John R. W. Stott Quote

“Why is it that some Christians cross land and sea, continents and cultures, as missionaries? What on earth impels them? It is not in order to commend a civilization, an institution or an ideology, but rather a person, Jesus Christ, whom they believe to be unique. ”
― John R.W. Stott

Why do you think people become missionaries?

VIDEO BLOG: Making The Most Of Today’s Opportunities

Today’s post is brought to you in the form of a video blog.

² Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³ And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴ Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵ Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Colossians 4:2-6

What opportunity lies in front of you today?  How can you make the most of this opportunity?

Stretched On The Road

Today, I’m traveling.  I’ll be back.

If you want to read or listen to more great content by me, please stop by these places:

5 Ideas For Teaching Our Sons over at Daddy Press

My son was in a special band concert last night for the area’s best band musicians in seventh through ninth grade.  He had the opportunity to play his trumpet in both the concert band and jazz band portions of the concert.  Sometimes, it can be a challenge to see our son during concerts because the trumpets are usually tucked a few rows behind the flutes, clarinets, and other instruments.  His seat for the concert band portion of this program put him right in my view this time, and it was nice to see him as he played.

I noticed my son was wearing a necktie for the program, and it struck me that I can’t remember spending a lot of time teaching him how to tie a necktie.  I have to wear a necktie every day for my job, so I can put one on without much thought.  But he rarely wears a necktie.  So I started thinking.  How did he learn how to do this?  He must have learned either by watching me or by following a YouTube instructional video.  I’m hoping it’s the first one.

Teaching our sons is not an option.  It’s a responsibility! [Read more by clicking here.]

7 Habits That Build A Lasting Marriage over at The Good Men Project

Short-Term Missions Survey Results – Part 4

Today, let’s take a final look at the responses to the fifth and final question of the survey.  After reading the responses, please let me know your thoughts in the comments (about this question, one of the other questions, or anything else related to short-term missions).  I’d love to read your thoughts about the responses.

Here’s the question along with the responses:

What can I do to help you with going on a short-term missions trip?

• Give me tips on how to gather funds for a trip.
• Nothing.
• Nothing.
• Pray that God would work in my life toward that goal.
• Talk about your experiences.
• Help me grasp the people we’re serving.  Train me to minister to them appropriately and ensure I understand an attempt to help them can be more detrimental if I do/do not do certain things.
• Show me how the short-term work is an effective asset to the local work, not a waste of money and energy.
• I am already committed to continue going.
• I don’t know.
• Watch my kids for the week!
• I’m good.
• I’d need more free time to feel comfortable going…
• Keep inspiring.
• Timing.
• I’m already a huge advocate!
• How do you turn an “experience” into Discipleship?
• You already encourage me.
• Explain the process to me.
• Not really interested in it right now, but I like reading and seeing your stories.
• Suggesting ones that are in the US as I don’t have a passport and am not much of a traveler unless I have to.
• I don’t think there is much help available at the given tie.
• Tips for effective, original, and creative ways for adults to fund raise.  Most fundraising tips I see are geared toward youth.
• Nothing.
• Money? 🙂
• Nothing at this time.
• Nothing.
• Provide me with information about the different organizations who coordinate these trips, what are the differences, and how do I choose which organization to partner with.
• Raising awareness and funds for big issues, such as lack of clean water, food, etc.
• Organize and team, and we will have a good time.  D Sgro
• I don’t think there is much you can do it will take me to make that decision – I’m also my own biggest obstacle.
• Nothing I can think of.
• Inspire me.
• Continue to write honestly of your experiences and tell of the benefits (if any) to those who live in the country.
• Nothing.
• Fund my retirement so I can quit my job and start planning.
• PRAY.
• Encourage short termers to not “do for the people”, but to do with the people.
• No need.  Appreciate your support on your blog though! 🙂
• Bring me to Xenacoj.

This wraps up the responses so far to my short-term missions survey.  I really appreciate the feedback which helps me stretch.  I’m looking forward to dissecting the results as I work on my project.  Thank you to everyone who responded!

What do you think about the responses?  I’d love to read your thoughts.

If you didn’t take the survey yet, please click here to add your responses.

Short-Term Missions Survey Results – Part 3

Today, let’s look at the responses to the fourth question of the survey.  This question and the responses take the conversation regarding short-term missions to the next level.  I’d love to read your thoughts about the responses.

Here’s the question along with the responses:

What is the number one question yo have about going on a short-term missions trip?

• What is the best way to gather money to go on a short-term missions trip?
• Cost?
• Why not do something in your neighborhood first?
• What will we do that my gifts connect to?
• What impact will this have on those that I’m serving?
• Could the money spent on my trip be better used by local long-term workers?
• What will we be doing?
• What are we doing?
• When you go with an organization, how much money goes to the organization compared to helping the people?
• Cost and effect on home life?
• Am I hurting or helping?
• Does what we’re doing matter?
• Safety and mobility?
• How much would a passport and other important papers cost?
• Cost?
• Can I stay longer?
• Why go abroad when people in America need help?
• I’m not really sure.  I’ve always appreciated the experience and never thought to question much.
• What are they?
• Who else is going?  What’s the agenda/itinerary?
• What are my/the students intentions for going on this trip?
• I’m a missionary, so I handle teams.  The big questions I deal with is safety, food, and schedule.
• I haven’t thought that much about it so I don’t know what questions to ask.
• Why not just spend the money instead of spending it to go?
• How do I make time?
• Does it benefit those you go to serve or does it just offer a chance for travel and cause the local missionaries added burdens?
• Does it help the people served?
• How do you choose a place to go, or rather how do you know when God is pointing you in that direction?
• Some are called.
• What is the purpose?  Is it to really help empower the church in that city?
• My main concern is to connect with a local missionary and tap into what is already going on – one week is not enough to make any lasting difference.  A group swoops in and does stuff and feels good about themselves… not really helpful.  But to go back to the same place over and over and support the local work then and in between – that is I think more helpful and building on a foundation.
• How to mobilize our small busy church?

Cost and long-term impact seem to be at the center of many of the responses.  The responses give me a lot to process as I move down the road with my project.  I really appreciate the thoughts so far.

What do you think about the responses?  I’d love to read your thoughts.

If you didn’t take the survey yet, please click here to add your responses.

Short-Term Missions Survey Results – Part 2

Yesterday, I revealed the results to the first two questions on my short-term missions survey.

Today, let’s look at the responses to the third question of the survey.

Here’s the question along with the responses:

What is your biggest problem with going on a short-term missions trip?

• The cost
• Time
• Time
• Cost – so much money spent just for travel/paying third parties to arrange
• The potential of getting sick
• Ensuring that the resources (time, talents, and finances) are being stewarded properly
• Disjointed ministry efforts not connected enough with local, ongoing work
• Feeling like not providing something sustainable
• I have some health issues that might be a concern in a 3rd world setting
• I have no problem with it
• Finding time
• The unknown
• Confidence that I could be a good chaperone for the teenagers I was with
• Schedule
• The ability to immerse myself in the local culture
• That it’s “short term”.  Want to build longer self-sustaining relationships
• Clarity of purpose, follow-up, consistency
• Health
• The cost
• Time off work (don’t have many vacation days), and finding one that interests me (I have trouble reasoning a trip far away to help when people need help all around.  I would like to be involved in a day or multiple day community service act, like getting together a massive labor force and fixing up a row of houses in a city or town.
• Feeling like I want to do more
• Taking care of my family, and have a local business, currently difficult to leave
• Coming home and leaving all those new relationships we had built behind.  It’s heartbreaking.
• Nothing
• There’s a lot of work left undone, and it’s easy to focus more on the work than on the people.  I think people ought to be our priority, even though the work is important, too.
• No clue what they are.  Sorry!
• Managing the cost
• Time, I guess
• I’m looking forward to going on my first trip in May 2015
• Lack of follow-up and practical care for the people there
• It ended
• Time
• Raising funds
• Lack of long-term relationship
• Don’t like the fund-raising aspect – people should pay their own ways
• Planning since I was the leader on most
• Using what little vacation time I have left (if any) after family obligations
• There is work in your own back (yard)
• I do not sense God’s leading
• I have been on 4 ow – no problems really.  It was just getting on the first one that was hard.  I sponsored so many other people all my life and finally took the time (to) actually go on one myself.  Now it is part of my life every year.

It amazing to read the responses.  Cost is obviously a factor, and time seems like an even bigger factor among survey respondents.  Many people talked about follow-up and long-term relationships.

What do you think about the responses?  I’d love to read your thoughts.

If you didn’t take the survey yet, please click here to add your responses.

Short-Term Missions Survey Results – Part 1

A few weeks ago, I posted a survey on the subject of short-term missions.  The results have been interesting.

Today, I want to begin analyzing the information right here on the blog.

If you haven’t filled out the survey, it’s not too late.  Click here to add your feedback.

Here’s the first question from the survey:

Have you ever been on a short-term missions trip?

39 people have responded to the survey so far.  27 people (or 69%) responded “Yes” to this question, and 12 people (or 31%) responded “No.”

Here’s the second question from the survey:

If you have gone on a short-term missions trip, where did you go?

I received a variety of results which included:  Guatemala, Mexico, multiple US one week trips, China, Kenya, Haiti, Washington DC, Johnstown PA, Atlanta, small town in PA, New Mexico, Australia, Liberia, Ecuador, New Orleans, Uganda, Maine, Pennsylvania, haven’t left the state(s), Brazil, Bucyrus OH, East Bank WV, Livery TN, Cranks Creek KY, St. Nazaire (France), New Brunswick (California), Mindanao (Philippines), Pattaya (Thailand), India, Japan, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, Thailand, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Kentucky, Estonia, various regional towns, in my own church, and Reynosa (Mexico).

It’s great to see a variety of places.  In my questions, I didn’t ask people to define short-term missions trip.  My guess is that people’s definition may be a little different.  Some of that may be influenced by my Guatemala experiences which I’ve shared frequently on my blog.  I was actually happy to see someone say their own church and others say places in the United States.

Deeper analysis will come as we look at the next three questions in the coming days.  In the meantime, I’d love to read your thoughts on the responses to the first two questions.

What do the responses to the first to STM survey questions tell you?  Were you surprised by any of the answers so far?

If you didn’t take the survey yet, please click here to add your responses.

Short-Term Missions Survey

The Best of 2014: Top Stretched Post #1

2014 is rapidly coming to a close, and I thought it would be a good time to back at a few of the top posts from 2014.  I’m re-running the top 3 posts written and posted this year on The Stretched Blog.  It may surprise you to see which three made the top of the list.  Tomorrow, I’ll provide more details on the top posts from 2014.  I hope you’ll take time to reread the excerpt from the post and head back to the original post to chime in on the comments.

My #1 post written in 2014 was posted on September 29th – “Experience The Supernatural.”  If you are paying attention, this post was posted the same day as the #3 post (shared here on Monday).  In other words, the 29th of September was an unbelievable day for The Stretched Blog.

Here’s and excerpt from the post.  Click here to read the whole post.

Experience The Supernatural

When I was a child, I watched cartoons.  One of my favorite cartoons was Super Friends.  I liked watching the superheroes from the Hall of Justice work together with their different superpowers to fight evil.  My favorite character was Superman.  He was the leader of the Justice League, and his supernatural powers were pretty cool to a young kid.

Of all Superman’s superpowers, I always wanted to fly.  I can remember running down the hallway of my parents house from my bedroom into the living room.  Several feet from the couch, I would leap into the air towards the couch.  While I’m sure this wasn’t the greatest things for the springs on the couch, it was a fantastic experience for me.  For a very brief second, it felt like I was flying.

Today, the television and movie screens are filled with stories of the supernatural.  People are attracted to the supernatural.  They find ways to experience the supernatural through these movies and television shows.

Read the rest of this post here!  And check back tomorrow for the other highlights from 2014.

If you are a blogger, share a link to one of your top blog posts from 2014 in the comments below.

What was one of your favorite Stretched posts from the past year?

Homes For The Holidays

The Christmas lights are going up on many of the houses in my neighborhood.  Our family usually picks one or two nights during the month of December to drive around and admire the creativity of homeowners in our area.  To be honest, it’s also a time when we ask each other how much these crazy homeowners must spend on the lights and the electricity for some of these elaborate displays.

In the northern hemisphere where I live, this is also the time when the temperature gets a little chilly.  I’m reminded how nice it is to have a house with electricity, heat, and running water.  I’m not sure if this is really a right, but home ownership with these amenities is an expectation here in America.  Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for many in the rest of the world.  Countless people sleep in deplorable conditions throughout the world.  They are unprotected from rain, from thieves, and from general privacy.

What if we could do something this holiday season to change this for a family or two?

This year, my church‘s Christmas offering is going towards building two houses in Haiti.  Last weekend, they showed this video:

Christmas Offering 2014 (Haiti) from CHRIST’S CHURCH OF THE VALLEY on Vimeo.

The video inspires me as I consider helping to change the lives of families in and around the village of Santo Domingo Xenacoj in Guatemala.  For some reason, God gave me a dream to build 100 houses in Guatemala.  If you are keeping track, I’ve helped to build three houses so far.  Only 97 more to go.

I love the faith and vision of this video.  This video was shot early this spring by a couple from our church.  They have a dream to build two more houses for the families shown in this video.  And they had the faith to put it out there for our church to help out.  This summer, our church will be sending a team of fifty teenagers to Haiti to realize this vision.  It’s a trip that will change the lives of these two families, and it’s a trip that will have a major impact on the lives of fifty teenagers.

We need to have this kind of vision.

We need to have this kind of faith.

It’s not just about building houses though.  It’s about bringing glory to God.  I can see it in the faces of Keena and Mike Huss (the couple in this video).  It’s not about personal gain or fame.  It’s about pointing people to Christ.  And this is what inspires me more than anything about this video.  This is what it means to have a mission mindset.

If you want to help out with the Haiti project, click here.

If you want to help out with building more homes in Xenacoj, leave a comment or send me an email by clicking here.

What is your vision for the future?  How does it involve changing other people’s lives?