How to get help if you’re a church planter
By admin | August 5, 2011
Are You Church Planting in the U.S.? Shepherd’s Staff can help!
The same great services we provide our foreign missionaries are now available to U.S. church planters.
Services include:
- Receiving and disbursing financial support
- Providing an affordable health care plan for you and your family
- Providing convenient ways for supporters to donate to you and your mission
- Calculating your tax liability and automatically withholding/ paying to the IRS the appropriate tax amount each month
- Providing tax receipts to your donors.
For information on how to get started, contact Shepherd’s Staff at 505.248.9849 or email us: ssmfi@shepsstaff.org.
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Missionary God: Lesson 6
By admin | May 30, 2011
This is the sixth installment of Pastor Jeff Jackson’s Missionary God series. This is by far one of the best teachings on the nature of God as it relates to being a missionary. Enjoy.
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Time: 45:38
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Interview with Matthew Bradshaw from Sagebrush Community Church
By admin | May 15, 2011
by: Matthew Ellison
Matthew Bradshaw is the Global Outreach Director at Sagebrush Community Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sixteen: Fifteen had the privilege of walking Sagebrush through the missions coaching process several years ago and continues to assist them as they further their vision. We recently helped facilitate a connection between Sagebrush and PHX 10/40 Interface, one of our newest ministry partners. This connection is quickly becoming a fruitful partnership for Sagebrush, PHX 10/40 Interface, and most importantly the refugees that God has brought to Phoenix.
Matthew Ellison: Why has Sagebrush made engaging refugees (or as you like to say “New Americans”) in the Phoenix area through PHX 10/40 Interface part of Sagebrush’s overarching missions strategy?
We saw an opportunity with PHX 10/40 Interface to give our people a cross-cultural experience in a local area. We saw the value of the 10/40 Interface and could not resist getting involved.
Matthew Ellison: What does that engagement look like? What kinds of things are you doing?
With the 10/40 Interface, you are paired with a new American for one week, approximately 40 hours. In that time, you have certain tasks you must complete together to help teach your new American how to adapt and acclimate to their new environment. Basic chores like going to the grocery store or using public transportation can be very difficult when you are in a foreign country. Our goal is to ease that transition and show these people the love of Jesus is a real and practical way.
ME: Do you find that this compliments or distracts from Sagebrush’s global vision? Please explain.
We believe this compliments our global strategy very well. We understand that many people in our church will never experience what life is like in a foreign country. However, this doesn’t mean they cannot have an impact on the nations. The nations have come to us; we cannot neglect their presence or ignore their need.
ME: Can you share a brief story of how God has impacted people from your church as well as the lives of refugees through your partnership with Phoenix 10/40 Interface?
We had a volunteer in April connect with a New American on a deep level. She was able to break bread and build a relationship. Our volunteer even invited her New American into a family member’s home. Through their time together they forged a relationship and at the end of the trip, our volunteer received a gift from her New American. With big tears in her eyes, she told us that she had just given her a hug and was so moved. She couldn’t believe how generous her new friend was, and how much she cared for her. Our volunteer was changed, and her heart was melted all because they spent a week “doing life together”. You can’t put a price on that!
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Interview with Jeff Jackson, Phoenix 10/40 Interface
By admin | May 15, 2011
by: Matthew Ellison
Matthew Ellison: Share how local churches that want to make reaching immigrants part of their global vision can partner with Phoenix 10/40 Interface?
Whether we like or not and whether we agree with or not, God has chosen to permit immigrants to become part of almost every local community in America. Some of those immigrants have come legally and some have not, but the reality is that God has chosen to allow them to live among us. Why might He do that? I believe it’s because He desires every local church to be able to actively obey and fulfill the “great commission” of making disciples of all nations, (ethnic groups). Phoenix 10/40 Interface provides an opportunity for leaders and members of any local church to be exposed to ongoing multi-ethnic potential disciple making. The experience gained and the opportunity to discuss and even view a variety of methods of reaching immigrants with the 10/40 Interface leadership team could be a real catalyst for moving any local church forward in this area of ministry.
ME: Can you share a brief story of how God has impacted a church as well the lives of refugees through the ministry opportunities that you facilitate through Phoenix 10/40 Interface?
It’s difficult to limit to one, so I’ll just use the first team we hosted as an example. This was church from Southern California that has been heavily involved in global missions for years. With the arrival of a much younger senior pastor whose heart is to continue to reach the far corners of the world but to add reaching the world in the church’s own backyard, they sent a team of 10 people ranging in ages from 40 to 70 years old! Every team member’s life was so radically touched that they stirred up the interest in others, and we recently hosted a second team, with one of the same members from the first team. Three of those team members connected so tightly with their refugee, (we call them New Americans), that they have driven over to Phoenix to spend time with them. And, Three of the New Americans found jobs as a result of the new boldness to try and speak English that they received after having spent time immersed in English with their American friends. That church is now in the process of preparing a ministry to reach out to the immigrants in their own community, and they now have a good sized core of people who have done it and can be the spark that God may use to stir up many other members of the body.
ME: God in His sovereignty has brought the mission field to us, please exhort churches reading this not to miss out on this historic opportunity.
God has given us His “end game” in Revelation 5 and 7. He has given us a clear picture of where history is headed-what He is moving everything towards. There will be a worship service with people from every tribe, nation, and tongue. He commissioned His church, His body, to make disciples of all ethnic groups-which would be people from every tribe, nation, and tongue. But here’s the beauty of what He has done by bringing the world into our neighborhoods-He has given us the opportunity to participate in obedience to the commission He gave! Up until recently, the majority of the members of a local church participated in in-direct ways of obeying the great commission: by praying for, supporting financially, and caring for those specifically called to go to the ends of the earth. This obviously MUST continue to happen. But now, every member can participate DIRECTLY by reaching out to the people in their own communities who God has brought from around the world. Now, He has made direct obedience to the commission a realistic opportunity. And I believe that He will ultimately hold each responsible for what they did with this amazing gift of His grace-the gift of world’s people brought right into day to day lives here in America.
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A Way to the Unreached
By admin | May 15, 2011
by: Rebecca Tarantino Intern at Sixteen: Fifteen
As many of you may recall, Matthew 28:18-20 is known as the Great Commission. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has commanded his followers to go and share the gospel with all nations. However, some nations cannot be reached, because the leadership of the nation has banned missionaries from entering into the country to share their faith. The most unreached countries are located within the 10/40 Window. This rectangular area’s latitude is between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator. In the 10/40 Window there are approximately sixty-eight countries from Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia that are unreached. These countries contain two-thirds of the world’s population. Ninety percent of the people in this area have never heard the Gospel. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam are the three main religions in this region.
Though these countries cannot be reached there, we can reach them from here. Many future leaders of these countries attend colleges here in the United States. We have the opportunity to show them love and share the Gospel with them. In Phoenix, Arizona there is a ministry called 10/40 Interface. Tune in for an interview with Pastor Jeff Jackson, founder of 10/40 Interface.
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Ministry in Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) by Trip Kimball
By admin | May 2, 2011
I was able to set up some ministry in Northern Thailand with some Karen evangelists up in Mae Saraing, near the Thai/ Burma border, during the first week of March. The Karen are a people group in the northern areas of western Myanmar & eastern Thailand. It was set up through a missionary friend working in that area. The next week was spent in the (now former) capitol of Yangon, Myanmar (formerly Rangon, Burma), among another Burmese people group called the Chin (from northwest Myanmar).
The ministry time went very well in both Thailand & Myanmar. It was a blessing having Eric (Johansen) along & assisting with the ministry. Eric is a former student and staff, along with his wife, MJ, when I was working in the Philippines. They are now missionaries to central Thailand. We had good fellowship & fruitful ministry. It was also a blessing to have some time at his home in central Thailand, with his family & another missionary gal working with them. (See their blogs below) 
http://www.centralthaimissions.com/ http://www.centralthaiguy.blogspot.com/
North Thailand
Our time with the Karen evangelists was a blessing. It was a privilege to be serving them since they are out on the frontline in areas where we would be ineffective & (often) unable to go. I did several messages on the Essential Gospel that were well received, Eric had a great encouraging message for them & we did some Q & A, along with James (see below), that we hope was helpful. These brothers & sisters are very poor, isolated from other believers much of the time & often persecuted (treated abusively). Some came from Burma, others farther up north from our site (Mae Saraing), all of them reaching the unreached & under-reached in their areas.
We stayed with James & Bua Garwood who work under U-Turn for Christ & work alongside the Karen Baptist convention. We had a great time with them & another young missionary couple, Aaron & Michelle, who are staying with them. Of course, all the teaching had to be interpreted into the Karen dialect, which means it was quite a bit of work for our interpreters (“Papa” & Domo).
I was also able to preach on Sunday at the 2 churches Eric is pastoring in central Thailand (Sawankhalok & Samruang). Then we hopped on a bus for an overnight ride down to Bangkok & a flight on Monday am to Yangon.
Myanmar/ Burma
We arrived in Yangon just fine & spent the first day exchanging money (1000 Chat = $1) & preparing for the IBS/ Living Word Study workshop. They had the materials translated into Burmese, so we had to work out a schedule for 3 days, allowing for interpreting time. This adds, roughly, twice the time to the usual schedule. We broke up the workload between us & prepared accordingly. All those who came (41, though only 38 finished) were pastors & leaders of various churches & ministries.
The teaching went well & was received well. It was fun watching them get into discussions & work on assignments. It’s a blessing to see them “get it”. All of them appreciated the time & said how much they needed the training. Many of them have Bible college degrees, including some with master’s degrees, so it was encouraging to see them applying the training.
I got together with several on the last day, after the workshop was completed, to talk about future plans for training. They were all very positive about the idea of more training & for them to be involved as trainers. I’m not sure when we can do it again, probably not till later in the year. I would also like to include Ptr Elmer & Ptr Jing from the ministries I work with in the Philippines, as they would be very valuable in further training in Thailand & Myanmar.
One last thing… Eric & I both noticed some similarities between Burma & the Philippines, culturally & economically, although the Burmese are under much greater economic difficulties, along with living under a very repressive & corrupt government. Also, this trip really confirmed for me the great need, & specific calling on my life personally, for equipping leaders. This is a HUGE need throughout most of the rest of the world. Without adequate equipping, We are very resource rich (people with experience) in America & I believe we (American believers) will be held accountable by the Lord for how we utilize and share what He has blessed us with. How I long to see more teachers going out to under-reached & unreached areas of the world to equip pastors and leaders who are longing for this equipping.
Please keep both the Karen people & the other people groups of Myanmar (like the Chin, Kachin,Shan, etc.) in prayer, since they are all impacted in very negative ways by the Myanmar military regime (read- tyrants). I read (& brought back) a government sponsored newspaper that was filled with cold-war style propaganda directed at those who might try promoting democracy. It was blatant & revealing of the actual situation the Burmese people face, something we only know about when the violence & suppression surfaces from time to time.
I’m thankful for the short time I had there, but hoping the Lord will open up the opportunity & provision to return for more ministry in the near future.
via: TK
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Missionary God: Lesson 5
By admin | May 2, 2011
This is the fifth installment of Pastor Jeff Jackson’s Missionary God series. This is by far one of the best teachings on the nature of God as it relates to being a missionary. Enjoy.
Download
Time: 1:00:26
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Missionary God: Lesson Four
By admin | April 21, 2011
This is the fourth installment of Pastor Jeff Jackson’s Missionary God series. This is by far one of the best teachings on the nature of God as it relates to being a missionary. Enjoy.
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Time: 52:02
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Field-environment Intensive Training Summer 2011
By admin | April 6, 2011
Stay tuned to the Shepherd’s Staff Blog for information about our Field-environment Intensive Training (FIT). I personally found this training vital for service in the field. It helps set expectations, teaches the theology of missions, provides practical ministry training and exposure that you’ll be able to easily teach to others, and gives you a taste of the rewards and challenges waiting for you as you deploy long-term to the mission field. The next FIT will be held in the latter half of June at the Shepherd’s Staff Training Facility in La Gloria, Mexico. Stay tuned for exact dates.
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Missionary God Lesson Three
By admin | April 6, 2011
This is the third installment of Pastor Jeff Jackson’s Missionary God series. This is by far one of the best teachings on the nature of God as it relates to being a missionary. Enjoy.
Download
Time: 1:00:02
Subscribe to the Shepherd’s Staff Podcast on
Download iTunes.
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