Peter said: Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 1Peter 3:15

When you sit at Starbucks in a foreign culture and someone sits next to you and asks in perfect English “why are you here?” are you ready to give them an answer? Surprisingly this question is asked often of a team member on a missions trip. I have had it asked at a Starbucks in Greece, at the airport in Amsterdam, and during lunch in the Comoros Island. It will probably be asked of you as well!

Believe me, nothing catches you so off guard as a question like that in that context. All of a sudden you know you are talking to someone who has none of the religious background that you have enjoyed all of your life. Words like “I asked Jesus into my heart”, “I prayed the prayer”, “I’m born again”, and “I know Christ as my personal savior” simply won’t cut it.

How do you approach someone who has no background in Christianity about your personal faith and your purpose for being in that cross cultural setting? It is intimidating to say the least. Your head swims for word!

Let me tell you right now, if that happens to you and you are not prepared, you will fall flat on your face in total humiliation. Notice what Peter said: “be ready to explain it”.

Nothing is more challenging than to explain your faith cross culturally to a person of another faith persuasion or who has no concept of the God of the Bible.

John Lennon once wrote the following words:
I don't believe in magic
I don't believe in I-ching
I don't believe in Bible
I don't believe in tarot
I don't believe in Hitler
I don't believe in Jesus
I don't believe in Kennedy
I don't believe in Buddha
I don't believe in Mantra
I don't believe in Gita
I don't believe in Yoga
I don't believe in kings
I don't believe in Elvis
I don't believe in Zimmerman
I don't believe in Beatles
I just believe in me
Yoko and me
And that's reality
Those words may shock you, but quite frankly that is exactly where most of the world is with their faith. “I just believe in me”.

You say “I believe in God”
He says “I believe in me”

You say “the bible tells us . . .”
He says “I don’t believe the bible”

Check mate!

No you still have some powerful arsenal. You see the Bible is a reality whether he believes in it or not. Peter pleads with us to be ready to give the reason of the hope that is within us. In other word have a clear concise statement of your faith based on the reality of the Bible.

If John Lennon sat at that Starbuck table and gave me his list of beliefs, I would say “John, our lists are almost identical!” “We have so much in common!” There are in fact only three differences, first I don’t believe in myself. I have been nothing but a failure and disappointment both to myself and to everyone around me.

Secondly, I do believe the Bible. It after all it gives me all the answers about who I am and why I am such a failure and why I can’t believe in myself. Because the Bible is reality, then I must believe in Jesus, because He is the central figure of the Bible.

John if I had a gun pointed at you right now and I said “give me all your money”. An answer from you -I don’t believe in guns, simply is absurd. Your denial of the gun does not change the reality of what is pointed at you.

I can only say that God is far more a reality than anything on your list, and the reality of His recorded word is something that does not change simply by saying I don’t believe it! I can only say John, read it. Read about Jesus Christ. Read why He needed to come to earth. Read about the people that were totally transformed by meeting Him. John you may say “that is ancient history, how does that apply to the twenty-first century?” John you have met me today, and I have been changed by this Jesus of the Bible, and that is why I am sitting in your country today.

You can leave a comment on this article at our Let’s Fish weblog

Victory Valley Needs More Servant-Leaders Now

(June 6, 2005) -- Just 20 days from the start of Summer Camp, and 11 days from pre-camp training, Victory Valley still has the following staffing needs...
Horsemanship specialist (1), Camp counselors (3 male/3 female), Outpost counselors (1 male/1 female), Venture Quest [teen trip] Counselors (1 male/1 female), Assistant Cooks (2), Junior staff [ages 15-18] (5 male/2 female), Day Camp Counselors (4) and nurses [LPN, RN or EMT].

While most of our young summer staff will come as supported missionaries with prayer-support teams, volunteers (ages 15 and up), may be able to fill some of these roles for less than the full summer term. However, the ideal would be people who can make a commitment for the full seven weeks of camp, plus the nine days of training. Please contact Donna Bauer at 610-966-5880 today, or download an application from our website, fill it out, mail it in or fax it to 610-967-2267.

Adults Should Apply Too

Pray for those in ministry this week

You can find out what is happening in short term ministry at:

http://www.bfcbom.org/toppage1.htm

If your trip is not listed please register today at the register a trip tab.

Ten Keys to Quality Debriefing

by Steve Moore

1. Make it a priority from the start. Decide in advance that you are going to provide your team with a designated time to process the whirlwind of events and activities they have experienced together.
2. Plan to hold your debriefing sessions in your host country. There is a measure of honesty, vulnerability and team chemistry that is nearly impossible to recreate outside of your host country.
3. Schedule your debriefing sessions with your in-country contact during your logistical planning stage.  Make sure you tell your contact in your advance correspondence that you will need up to six hours of time for debriefing two days before you depart for home. It is always easier to carve out time for debriefing before you arrive in the host country than afterwards.
4. Emphasize the importance of debriefing throughout the trip.  Team members will develop their perspective on debriefing by observing the way it is profiled by the team leader. If it seems important to you, it will be important to them.
5. Select the location for your debriefing sessions carefully.  Make sure you go to a secluded area away from potential distractions to hold your debriefing sessions.
6. Be realistic with your time allotment.  Quality debriefing sessions cannot be rushed.
7. Use a team member evaluation form and next steps commitment card.  Some team members simply will not verbalize issues they are facing. Purposefully solicit feedback from your team by way of a written evaluation form.
8. Emphasize the priority issues.  A good debriefing session goes beyond getting your team members to talk to you. You will need to direct their attention to priority subjects that go deeper than their felt needs.
9. Make sure the team is ready to strike while the iron is hot.  Team members will encounter the most strategic opportunities to share about their trip within the first 48 hours after they return home.
10. Meet one-on-one with each team member.  In addition to group debriefing sessions, you should plan to meet with every team member before you return home for a personal appointment.

Read the full article at:

http://www.shorttermmissions.com/articles/quality_debriefing/intro

You can leave a comment on this article at our Let’s Fish weblog

The Board of Missions Retreat Within a Retreat is set for November 18-20. This is an opportunity for High School and Collage age young people to both work together and participate in an extensive study on Knowing Gods Will. We will have a missionary on hand for the weekend so we can have a first person account of the process of choosing career missions. Check out 2004 RWR and then register at office@bfcbom.org.

Now let’s go fishing!

“Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
-Jesus

You can leave a comment on this article at our Let’s Fish weblog

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Send us your ideas, journal entries, or write an article for Let’s Fish. Remember I LOVE mail! You can contact me at weller@bfcbom.org.