God’s unchanging plans for mission. Part 2: Salvation to the nations
Posted on: 2nd March 2021
Former CMS missionary Simon Gillham now heads the Department of Mission at Moore Theological College in Sydney. In his first of four articles, he wrote of God’s plans for the nations, beginning with Abraham. Now he turns to the book of the prophet Isaiah to help us see more clearly how God intends to bring […]
Long-term partnership in Japan
Posted on: 27th February 2021
Former CMS workers Graham and Cathy Smith served in Japan for many years, working with the Japanese student Bible group KGK. It takes years to develop good cross-cultural ministry partnerships, but it is worth investing in such relationships. This can be seen in the long–term relationship between CMS and KGK (キリスト者学生会) in Japan. As a university student interested in mission, I met the […]
Mutual respect the key to long-term in Tanzania
Posted on: 26th February 2021
Godfrey Mbelwa is Anglican bishop of the Diocese of Lweru in Tanzania. Here he speaks to CMS missionary Judith Calf of the long-term relationship between CMS and the Church in Tanzania. I first met Godfrey Mbelwa in 1998, when I was at St Andrew’s Hall , where he had just arrived to commence his theological studies in Melbourne. Little could I imagine that more than 20 years later I would have the privilege of serving in […]
Beautiful broken vessels: Checkpoint Autumn 2021
Posted on: 24th February 2021
CMS worker K is reaching out with the gospel to Japanese expatriates in the the Middle East. Before that she served in Japan for more than 20 years. Here she explains how Christ has worked in and through her as she has served long-term and relocated. There is a beautiful art form in Japan called […]
A long yarn: Checkpoint Autumn 2021
Posted on: 23rd February 2021
CMS missionary Frances Cook has served in Chile for more than 30 years. Here she speaks about the advantages of long-term mission, as well as some of the difficulties. Yesterday I had a long yarn by phone to Jacquie. I’d lived with her when I first arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile. We talked about family, […]
Cultivating the culture: Checkpoint Autumn 2021
Posted on: 22nd February 2021
CMS missionaries Wim and Maaike Prins have been serving in Cambodia since 2004, where Wim is involved in translation work for the Fount of Wisdom Publishing House. Here Wim reflects on the importance of long-term ministry in building trust in relationships. Some years ago, in Siem Reap, Maaike and I met a missionary couple who, […]
Mutiplying ministry over many decades: Checkpoint Autumn 2021
Posted on: 19th February 2021
CMS missionaries Adrian and Anita Lovell are Bible teachers who are committed to giving a vision of God’s great plan to the Spanish-speaking world. Here they share a small part of a long story. MOCLAM began as a course in Australia as part of a plan to introduce people to God’s big picture, revealed in […]
Time with friends: Checkpoint Autumn 2021
Posted on: 18th February 2021
CMS worker R in Eurasia works in a place where the best possibilities for the gospel come through time spent in long-term relationships. “It’s good to spend time with friends. In Autumn and in Spring. In the morning and in the evening. In the cold, and the wind and the heat.” One of my friends […]
Building Trust: Checkpoint Autumn 2021
Posted on: 17th February 2021
CMS missionaries N and R recently returned for Final Home Assignment after over 10 years working in medical education and training, and emergency nursing in South East Asia. Prior to deciding to complete their service on location, R reflected on the benefits of serving long-term. We had to wrestle with the question of short-term or […]
Love for the long haul: Checkpoint Autumn 2021
Posted on: 16th February 2021
CMS worker J has served in Africa, Central Asia and South East Asia for over three decades. What three factors have sustained her in gospel ministry during this time? Why serve long-term in another culture, or in another place? Let me suggest three considerations: God’s love, God’s call, and our response. God’s love for the […]