to receive fundraising help and instructions.

Get your application now [ Click here for editable .pdf ]

Summer ’13 - Moldova

  • Summer 2013
  • 10 seats available
  • Total cost of trip, deposits (pending)
  • Deposits are non-refundable 

For more information, contact Dayna White (dwhite@sebts.edu). Stop by the CGCS to sign up, to put down your deposit, and to receive fundraising help and instructions.

Get your application now [ Click here for editable .pdf ]

Summer ’13 - South Asia

  • Summer 2013
  • 10 seats available
  • Led by Dr. Nathan Finn
  • Total cost of trip, deposits (pending)
  • Deposits are non-refundable 

For more information, contact Dayna White (dwhite@sebts.edu). Stop by the CGCS to sign up, to put down your deposit, and to receive fundraising help and instructions.

Get your application now [ Click here for editable .pdf ]

Summer ’13 – Japan

  • Summer 2013
  • 10 seats available
  • Total cost of trip, deposits (pending)
  • Deposits are non-refundable 

For more information, contact Dayna White (dwhite@sebts.edu). Stop by the CGCS to sign up, to put down your deposit, and to receive fundraising help and instructions.

Get your application now [ Click here for editable .pdf ]

Summer ’13 - Indonesia

  • Summer 2013
  • 10 seats available
  • Led by Greg Mathias
  • Total cost of trip, deposits (pending)
  • Deposits are non-refundable 

For more information, contact Dayna White (dwhite@sebts.edu). Stop by the CGCS to sign up, to put down your deposit, and to receive fundraising help and instructions.

Get your application now [ Click here for editable .pdf ]

]]> http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?feed=rss2&p=2936 0 Images from Global Missions Week http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2930 http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2930#comments Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:46:36 +0000 CGCS http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2930 From the Southeastern Flickr: thanks to Southeastern’s communications team for shooting and posting these images from Shanty Town and Taste of the Nations last week during Global Missions Week.

]]> http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?feed=rss2&p=2930 0 Three sermons, one message: Global Missions Week wrapup http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2897 http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2897#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:27:32 +0000 CGCS http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2897 Though we have had only a few days to reflect on the activities of Global Missions Week (April 17-19, 2012), one message reverberates loud and clear: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” What a blessing to have in our chapel three men appointed by God last week to bring that message to us, and better yet to be living it out in their own contexts.

From Tuesday with James Merritt focusing on the Spirit-filled boldness of Peter in Acts 4, to Wednesday with Jae Lee looking at the nature of “going” as a given, to Thursday with Jeff Long challenging us to live our lives “outside the gates,” the message of the mission is riveting. And we are truly grateful.

If you were there, we invite you to watch these messages again. If you were not there, we are pleased to re-post the videos below. Just mouse over a thumbnail and click.

James Merritt, Duluth, GA
Fight Fire with Fire  - Acts 4

Jae Lee, Queens NY
Go – Mat 28:19-20

Jeff Long, Gastonia, NC
Radical Sacrifice – Hebrews 13

—————————–
(from Southeastern’s Multimedia)

]]> http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?feed=rss2&p=2897 0 GMW Church Planting Panel posted on NACPN http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2892 http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2892#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:08:42 +0000 CGCS http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2892

The Center for Great Commission Studies was pleased to present as part of our Global Missions Week (April 17-19, 2012) a North American church planting panel discussion focusing on the Northeast.

Our own NA Church Planting Director, Dr. Mike Dodson, hosted the event which was geared to allow students and future church planters to engage the guys who are leading the way in the Northeast. Including Dr. Dodson, the discussion featured church planting catalysts Lyandon Warren of Vermont, Andrew Lamme of Toronto, Joe Souza of Boston, and Steve Allen of Metro New York.

Dr. Dodson has posted the conversation in its entirety on the North American Church Planting Network Web site. [ Click here for video ]

]]> http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?feed=rss2&p=2892 0 Missions at SEBTS- Send Me (Music Video) http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2879 http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2879#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:52:55 +0000 CGCS http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2879

Produced by the Center for Great Commission Studies, this video, shown in our Global Missions Week chapel service on April 19, 2012, highlights the talents of SEBTS students and faculty when asked to lip sync Lecrae’s Send Me.

Thanks to Dr. Akin and all those who participated. Clips from David Platt and J.D. Greear were taken from sermons preached in SEBTS chapel. In order to protect some of our missionaries, we have grayed out their photographs.

]]> http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?feed=rss2&p=2879 0 Global Missions Week on Campus April 17-19 http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2842 http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2842#comments Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:57:50 +0000 CGCS http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2842

Global Missions Week on Campus April 17-19, 2012

The CGCS is pleased to host our annual Global Missions Week on campus April 17-19, 2012. Come and join us for a special time to meet, mingle, and eat with missionaries, faculty, students, and former students from both the U.S. and abroad.

We have brought back our Taste of the Nations and Shanty Town events from past years. We have introduced an expanded worship and prayer component. Also, for the second straight year, our North American Church Planting department will be hosting a dinner followed by a panel discussion with church planters and strategists from various contexts.

Most importantly, our desire is that God would use this week, and the guests, missionaries, faculty and former students assembled here, to bring a fresh wind of Missions-focus to your heart and life, and that He would continue to bless our missionaries who have taken the time to come. You can bless them too with your presence. So come on out. This is a fantastic opportunity to invest quality time with the folks who are either on the field right now or who have been there. We hope you will get involved and look forward to seeing you!

Tuesday April 17
  • 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. –  Commissioning Chapel, James Merritt, Pastor, Cross Pointe Church, Duluth, Georgia, in Binkley Chapel
  • 11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  -  Free Pizza in the CGCS Rotunda (Jacumin-Simpson)
  • 5:30 p.m. – North American Church Planting Dinner and Panel Discussion, RSVP kwager@sebts.edu
  • 7:00 p.m. – Student-led Worship in Appleby Hall Chapel
  • 8:00 p.m. – 24-hour  Prayer Vigil begins upstairs at Binkley Chapel.
Wednesday April 18
  • 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. –  Jae Lee, Pastor of Ebenezer Mission Church, Queens, NYC, in Binkley Chapel
  • 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Taste of the Nations in the CGCS Rotunda (Jacumin-Simpson)
  • 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Meet with Missionaries in the CGCS Rotunda (Jacumin-Simpson)
  • 7:30 p.m. – 24-hour Prayer Vigil concludes, Imago Dei Church, 7041 Old Wake Forest Rd., Suite 107, Raleigh, NC 27616
Thursday April 19
  • 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. – Chapel, Jeff Long, Pastor of Parkwood Baptist, Gastonia, NC, in Binkley Chapel
  • 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Meet with Missionaries in the CGCS Rotunda (Jacumin-Simpson)
  • 8:00 p.m. – Shanty Town On the Lawn – a student-led, overnite camp-out on the lawn between Stealey Hall and Binkley Chapel. Bring your tent or cardboard boxes; camp out; we will bring the soup and bread.

Click below for the printable schedule
Check out the Flickr Stream from Shanty Town and GMW 2010

]]> http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?feed=rss2&p=2842 0 Payne: “Don’t Reach Everyone with the Gospel” http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2825 http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2825#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:52:49 +0000 CGCS http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2825 Published with permission from the author,
JD Payne, from his Blog Missiologically Thinking
(http://www.jdpayne.org/2012/03/16/dont-reach-everyone-with-the-gospel/)


Don’t Reach Everyone with the Gospel

written by JD Payne
March 16th, 2012

One of the thoughts that often arises in the minds of missionaries as they approach a city, village, population segment, or people group is, “How in the world are WE going to reach everyone with the gospel?”  When they begin asking this question, they have ceased to think like missionaries.

This is not a wise question for missionaries to ask.  Here are a few reasons why:

  • Church planters are often outsiders and have little to no social networks established among the people they desire to reach
  • Church planters have a limited amount of time, resources, and opportunities, while the needs are many
  • Church planters remove the opportunity for the new believers to be faithful to the commands of Jesus to preach the gospel to their own people when they attempt to do the work for them
  • Church planters fail to use the natural social networks (i.e., gospel bridges) that the Lord in His sovereignty has already established

How will 5 million lost souls be reached with the good news?  What about 1 million?  3,000?  How will we be faithful and wise stewards so that all may be reached with the gospel?

Don’t ask: “How in the world are WE going to reach all of these people?”

Think Persons of Peace

Ask: “How are WE going to reach the initial believers from out of the harvest, equip, partner with, and mobilize them to return to the harvest field?  Ask: “How do WE do all that is necessary so that the gospel can spread among all of these people that they may repent and believe?”  These are completely different questions than, “How are WE going to reach everyone with the gospel?”  Such is not a matter of semantics.

One perspective requires us to do all of the work; the other perspective requires us to reach some and then carry out our Eph 4:11-12 callings, that everyone may be reached.

One is egocentric; the other is ecclesio-centric.

One requires poor stewardship; the other is wise stewardship.

One requires our abilities to accomplish a great task; the other demands a complete trust in the all-loving Spirit of God, recognizing the task is impossible for us.

Here is a visual to help:

The right question places the focus on our missionary God Who has been at work among the people, and the power of his Spirit in the lives of the initial believers (persons of peace). The wrong question places the focus on our strength and ability to do that which we cannot do.

Biblical Examples

The importance of social networks and gospel saturation is seen in the Scriptures.  It was through John the Baptist’s connections with two of his disciples that they followed Jesus (John 1:37).  One of these men was Andrew.  He brought his brother Simon to Jesus (John 1:40-42).  It was through Nathanael’s relationship with Philip that he came to Jesus (John 1:43-46).  It was through the social networks between the woman of Samaria and her people that  many of the Samaritians believed in Him (John 4:39-42).  It was through the relationships with believing wives that unbelieving husbands would possibly come to faith (1 Pet 3:1).

We read of Lydia coming to faith, and her entire household (Acts 16:14-15).  The same is true with the Philippian jailer and his household (Acts 16:31-32).  We also observe the movement of the gospel along social networks as Cornelius was faithful to the vision that eventually resulted in both his conversion and that of his household (Acts 10).  Epaphras, who was likely of Colossae (Col 4:12), brought the gospel to his own people (Col 1:5-8).  And he was probably converted as a result of Paul teaching in the Ephesian Hall of Tyrannus (Acts 19:9-10).

It is amazing that the Apostle Paul could plant several churches in a geographical region, and then move on to repeat that process.  He had great missionary faith in the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to work through new churches as they preached the gospel to all nations.  He commended the Thessalonians in that the word of the Lord “sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia” and has “gone forth everywhere” (1 Thes 1: 8, ESV).   He declared his labors finished from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum, believing that he had “fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ” (Rom 15:19, ESV).  Had everyone been reached with the gospel in these areas?  Such is doubtful.  But the churches were now living out the Kingdom Ethic to bear witness to the risen Christ.

In the beginning, focus on the new believers.  Begin working with those firstfruits so that they can do work of evangelists among those with whom they have extensive social networks.  Here is a more excellent way to begin in order that everyone may be reached with the gospel.

Postscript

Before I conclude, I know that some of you are still troubled at the title of this post.  While I believe I have made it clear that we should labor so that everyone may be reached with the gospel, some of you remain concerned.  So for you, I write the following, before any nasty comments arrive:  

The Scriptures are clear. We are to make disciples of ALL nations (Matt 28:18-20).  Our Lord does not wish that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). And if God so loved the world (John 3:16) that He gave His son as a propitiation for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), then we must desire, go, sacrifice, and labor to see everyone hear and respond to the gospel! 

Satisfied?

Just don’t reach everyone with the gospel.

 

———–

J. D. Payne is a National Missionary with the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and an Associate Professor of Church Planting and Evangelism in the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A. where he directs the Center for North American Missions and Church Planting.

]]> http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?feed=rss2&p=2825 0 SEBTS honored to partner with upcoming World Relief conference http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2817 http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2817#comments Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:12:02 +0000 CGCS http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2817 SEBTS is honored to be one of the many sponsors for the upcoming World Relief conference “Welcoming the Stranger – a Biblical perspective on loving all our immigrant neighbors.”

The event, scheduled for April 27, 2012 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Durham, will feature World Relief National Speaker Matt Soerens. The focus of the event will be on the God of Scripture who loves and commands us to love the “immigrant” and “stranger.”

For more information:

Besides helping Christians and pastors reflect on what this commandment to love the immigrant means here and now, World Relief hopes this event will allow:

  • The gospel to be shared in word and deed
  • Existing international churches to be strengthened and new international churches to be planted
  • The broader community in the Triangle to see Christians approaching this divisive issue with a clear commitment to seek truth in love.
  • Church-facilitated community development (where local churches, immigrant and non-immigrant, work together to see our cities transformed because of and by the gospel).

Contact World Relief:

  • World Relief Durham
    801 Gilbert Street, Suite #209 Durham, NC  27701  /  Phone:  919-724-4816 /  Fax:  919-956-5918
    wr.org/durham /     Twitter /     Facebook /     Blog /     Pinterest
    Empowering the local Church to serve the most vulnerable.

 

]]> http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?feed=rss2&p=2817 0 New Book – Diaspora Missiology: Theory, Methodology and Practice http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2804 http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2804#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:09:33 +0000 CGCS http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?p=2804 It is the new missiological paradigm. It is diaspora missiology, and it is also a new book from our own Dr. George Robinson’s doctoral mentor Enoch Wan. We are pleased to recommend to you Diaspora Missiology: Theory, Methodology and Practice.

From Amazon: The movement of people spatially at an unprecedented scale is a special social phenomenon of the 21st century. Among these people on the move are those who take up residence away from their place of origin—the “diaspora”—who are the focus of this study. This book is an interdisciplinary study on the 21st century demographic reality that led to the development of “diaspora missiology” as a new missiological paradigm, and the need to practice “diaspora missions” as a new mission strategy. This book is an introductory study on the theory, methodology, and practice of “diaspora missiology.” This book began with Part 1 which includes an introduction of preliminary matters and phenomenological descriptions of global trends of increasing demographic significance of diaspora and the shifting of the Christian church’s center of gravity in the 21st century. In response to these factual data, new theoretical frameworks and methodological considerations were proposed in Parts 2 and 3. Eight case studies were presented to illustrate the necessity and viability of diaspora missiology and diaspora missions in Part 4.

]]> http://cgcs.sebts.edu/?feed=rss2&p=2804 0