Our FREE book winner . . .
June 27, 2009 by Harvest Ministry
Filed under Uncategorized
The Mission-Minded Child – Book Giveaway!!!
To encourage more comments and interactions during the 40-Day Mission-Minded Family Challenge, we had a drawing this week for a FREE copy – including FREE shipping – of The Mission-Minded Child – Raising a New Generation to Fulfill God’s Purpose. Our winner, who will be contacted by email for mailing information is . . . .
Jennifer and her family, from Canada!!!
Congratulations, Jennifer. We hope you enjoy this book, and pray that it will be encouraging. My heart in writing The Mission-Minded Child was to challenge families to focus more on God’s Great Commission, and to become more effective for God’s kingdom and for eternity. We thank everyone for all of your comments and feedback this past week. Please keep those comments coming!!!



As I was praying this morning, I had the familiar tug of my heart towards missions….but where to start?
First a quick background…
I committed my life to a missional life of service ten years ago as a single man completing my graduate studies in community development and social justice (from a Christian perspective and approach). Having been to India for a summer of applied studies and interning in a inner-city non profit serving low income families, I felt prepared and committed to a vocation where I could do both good works and perhaps get to share the gospel. His timing was not my timing and thank God for that.
Immediately upon graduation, God brought me a helpmate with the same passion. We married right away, but was in too much debt to “go” or live out what we had in our heart. Ten years later, we are still happily married with four young children, homeschooling, debt-free and waiting for God’s calling. My vocation is serving families in low income communities here in the US, but my only outlet for the gospel has been through my local church.
So today, when I found your article/website…I knew I was directed to take the 40 day challenge with my family. Because pray is the start of all good things and the way we find grace and strength for every good work.
If anyone has an encouragement to a guy/parent like me who is afraid of not staying fresh in a missional mindset, too comfortable as an American family living in the burbs and honestly perplexed as to how God would have us start moving towards action.
Thanks
One of the best ways to keep a fresh mission mindset in your heart is to continually read inspiring missionary biographies – of real life stories of people. A few books we would recommend to start off with:
Bruchko, by Bruce Olsen; Hudson Taylor, from the Christian Heroes Then & Now Series (actually this whole series is outstanding!); and Is That Really You, God? by Loren Cunningham
Another inspiring book is The Challenge of Missions by Oswald J. Smith
During the 40-Day Mission-Minded FAMILY CHALLENGE, we will be recommending a new book or mission resource each day.
It can also be good to keep some mission-minded magazines, or even National Geographic magazines or travel magazines (such as REI brochures), out on your living room coffee table. Keep the vision for the needs of the world before your eyes.