Checkpoint Summer 2021: Grace – from beginning to end
Posted on: 7th November 2021
CMS missionaries Howard and Michelle Newby have had a long-term connection with the Philippines and notice that the role of ‘obedience’ can often cause confusion in relation to grace. Howard speaks of how he is learning to teach God’s grace to people with long-held animist beliefs. When we first arrived in the Philippines, we were confronted with teaching that promoted obedience as […]
Checkpoint Summer 2021: Grace: the heart of mission
Posted on: 6th November 2021
Can you remember when God first opened your eyes to grace? CMS QNNSW Branch Director Mark Fairhurst describes such a moment, explains it from the Bible, and explores why this insight matters in the vision for a world that knows Jesus. Can you remember when God first opened your eyes to his saving grace in the Lord Jesus Christ? For me, I was 18 years […]
Checkpoint Summer 2021: Too good to be true?
Posted on: 4th November 2021
CMS missionaries Chris and Grace Adams serve in Timor-Leste, a country where following rules is deeply ingrained and the reality of grace is almost too shocking to comprehend. Chris shares how is helping people understand grace. Religious context “People of Timor Leste I see that in every way you are very religious.” I can imagine the Apostle Paul saying this if he walked around in 21st century Timor Leste, just as he spoke […]
The Psalms and Mission Part 1: The Psalms, Authority, and Mission
Posted on: 1st November 2021
In this first part of a series on the Psalms and mission, CMS missionary Nathan Lovell, lecturer at George Whitfield College in South Africa, reminds us that ultimately, all political power rests with God the King—and this has consequences for mission. This is the first in a short series of reflections on the Psalms and Christian mission, […]
Can any good come from COVID?
Posted on: 29th October 2021
CMS missionaries Andrew and Margie Newman work at Canon Ndimbirwe Bible College in Uganda. As life changed and ministry opportunities seemed to dry up, they asked, “Can any good come from the Coronavirus?” Last year during lockdown we connected well with the two families on either side of our house. There was no COVID in our […]
Challenging tradition with hope
Posted on: 26th October 2021
CMS missionaries Chris and Grace Adams serve in the predominantly Catholic nation of Timor-Leste. They share how the Catholic celebration of All Souls’ Day (2 November) has been integrated with local traditional practices into the annual observance of Loron Matebian (Spirits of the Dead Day) and the challenge this poses for Timorese Christians. The joy of faith We recently celebrated the commitment of 19 young Christians who publicly […]
Grace in action
Posted on: 25th October 2021
In one East African language, grace and mercy are the same word. CMS missionaries serving in East Africa have seen grace and mercy in action at the Bible College where they work. What do you do when widespread sexual immorality emerges in a Bible College? In March 2021 some concerned students reported to the deputy principal that all was not well in the college community. They told of an unmarried student sleeping with a person from the […]
An alphabet of ministry in the Northern Territory
Posted on: 14th October 2021
In early 2021 Wayne Oldfield and Mandy Jones finished up more than a decade of service at Nungalinya College in the Northern Territory, working alongside Aboriginal Christians. In one of their final newsletters, they looked back over this time. Scroll down to see the ‘Alphabet’ of their gospel ministry in and through Nungalinya College. We have come to the end of our […]
Grace against the grain
Posted on: 9th October 2021
CMS workers Jon and Deborah have served in theological education and training in South East Asia for more than a decade. In this article Jon shares the challenge of teaching grace in a culture that values ‘works’. I teach in a rural Bible College in South East Asia, and every year I meet new students who have been brought up with a ‘works theology,’ that emphasises being good and doing […]
Living out the gift of grace
Posted on: 7th October 2021
CMS missionary Kellie Nicholas has served in Japan for 13 years. In this article she explains how difficult it can be to comprehend the concept of grace in a culture of reciprocity. The exchanging of gifts is very important in Japanese culture, and for relationships to be maintained, it must be continuous and reciprocal. (1) Gifts are given in order to carry out giri (2), and the […]
