Missionary Confidential

Now that we’ve lived in Western Europe for several years without returning to the States (at all), we’ve found that some things once foreign to us have become second nature. In short, we’ve adapted. Not completely, sometimes intentionally, but there have been changes. So much so that we even compiled a list of lifestyle and vocabulary changes that are normal to us now, plus a list of things that still seem unusual to us. It was amusing to review, but it also hammered home another fact: we live a double life.

Of course, that sounds scandalous at first, but it’s not tawdry or salacious. It’s not even being dishonest. Because of our origins and the fact that our financial support comes from the States, we will always have “a foot in the States” despite our best intentions to assimilate to our new life here. » Read the rest of this entry «

I was thrilled to read this article by Ed Stetzer on European missions: I3 Paper: Why Europe? For anyone who might wonder what kind of spiritual need there might be over here, this is an excellent overview complete with statistics and thought-out observations.

The section on church planting was very true, and I especially appreciated in insight on successful church plants. Best quote: “Just because it [church planting] ‘worked’ in your context doesn’t mean it will in another.”