The Perfect Storm

In this latest episode of the FIEC podcast, I talk to Adrian Reynolds about how church leaders can engage with mission agencies among other things. 00:00 – Introduction01:12 – The stories behind every mission worker05:35 – The benefits and pitfalls of working with mission agencies09:34 – Churches working together to send missionaries15:37 – Constructive relationships with a mission agency17:44 – Short-term mission trips23:51 – Relief and grant-making agencies29:54 – Paul’s missionary prayer letter If you prefer to see my face, you can watch the podcast as a video. The Kouyanet blog, podcast, videos and downloads are distributed (for the most part) free of charge in the hope that they will be of use to those who are interested in mission, theology and the world church. However, if you would like to support the site, you can do so by signing up to be a regular patron, buying something from our Wishlist or making a one off donation using the button below.

British mission agencies face a perfect storm of three different existential challenges to their existence and purpose. In the light of these challenges, agencies must ask whether they are viable and (more importantly) whether they are relevant. Resources that might prove useful The Indigenous Future of Missions – Jay Matenga A Snapshot of Mission Agencies – Eddie Arthur The Way Forward: How should mission agencies react to a changing world? (Kindle version) Eddie ArthurMission Agencies in Crisis? – Eddie Arthur If you don’t want to watch me on video or listen to my voice (and I wouldn’t blame you) you could read this transcription. Just a word of warning, the transcription was prepared by an online service and I’ve not checked it, so there are no promises about the quality. The Kouyanet blog, podcast, videos and downloads are distributed (for the most part) free of charge in the hope that they will be of use to those who are interested in mission, theology and the world church. However, if you would like to support the site, you can do so by signing up to be a regular patron, buying something from our Wishlist or making a one off donation using the button below.

This is another of my podcasts with Adrian Reynolds of the FIEC. In this short episode we talk about how a church can and should care for their missionaries The Kouyanet blog, podcast, videos and downloads are distributed (for the most part) free of charge in the hope that they will be of use to those who are interested in mission, theology and the world church. However, if you would like to support the site, you can do so by signing up to be a regular patron, buying something from our Wishlist or making a one off donation using the button below.

In this video/podcast, I am interviewed by Adrian Reynolds from the FIEC and we explore the ways in which world mission has changed in the last 50 years and what impact this should have on the local church. The Kouyanet blog, podcast, videos and downloads are distributed (for the most part) free of charge in the hope that they will be of use to those who are interested in mission, theology and the world church. However, if you would like to support the site, you can do so by signing up to be a regular patron, buying something from our Wishlist or making a one off donation using the button below.

A few weeks’ ago, I spent a morning at the headquarters of the Fellowship of Independent Churches recording a series of podcasts. I’ll be knicking these for Kouyanet (with permission) as they appear! In this episode of In:Dependence, Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries) is joined by Eddie Arthur (Wycliffe Bible Translators) to discuss world mission and how church leaders can think about and develop world mission well in the life of the church. 00:00 – Introduction03:10 – Definition of ‘mission’07:57 – Moving world mission in from the margins10:26 – Personal connections and world mission17:11 – Developing world mission in the local church19:57 – World mission priorities23:45 – Whose responsibilities is world mission in the local church?25:47 – Church to church mission partnerships The Kouyanet blog, podcast, videos and downloads are distributed (for the most part) free of charge in the hope that they will be of use to those who are interested in mission, theology and the world church. However, if you would like to support the site, you can do so by signing up to be a regular patron, buying something from our Wishlist or making a one off donation using the button below.

Dr Wat Ho Meas was born in Cambodia, served as a missionary in Japan and now lives in Northern Ireland. In this conversation he reflects on the way in which God has guided him through these experiences and prepared him for the next steps. The Kouyanet blog, podcast, videos and downloads are distributed (for the most part) free of charge in the hope that they will be of use to those who are interested in mission, theology and the world church. However, if you would like to support the site, you can do so by signing up to be a regular patron, buying something from our Wishlist or making a one off donation using the button below.

In this episode, Dr. Rico Villanueva from the Philippines who shares his conviction that Christians have to learn to be honest about their emotions and how the Psalms of Lament can help us say things to God that we might otherwise struggle with. He also explores the history of Christianity in the Philippines and the importance of indigenous languages. I strongly recommend that you get hold of Rico’s book, It’s OK not to be OK, which I will be reviewing soon. During the interview, Rico mentioned his favourite song; you can watch it on this video if you’d like to hear some Philippine worship music. The Kouyanet blog, podcast, videos and downloads are distributed (for the most part) free of charge in the hope that they will be of use to those who are interested in mission, theology and the world church. However, if you would like to support the site, you can do so by signing up to be a regular patron, buying something from our Wishlist or making a one off donation using the button below.

In this video/podcast, I meet with Dr Jennifer Hu to talk about the importance of hospitality to “the other”. Jennifer, who is Malaysian has recently completed a doctoral thesis on the subject: Hospitality to the Other: A Mission Paradigm of Relationally to the Marginalised Migrant Workers and Refugees in Malaysia. Jennifer’s concern is to ensure that our understanding of hospitality is rooted in the Bible and theology to ensure that it is distinctly Christian in nature. This is not as dry as it sounds; especially when someone is as enthusiastic about their subject as Jennifer! During the discussion, Jennifer mentions Peter Rowan’s work, you can find my interview with Peter here and a review of his short book on reconciliation here. The Kouyanet blog, podcast, videos and downloads are distributed (for the most part) free of charge in the hope that they will be of use to those who are interested in mission, theology and the world church. However, if you would like to support the site, you can do so by signing up to be a regular patron, buying something from our Wishlist or making a one off donation using the button below.

Pastor Joseph Ola is a Nigerian who ministers in Liverpool. He recently completed an MA in African Christianity during which he researched the way in which African Millenial Christians view their own identity. Given that there are more Christians in Africa than anywhere else in the world, this is a question which is of utmost importance for the future of the church globally. In this interview, Joseph outlines some of his findings and explores their implications for the future. If you don’t have the time to watch the video or listen to the podcast, you can find a rough transcript of our discussion here. You can find out more about Joseph by following these links: Podcasts – https://www.josephkolawole.org/podcasts Omoluabi Podcast – https://www.josephkolawole.org/omoluabiNot Alone Today Podcast – https://www.josephkolawole.org/notalonetodayAmazon Author Page: https://author.to/JosephOla Website: https://josephkolawole.org/  The Authors Joseph Mentioned are: John S MbitiKwame BediakoAgbonkhianmeghe Orobator S.J.Olusola AreogunEnoch Adejare Adeboye His favourite book is He Still Moves Stones by Max Lucado. I mentioned Missio Africanus which was established in 2014 as a learning community focused on helping to release the missional potential of African and other non-Western Christians living in Britain.  I am very grateful to Joseph for introducing me to his favourite Christian artist, Tope Alabi; what a voice! I was already aware of his favourite secular musician, King Sunny Ade, but it’s good to hear him again:

I’ve just started a new video playlist on “Motivations for Mission” which will also appear as podcast episodes. The first video doesn’t actually mention the word mission, but it is there, just the same. A meditation for the start of 2022: The Kouyanet blog, podcast, videos and downloads are distributed (for the most part) free of charge in the hope that they will be of use to those who are interested in mission, theology and the world church. However, if you would like to support the site, you can do so by signing up to be a regular patron, buying something from our Wishlist or making a one off donation using the button below.