I’d like to read more this year, and missiology/missions is definitely on the subject list. I’m thinking of possibly reviewing some of those books on this site so:
What book(s) would you recommend to someone who says, “I’m thinking of becoming a missionary/going on a short-term mission trip” or asks the question, “What’s it like to be a missionary?”
Hit the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Related posts:
-
Question Week: What Books Would You Recommend to a Prospective Missionary?
Question Week: How Do You Handle Missionary Inquiries?
I recommend Bruchko, which is about a missionary to the Motilone tribe in South America. It goes over the struggles and the “victories” of Bruce Olson. Bruce did not have training at all but God used him to save many. It took many years of preparation in order to be effective but that’s the nature of the work oftentimes! Also I recommend them to study the Bible well in order to be prepared to address various situations properly and be ready to address something biblically.
I’d recommend “Ask A Missionary,” by John McVay (you can only find it online I believe). It has a lot of common questions that people may have when considering missions, and the answers come from missionaries themselves. Also reading biographies about missionaries can be nice as well. People like Oswald Chambers, Richard Wurmbrand, Amy Carmichael, and Jim Elliot. Those are just a few, but they can open your eyes to how those people pursued the Lord so greatly which led them to doing the work that they do. But those are just a few ideas from my own experience. The Bible of course is a great start there are so many examples of those who God sent out to declare His glory, you really can’t go wrong with that.
I like the story of Wilbur Wilberforce . Persistence pays. Also, from a Biblical perspective , I like the book of Ruth because it teaches me that God rewards total committment.
I think reading as many missionary bios as possible is helpful so that we can get an understanding of what people really deal with.
“When Helping Hurts” – It sets the record straight on the mindset and “heart-direction” needed to work in a different culture than your passport culture. Too many have unintentionally hurt those they want to help the most!
Serving with Eyes Wide Open by Livermore (?)
Biography – To the Golden Shore (Adoniram Judson)
Missiology – Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues (by Paul Heibert)
Theology – Let the Nations Be Glad (by John Piper)
To keep your sense of humor – Anything by James Herriot
I highly recommned Cross Cultural Servanthood by Duanne Elmer, it is a great look into ministering cross culturally and has many tips for those of us who would like to come flying in with a plan to transform our nation of choice but forget to bring along the local people.
I also recommned the Great Ommission by Steve Saint, he writes to a western audience to challenge some of our saving the world tendancies! His perspective on srecognising the gifts in the people we are ministering to is challenging and insightful
I just finished David Livermore’s Serving with Eyes wide Open. I work in a place where we host a lot of short term missions teams, and while the book is generally addressed to people who are considering short term missions projects, it was definitely a worthy read in that it reminded me of the perspective with which they often come. Livermore points out some problems and solutions to how we handle short term missions. It’s a short read, gets a little dry in the end, but I really enjoyed it.
Seriously formative book for me in my first year on the field, “The Other Side of the Coin”, by Juan Isais. Mr. Isais writes as a church worker in an unnamed central American country about the perceptions he and his people had of the foreign missionaries living and working among them.
Any and every missionary biography you can get your hands on!
The best thing is to read the Bible, especially the book of Acts, as often as possible. Study it. Diagram it. Discover the principles. The next best thing is to read and study the people you will be working with. Spend time with them. Learn to read them like a book.
There are some great books that give the general heart and theological foundation for missions: For the Sake of His Name (Doran, Johnson & Eckman), Let the Nations be Glad (Piper), A Biblical Theology of Missions (Peters), and even Gospel Meditations for Missions (a new devotional by Chris Anderson & Church Works Media).
Of course, read things most applicable to your setting: the history of your target group and the religion of your people. For example, Once I started meeting Muslims, I began learning about Islam—first from the people themselves (their idea of Islam may be vastly different from what you get in one of the many diatribes written by formerly-persecuted Christians from the Middle East). I recommend The Kuran, “A Muslim and a Christian in Dialogue” (Kateregga & Shenk), and whatever sources the local mosque or Islamic bookstore recommends for their own beginners (i.e., it is important to read about Islam from Muslims rather than anti-Muslims, just as we would prefer a Muslim learn Christianity from OUR sources rather than Islamic ones).
If you are doing medical missions, I would recommend books about medical missions. If your work has a high humantarian component, I would recommend books like “When Helping Hurts.”
If you are doing church planting, I would recommend monthly readings of the book of Acts and a few works like Planting Churches Cross Culturally (Hesselgrave) and Roland Allen’s books (Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours; The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church and Causes Which Hinder It — both Allen’s books free online).
Not to sound too sassy, but for someone who really “wants to be a missionary,” I would probably recommend a lot of exercise in evangelism and discipleship before dishing out too much reading. The Bible alone, with a healthy dose of meeting people and telling them about Jesus, will help the prospective missionary more than anything else. Then recommended books will mean more—with greater connection to experience. I tend to be more of a sponge in my reading when I NEED the info NOW.
I’m going into the mission field in a couple months (May), for the second time. I find that biographies are essential as the reflect a lot of the hardships, monotony, setbacks, disappointments, and yet the Lord’s faithfulness and the perseverance of the saints.
There is a risk they can be distorted (only highlight the points meant for consumption), but here are a couple I recommend:
- Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret
- John G. Paton
Not sure about what books would be good for short-term missions. Maybe ‘Radical’.
John McVay’s “Ask a Missionary” is a good place to start. One of its strengths is that it provides a variety of answers to typical questions.
Wow, thank you all! Quite the list to start with.
@Scott: Re: James Harriott, I get it, more than you might think.
@Dave: That’s not being sassy in the slightest! Why send someone out unprepared? If a young adult announces they want to be a plumber, we don’t hand them a wrench and say, “good luck”!
o Any of Duane Elmer’s books
Cross-Cultural Conflict
Cross-Cultural Connections
Cross-Cultural Partnerships
Cross-Cultural Servanthood
o Teaching Cross-Culturally: An Incarnational Model for Learning and Teaching by Sherwood G. & Judith E. Lingenfelter
o The Messenger, the Message, and the Community by Rolund Muller
My hubby and I were on staff of a missionary training from 2003-2010 and my hubby now serves as Missionary Development Director… above are some of the best choices that we can suggest added to the many suggestions above.
elisabeth elliot’s books: beyond the gates of the splendor, in the shadow of the almighty; the journals of jim elliot.
also, i’d add “radical” by david platt, “the hole in our gospel” by richard stearns, “rich christians in an age of hunger” by ron sider. not so focused on missions per se, but encourage thinking beyond ourselves/unsettle out of comfort zone.
No doubt I’d recommend:
Truth and Transformation, Vishal Mangalwadi.
This “manifesto for ailing nations” builds off of the missional legacy of William Carey, and provides a road map for everyone who wants to see widespread transformation today. Loved this book.
I also use it as curriculum for a class I teach @IHOPU.