Welcome, folks, to yet another interview with an IMB worker; yes, those five-question time wasters are back despite popular demand. Lapses between interviews grow exponentially, mainly because nobody is answering my emails anymore. However, I crossed paths, virtually or literally, with someone too nice to turn me down. Fyve Legumbre works primarily as in the language learning department of the IMB. She’s been on the field, in one fashion or another, for more than 10 years and less than 25, and is a proven commodity in helping others learn and master new languages for the purpose of … [Read more...] about Five Questions with…an IMBer Who Communicates
Where Is My Plow, and Where Is Yours?
8:23 am Hey Andrew. 8:31 am Who this? 8:39 am Your mother. 8:42 Mom! You have a cell phone now? 8:47 am I'm using your sister's phone. Beth's phone. 8:51 am Oh, hey. Don't have Beth's number in my phone, so didn't recognize it. How are you? Everything cool? 8:58 am No, not really. Your father fell again last night. Few fractured ribs, busted wrist, wounded pride. 9:05 am Wow! He ok? Doing alright? What happened? 9:12 am He will survive, but in lots of pain. Will be in hospital till 27th. 9:20 am Man, that's awful. Thnx so much for letting me know. 9:25 am Your … [Read more...] about Where Is My Plow, and Where Is Yours?
Could You Do It?
So, you believe in the need for church discipline, ehh? How strong is your belief? __________________________ Hey William - Will - come on in. I think you know everyone. We're having to meet in the library tonight. The preacher, over on your left, offered us the use of his office, but there just weren't enough chairs. Coffee? No? Well....I guess we'll just jump right into this. I asked the pastor if I could be the one to lay this out for you. We've been through a lot, you and I, and I thought it was only fair that I be the one to, um, do this. Will, there's been a lot of … [Read more...] about Could You Do It?
Mourning Hugo Chavez?
So Hugo Chavez has shuffled off this mortal coil. Color me confused. On one hand, I mourn the passing of someone whose persona indicated a lack of faith in Christ. Another soul has been lost, never again to have the potential to access the glory of the throne room of God. Chavez was a self-made man and died still apparently following his own path. What a loss. He was a pretty sharp guy. He had vision and guts. He loved the poor and was their champion. Whatever other flaws he had (and they were many), he had gifts and skills. On the other hand... -I remember walking home from … [Read more...] about Mourning Hugo Chavez?
Think Twice, Please: Lessons on Hiring an IMB Guy at Your Church
I’ve written in the past about the need for churches to raise up the next generation of leaders from within, avoiding the tendency to poach the best and the brightest from other ministries and organizations. If you have some time to kill and want to see a bit of a philosophical approach to the subject, go here. This is essentially the same topic, but with a slightly different approach. Neither philosophy nor food for thought; instead, we’ll be looking at a purely logical perspective. Well, it will be as purely logical as I am capable of making it. I’ll lay out some statistics briefly … [Read more...] about Think Twice, Please: Lessons on Hiring an IMB Guy at Your Church
Cheerleading in Church
This has my name at the top, but in reality my father, George Parks, deserves the credit for what follows. George is a retired English teacher who has filled just about every possible non-paid position in church and is someone who irritated me for years with his persistence that I use my brain. Recently I told my wife that, after all these years going to church, worship services have come to resemble cheerleading sessions which encourage feel-good attitudes. As if we are trying to convince ourselves that we’re on the right track and God takes special care of us believers. Our services … [Read more...] about Cheerleading in Church
What’s Your Story?
I suppose it is a story as old as time itself. Man and woman, thrown together by circumstance. Man tolerates the relationship while the woman is committed, heart and soul. Eventually, woman finds a way (she believes) to bind her man to herself, to earn his heart-felt commitment once and for all. A baby. It is a formulaic storyline that fills our movies and programs, and for good reason. It is a time-honored attempt to earn love, or something that emulates deep affection. It's also pretty life-like. Don't believe me? Read Genesis 29:31-34. Leah isn't loved, but she's pretty … [Read more...] about What’s Your Story?
Discussion Forum, IMB Version: What Is a Gospel Presentation?
Annually, the IMB gathers statistics and data from missionaries around the globe. The proper departments in Richmond count and collate and conjugate and calibrate and masticate and all other sorts of other excitingly geeky verbs. They analyze the information and produce reports that allow trustees and SBC churches to know and understand what their missionaries have been doing between coffee breaks. One subsection relates to the following question: How many individuals received a gospel presentation? Simple enough, eh? Define for me, if you will, "a gospel presentation." When … [Read more...] about Discussion Forum, IMB Version: What Is a Gospel Presentation?
Blindness, Deafness, and Despair
My wife has a deathly fear: blindness. It is only natural. She's been deaf all her life, and everything she's ever learned has come to her through her eyes. Vision is everything. She reads voraciously. She accessorizes with colorful scarves. She loves light: sunlight, Christmas lights, beautiful lamps, and tiny candles. She can lip-read, if she must, but greatly prefers the living, fluid beauty of sign language. I was born hearing, but I've been losing it bit by bit over the years; the loss started in early childhood and continues today. I've noticed a similar fear of blindness … [Read more...] about Blindness, Deafness, and Despair
And Who Is Your Least?
My brilliant wife returns to the blogging world with me continuing to serve as her amanuensis. Wait...you're my what? Your amanuensis. And what does that mean?! Someone who writes something dictated or composed by another. Don't you know an easy word that means the same thing? Yes...amanuensis. I can't talk to you when you're like this. "Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.’” Matthew 25:40 Ethan and I work in a country filled with quite a bit of poverty. People work long hours to buy starchy … [Read more...] about And Who Is Your Least?