Global Missions By Zane Pratt, David Sills And Jeff Walters

Zane Pratt, David Sills, and Jeff Walters have co-authored an introductory textbook on missions. Pratt, Sills, and Walters are highly qualified to write such a book. Each of the authors have years of practical involvement and academic expertise in the field of missions. Introduction to Global Missions should be read by most anyone; experienced missionaries, those actively exploring missions for the first time, and the casual observer wanting to know more about the nuts and bolts of missions. Essentially, the authors’ primary purpose for writing the books was to challenge believers to know God and make him known to the world (2). The textbook is divided into four distinct sections. Each section emphasizing a unique feature of missions.

Pratt, Sills, and Walters identify a common misconception concerning the Great Commission. Jesus did not send out his disciples to the world but to all “ethnolinguistic groups of the world” (19). Important missional terms of cultural, strategy, and orality are identified in this section. In order for missionaries to be successful they must understand the culture of the people they are attempting to reach for the kingdom. “The missionary should study to know the culture and why it lives, believes, acts, and interacts as it does” (26). Strategy is identified by the authors as a term that is “misunderstood and misused” (29). A missionary must think how unreached people groups will be reached with the gospel message. Finally, orality is discussed. Along with understanding culture and developing strategy, orality or how people learn, cannot be overlooked by missionaries. Oral learners comprise a large proportion of the unreached world resulting in the use of “Chronological Bible Storying” as a means to share the gospel (35). This section concludes with an excellent overview of the theological foundations of missions. The authors emphatically state, “Missiology is applied theology.” (67) and “Theology must flow from into mission or it degenerates into disobedience” (69). Holiness, teamwork, and prayer are identified as key features for effective missional ministry

Facetime, Skype, Twitter, Email, Facebook, WhatsApp, and countless other social media services and devices have allowed nearly instant communication with another person nearly worldwide. According to Platt, Sills, and Walters modern technology is a potential challenge for the church to fulfill the Great Commission. Leaving one’s own people group and culture and cleaving to a new culture and people group has always been difficult. With the advent of technology it has become harder. One hundred years ago, missionaries left family and friends and packed their belongings in the same coffin they were to be buried in. They understood coming back was against the odds. Today, missionaries pack their IPhone and laptop in order to provide a blow by blow account of the events of the day. There is a lot of positive that comes from this level of communication but the drawbacks are potentially staggering. The church as the primary disciple maker is going to have to take this phenomenon into account when sending out missionaries. Failing to address this issue head on will have a direct impact on a missionary’s ability to leave and cleave. It will impact their effectiveness and adjustment to a new culture. Leaving and cleaving is a biblical concept. Luke 9:62 is an example of this concept. “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the