BOOK REVIEW - "THE GOD ASK: A FRESH, BIBLICAL APPROACH TO PERSONAL SUPPORT RAISING" BY STEVE SHADRACH

 A lot of the Christian ministries I'm familiar with fall in the category of faith-supported missions, where the missionaries are responsible for raising (or, as the Conservative Baptist movement puts it, discovering) their support. This can become a joyful training for the missionaries to trust in God even when they are stuck at a percentage of their support. But then, it can be discouraging and the missionaries may give up. 

One resource for those who need to raise support is "The God Ask: A Fresh, Biblical, Approach to Personal Support Raising" by Steve Shadrach. This book has a lot of great ideas. One is seeing support-raising as a triangle, with God at the top, the ministry-worker looking to God for support on one corner, and the supporter seeking God's supply and blessing in the other. 

The strongest point is to see this as a partnership. Shadrach encourages those who receive support to pray for the donors, have regular communication with them, learn their birthdays and anniversaries, and develop your relationship with them. This is what I despise about multi-level direct sales: That approach makes it seem like that getting you to buy into their business is more important than cultivating a friendship.

However, there were many things in this book that made me cringe. It took me three months to get through "The God Ask," because Shadrach's aggressive "The Wrong Way or My Way" approach consistently made me uncomfortable. Early on, he gives the impression that it's possible to raise 100% of your support in 100 days, but by the time I ended, he made it sound like the reality is it's a never-ending process. 

Two impressions he gave is his approach is 1) Biblical and 2) not high pressure sales. Unfortunately, he didn't convince me on either point.

1. I will admit - I do not consider his views unbiblical (condemned by Scripture), but I don't see a strong in-context and consistent mandate. There are two points where his theory is at odds with Scripture. First, 3 John 7 applauds workers who take nothing from the Gentiles (unbelievers), while Shadrach says there's times to ask non-Christians to support a Christian ministry. Second, Shadrach discourages working to help provide for your support (like the tent-maker model, following the example of Paul) but to put all your time in fundraising.
2. As far as resembling the high pressure direct sales impression, he suggests asking for specific amounts. With a professional double income family, he strongly suggests the monthly amount asked for should be at least $100, and Shadrach stated he felt insulted when a person seeking support  asked for only $35 a month. It sounds like he's promoting asking everybody you know to be a supporter, and if you have a person who has been giving a large amount regularly, ask him to give more.

I'm giving this book a 3 star review. I would without hesitation recommend this book for anyone who needs to raise financial support for their ministry, but I also would emphasize it's one person's theory, and encourage them to modify their application to their personal convictions. 

BOOK REVIEW - "EVERY CHILD EVERY NATION EVERY DAY" BY ROBERT J. MORGAN WITH REESE R. KAUFFMAN

 "Every Child Every Nation Every Day" is the story of Child Evangelism Fellowship (afterward referred to as CEF), introducing us to the founder of the ministry and the person who served as President from 1990 to 2022 (this book was published in 2015), as well as CEF's work around the world.

This volume is divided into four parts. "Jesse Overholtzer and the Message of Child Evangelism Fellowship" gives a  short biography of CEF's founder, from childhood to serving as a minister to being convicted that children are as capable of believing in Christ as an adult. It follows the founding of CEF and how the ministry expanded through the U.S.A. and the rest of the world. The final chapter in this section gives a recap of the ministry from Overholtzer's death in 1955 till 1990.

"Reese Kauffman and the Mission of Child Evangelism Fellowship" tells of Kauffman's early life, focusing on his spiritual and career growth, and his 4+ decade ministry with CEF, from being in a local chapter to being President over 30 years. Among the things it mentions is their goal to have CEF ministry in every country by its 80th anniversary in 2017. As of the book's writing, there were 13 countries left, and it's been down to one since at least 2018.

Part three is "Jesus Christ and the Miracle of Child Evangelism Fellowship, with chapters on Child Evangelism in the Bible, Child Evangelism in the home, and how to lead a child (or adult) to Christ. This is followed by "Biblical Convictions and the Ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship," we see how this ministry is empowered by leadership, giving, prayer, and enthusiasm. Finally, the last chapter deals with the importance of reaching children through a pair of anecdotes.

I found this book inspiring and encouraging, and I highly recommend it.

AND I'M BACK! HOPE YOU DIDN'T MISS ME TOO MUCH

No, I don't know what kind of flower/tree this is, but it's at Hopewell House, Louisville, KY.
Yours truly took the picture.

Yes, I only posted one  blog in September. However, technically, I shouldn't count that: the September 2 post was actually posted before hand and was scheduled for September 2. So allow me to catch up a little.

There's a ministry called Further Still headed by Kurt Souder, who also has a radio program/podcast titled Solid Steps Radio, which is focused on men. He also hosts a day long "Desert Days" once a month at Hopewell House in Louisville, KY, where you can get away with other men (or women - there's a monthly Desert Days for the ladies as well) can write, meditate on Scripture, pray, and if necessary nap. Most of those who come are from the Louisville area, but I've taken a couple trips down, the most recent being August 13, 2025.

My arrival was not indicating a good start. I got there a few minutes late ... Actually, I turned into the next door neighbor's long driveway, and when I got turned around, I was blocked by a landscaping truck. He asked me to wait when he got his mowers out and I had to ask if I could get around him. Then, I reached in the back seat for my notebook and realized I left it on my dining room table two and a half hours away. Ugh.

Praise the Lord, the time was useful. I ended up in the library room as I did five years earlier (in the midst of COVID). Then, some of my meditation was looking through all the books, but there were two blessings. The first was the tree with white flowers that was right outside the window. My grandparents owned a nursery before I was born; Dad did not inherit any of that botanical knowledge, and I took after him. But that tree for me was a sign of hope, a blessing that calmed me from my hectic morning.

The second was a white board with multi-colored dry/erase pens. I found writing on the board and erasing/editing when I needed. By the time lunch was done, I did a lot of brainstorming that came in handy. (No, it's not neat, but as long as I could read it...

Why am I sharing this? I didn't think of sharing this until a few days ago. And the reason I thought of this was because on September 2, when I turned on the computer, I got a blue light, which turned into an orange light, which again became blue, and then orange and orange and orange... it didn't stop flashing until I unplugged it, but when I turned it back on, the orange flashing resumed. It took us two and a half weeks before I got the computer taken care of. 

The bad part was that I wasn't able to keep up with the blog. However, it kept me from being inundated with pro and con remarks after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Of course, half the world is wondering what my thoughts are on this (can I take my tongue out of my cheek now?), so I'll share them in the next blog.

I'm behind on a lot of things as well. One of my most recent blogs (meaning in August) mentioned the upcoming Love Inspired Suspense Dakota K-9 Unit series. Since then, I've read the first four of nine, and yet to review any. There are a couple of other books I haven't reviewed yet either, as well as a review of the long-awaited new EP by one of my long-time favorite singers... no, you have to guess until I share it. You may have missed interviews - I'm  behind on that as well. 

Two related highlights. On September 21st, we had our first annual missions fair at Northside Baptist Church in Indianapolis. Becky was with friends behind the table for Child Evangelism Fellowship, while I was asked to host the table for World Missionary Press, which publishes literature for missionaries around the world. Others involved were Right to Life, Kid's Hope (headed up by a friend from church that ministers in Nigeria, CRU (previously known as Campus Crusade for Christ), Gideons, Crossroads Association (the local part of the Southern Baptist Convention), Send Relief (a joint venture of the North America and International missions), Metro Baptist Association, and Covenant Foods (Northside's pantry ministry). 

The other highlight was the same morning. Outside the side door are a pair of steps heading to a square "porch" with a rail. When I headed that direction, I saw a squirrel sitting on the porch. He looked at me, then he hid his head behind the rails, not realizing that while I couldn't see his head I could see the rest of him. He looked my direction to see if I was still there, hid his head behind the railing again, turned back to looking at me, and then  ran off.

I'm glad to be back blogging, and glad you're reading it.

Yours truly at the World Missionary Press Table. Photo by Jim Myers.

BOOK REVIEW - "GOOD NEWS GOING BAD: A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF A MODERN MISSIONS MELTDOWN" BY DR. JIM BAUGH

 

What is the purpose of missions? Isn't it to be a witness to Christ from home to the furthest parts of the world (Acts 1:8), to make disciples of all nations and teaching them to do all Jesus commanded? Then why would missionaries water down uncomfortable teachings of Christ to appeal to those who reject Christianity?

Jim Baugh's insightful book, "Good News Going Bad: A Critical Evaluation of a Modern Missions Meltdown," focuses on what is called "The Insider Movement." The theory is that if Christians blend in with the major belief of the region, they would be more accepting of Christianity. This book focuses on outreach to Muslims, but also mentions sometimes the practice is used to reach Hindus. 

Baugh deals with several aspects of missionaries avoiding calling Jesus the Son of God or the crucifixion and resurrection because those elements of the story would be offensive to Muslims. He also ends each chapter with a story how a Muslim comes to Christ. He gives an example by asking how we'd answer one who asks what we think of Mohammed, an answer that would either open or close a door for further conversation. I love his answer, but you'll have to read it to find out what it is!

While this focuses on the mission field, Baugh does allude to the fact that there are similar practices in general, where we're more worried about being popular than proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. One thing that is true in modern American Christianity that is sometimes mistakenly taught on the mission field is a churchless Christianity, in spite of the author of Hebrews telling us not to forsake the assembly of us together (Hebrews 10:24-25).

I highly recommend this book. It doesn't hurt that it was written by a college classmate.

A NEW ADVENT APPROACH? PART 4 OF 4 - AN ADVENT OF EVANGELISM AND MISSIONS

A partially live nativity scene at Cincinnati Zoo - the rabbit is live.

You may have seen Advent calendars focus on hope, peace, joy, and love. The first one I paid attention to looked at the Prophets, the angels, the shepherds, and the wise men. Those who have been reading the last four weeks will see a new set of four themes for Advent:

1. An Advent of Gratitude and Encouragement,
2. An Advent of Mercy and Grace,
3. An Advent of Truth and Discernment, and this week,
4. An Advent of Evangelism and Missions.

As an old Malcolm & Alwyn song from '73 points out, "The World Needs Jesus," and if anything, it's a 1,000 times truer today as it was 50 years ago when that song came out. But, as Paul says, "How shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" (Romans 10:14-15a)

Evangelism and Missions go hand in hand. Evangelism is sharing the Gospel with those you encounter in your day to day life (e.g. Peter and John and the lame man at the temple), while missions is going to those who don't have believers they encounter day to day (e.g. Paul and friends going to Cyprus, Galatia, and Macedonia). 

Now you may say, "I'm grateful for those who are called to serve this way." Ah, but who did Christ call to serve this way? His disciples. Which ones? All of them. Now does that mean we're all to go overseas? No, but we all can evangelize.

This emphasis is fitting for these four weeks of Advent. We started off with gratitude and encouragement. Isn't our gratitude for our salvation best shown by joyfully sharing with others what God has done for us? And isn't the most important thing to do to encourage others is telling them how God can save them from their sins? Not that easy? Again, encouragement comes in play here - we can encourage others to share the Gospel, here and abroad.

Second week was mercy and grace. Isn't that what the Gospel is about? And not only is the message about mercy and grace, but we need to practice it. Jesus said we're being sent as sheep among wolves; Glenn Penner in his excellent book In The Shadow of the Cross: A Biblical Theology of Persecution and Discipleship, points out that we're being sent to the wolves.

Week three, we dealt with truth and discernment. The Gospel is called the truth of God through the New Testament. And with discernment, we need to be discerning in our ministry of evangelism and missions, as we will be dealing with false teaching, false teachers, and false perceptions.

How many think this is a good view of Advent?

By the way, with today being Christmas Eve, have a Merry Christmas (or a Joseph Christmas).

 

THE FIRST TO REACH THEM WINS!

At Castleton Community Church, Indianapolis. If you can't read the screens, both read, "Every Child, Every Nation, Every Day," the slogan for Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF).

"The first to reach them wins." This was the theme at the annual dessert night for the Central Indiana Chapter of Child Evangelism Fellowship.

 Is it any wonder why government backed education presents a godless worldview? Is it for the same reason China makes it illegal to take children under 18 to church? And is it coincidental that most Christians come to know Christ as children (yours truly at 9)?

CEF has a heart for reaching children. Here in the United States, they have Good News Clubs at public schools. For those who think that's violating the separation of church and state, the Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that Christian groups have equal access at schools as any other group.

But CEF's focus is not limited to North America. Their motto is "Every Child, Every Nation, Every Day." When Becky and I started getting involved with CEF's Central Indiana Chapter, there were only 17 nations that did not have trained workers working with children. It wasn't long after that the number dropped down to one (North Korea). That means there's CEF work going on in the majority of what Voice of the Martyrs designates as Restricted and Hostile Nations.

Some might say that children are too young to understand the Gospel. Charles Haddon Spurgeon disagrees. He stated that at 5, a child can understand the Gospel.

Before you object, CEF isn't alone in that view. The enemy might say it's too young, but what they mean is they want us to wait until after they indoctrinate them. There are ideas being taught the children that are for tack of a better term war against traditional values and the Christian faith.

Back in college, I read of a history textbook where two paragraphs were devoted to George Washington, compared to five pages to this great historical figure - Marilyn Monroe? That was in the '70's; has it improved today? 

Okay, enough pontificating. Let me get to the dessert night. The event was emceed by Randy Ollis, long-time and recently retired weather man of WISH TV. The featured speaker was WTHR-TV's anchorman Scott Swan. Scott did an excellent job pointing out the importance of grandparents and parents in training up children in the way they should go. We also heard of what's going on in our chapter. The Central Indiana Chapter encompasses 5 counties: Marion (which is synonomous with the City of Indianapolis), Hancock, Hamilton, Hendricks, and Boone. 

One last comment I want to make - I'd like to share the culture of CEF:

• The Importance of Godly Leadership at Every Level. Spiritual leadership is the highest form of authority. The men and women who lead must have a personal heart for God in order to be able to discern the will of God and lead the ministry effectively.  Regardless of the skill of a leader, if he or she lacks a heart for God, the work will be eroded at its very foundation.
• The Importance of the Spiritual Welfare of our Workers     It is vital that we are never satisfied to simply teach our staff the methods of how to reach children and how to train others to do so, but we must purposefully invest in the spiritual lives of our staff. When CEF staff are men and women who are primarily driven by passion for God and His glory and have a clear call from the Lord, the work will prosper. If we keep our focus on God and on His calling, then we will be sustained in times of challenge. 
• The Importance of Prayer as Our Foundation It is not the work we do, the meetings we hold or the decisions we make that bring the greatest advances in the work; it is the time spent before the throne of God in prayer, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that brings power, laborers and resources into the ministry. 
• The Importance of Evangelizing Children There is no limit to the number of organizations that do many good things that are important to boys and girls in need.  We are thankful for them and believe that God uses them to help hurting children. CEF, however, has been called by God to make it our highest priority to present the Gospel so children may be saved and discipled in God’s Word. We must stay on point. 
• The Importance of a Clear and Biblical Presentation of the Gospel The fact that a young child can comprehend the simple message of salvation and become a child of God is the foundational principle of CEF. Everything else that we do is based upon this fact. The good news of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation. We must present it clearly and accurately. 
• The Importance of a Commitment to Excellence, for the Glory of God Every aspect of the work, no matter how big or small, has significance. This includes the training we conduct, the materials we produce, the facilities we use and the way we present ourselves. In every area we must strive for excellence to the glory of God!
   
  
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WHAT IS REVIVAL? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WHY IS IT NEEDED? AND ARE WE WILLING TO PAY THE COST?

Fort Wayne's Children Zoo, Fort Wayne, IN

 My introduction to the topic of Revival was when I saw a half dozen Chick Tracts. Most of them, of course, were evangelistic, but one of them was his tract "Why No Revival?" I was in 6th grade that time, and I didn't catch his points well until a few years later.

Little did I know as I thumbed through that pamphlet at home in Prescott, Arizona, there was revival taking place on the other side of the country. 

Fast forward half a century. Another revival is taking place at the same university it happened in the '70's. I learned about it as I was watching half a dozen Christian musicians from the Jesus Music era at the time of the first revival. These musicians (John Fischer, Randy Stonehill, Glenn Kaiser, Paul Clark, Barry McGuire, and Swedish singer Ingemar Olsson) are talking about needing a song to start revival among Millennials.

But what does Revival look like? What are we looking for? 

One problem with the church as a whole (and it may have been a problem since Pentecost) is  that we focus on experience. We want the positive feelings. Could it be that we feel entitled to God's blessing on us? Likewise, is this desire for revival absent from a need for the Church to genuinely repent (both individually and corporately)? 

One of my favorite musicians, who's also a pastor, has some questions on the current revival. Namely, is it based on Scripture? Is it encouraging assembling together with the Church?

Another question I have is how lasting is it? Is Revival a peak that we descend from eventually and return to status quo? I remember reading No Compromise, the biography of Keith Green, where it mentioned a revival that lasted only for hours before being quenched. Is that real revival?

I would love to hear what you all think revival looks like, and if you want to comment before reading on so I don't influence your answer, go ahead and comment! 

Thank you to all who have commented. Here's my thoughts on what real revival will look like.

1. It will come from prayer and solid Bible teaching. Not only are these two elements a starting point, but true Revival will create a desire for yet more prayer and Bible Study.
2. It will transform a life. Yes, there may be a let down, but I believe genuine revival would result in changes that last in a person's life.
3. It will be a community event. I heard one speaker say renewal involves the individual while revival involves the corporate church. The hunger for prayer and Bible Study and the staying power I mentioned above will be strengthened by the encouragement of one another, as Hebrews 3:12-13 and 10:24-25 encourages.
4. It will not only be active in the church's four walls, but it will also spread out. There will be a desire to evangelize. There may even be a desire to go to the Mission field. 

Are we willing to make changes for revival to take place in the church and for renewal to happen in our own hearts? There will be costs. We'll definitely have to give up our sins and probably some activities that are not sin but are keeping us from serving God whole heartedly. We may also face opposition from the world, from our family and friends, and maybe even the church.

 

 

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 6 OF 48 - PSALM 20

 

CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship) International Headquarters, Warrenton Missouri. There are nine flags, 8 representing different regions of the world, one for the sole country without any CEF work.

1   May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
    May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2   May He send you help from the sanctuary,
    And strengthen you out of Zion;
3  May He remember all your offerings,
    And accept your burnt sacrifice.

Selah

4   May He grant you according to your heart's desire,
    And fulfill all your purpose.

5   We will rejoice in your salvation,
    And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
    May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
6   Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
    He will answer him from His holy heaven
    With the saving strength of His right hand.
7   Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
    But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8   They have bowed down and fallen;
    But we have risen and stand upright.
9   Save, Lord!
    May the King answer us when we call.

Psalm 20:1-9, New King James Version

This is one of my favorite Psalms. Primary reason? Because it is a Psalm we can use to pray for others!

Just look at the first five verses! Aren't these wonderful things to pray for one another? True, verse 3 has the Old Testament feel of referring to sacrifices and burnt offerings. But if we're praying for a fellow believer who is making sacrifices in career or time for the sake of others and for the Kingdom, I pray with that in mind.

One other comment on this section. When I read about banners, I think of flags, which is why I had the picture of the Child Evangelism Fellowship International Headquarters and their flag poles. As mentioned in the caption, 8 of the 9 flags represent regions of the world, and the 9th focuses on nations where there is no CEF work, which currently is one nation. (I won't tell you the name, but it rhymes with Korth Norea.) Each Wednesday they change the flags (except for the one I just mentioned) and pray for those nations.

Verses 6-8 are referring to God answering and saving His Anointed. In context, it refers to David. There's a chorus based on verses 7-8, about some trusting in chariots and some in horses. At a youth group I was in, they paraphrased it to "Some trust in Cadillacs and some in Porsches."

Can you see why I love this Psalm?

INTERVIEW WITH PASTOR/CARTOONIST JOE MCKEEVER

 

JR: Welcome to my blog, Joe. I'd like to start with the most important question - how did you come to know Christ?

JM: I was 11 years old and it was a revival meeting. Same church (and same building) where my parents had met in 1930 when she was 14 and he was 18 and was smitten once he heard her singing with her sister. I went forward during the invitation time and (rural, Free Will Baptist church) people stepped out into the aisle to go forward and pray with me. No talking to the preacher, we talked to God. lol I was crying and saying repeatedly, "O God, O God." That's all. But when I got up, I knew I was saved.

JR: I was going to ask how you got called to the ministry, but let me be more specific - How did God call you to the pastorate, and how did He call you to the ministry of cartoonist?

JM: I was 21 and a senior in college. Had joined an outstanding Southern Baptist church in Birmingham AL near the campus of my college (Birmingham-Southern, a Methodist school). Got active, loved the people, met my wife to be, was baptized (saved at 11, but never baptized because no one asked), and I flourished. Tuesday night of a two-week long revival, I'm in the choir and we're singing "Jesus Paid It All," and suddenly it seemed a curtain was drawn open and God spoke to my heart. "I want you in the ministry." That's all. Not "called to preach," as such, but called as a minister. That's significant because I have done all kinds of ministry, and it was not limited to preaching.

Never actually felt "called" to a ministry of cartooning. I'd done this all my life since childhood and as I matured into my 20s and beyond, kept getting more and more opportunities to use the cartooning as a catalyst in ministry. 

JR: Who have been your Mentors/Encouragers/Influencers/Heroes both in the ministry and in cartooning?

JM: In ministry, several pastors and a couple of seminary professors were my mentors, and I am infinitely in their debt.

In cartooning, I enjoyed meeting several professional cartoonists and being encouraged by them when I was thirtyish. In my mid-30s, I had written a note to the newspaper syndicate handling the "Gasoline Alley" comic strip to say how much I loved the artwork by Dick Moores. To my surprise, I got a note from him thanking me. And one Saturday, I returned home from an early morning meeting to have my wife inform me that Dick Moores had called me and wanted me to call him. wow. It turned out he lived in North Carolina and was going to "marry off" a couple in the comic strip and needed to know a) which side do they stand
on? and b) does the minister still have them say "Til death do us part"? Couple of years later, my wife and I went to see him at his studio below Asheville NC. He was in his 70s and such a kind soul. When he was young, he had drawn comic books for Walt Disney, then spent years with Chester Gould drawing Dick Tracy, and had taken over the Gasoline Alley strip after its originator had died. Dick was most definitely the greatest influence on my cartooning. He died in '86 just before I moved to North Carolina. Shucks! Such poor timing!! 

JR: What doors has God used your cartooning to open in your ministry, both in reaching the lost and edifying/encouraging/exhorting the Church?

JM: That's so hard to answer, Jeff, particularly the first about "reaching the lost." I honestly don't know that He has used the cartooning for that. But the second part, exhorting the church, I received an email just today from a lady in Minneapolis thanking me for the cartoons and for speaking to the church so well. I'm 82 years old and love that. Just yesterday, my wife and I drove 6 hours (round trip) to do a senior event for a church in Alabama. I sketched everyone there, spoke about the Psalms (encouraging them to "fall in love with the Psalms all over again"), and ate their lunch, then returned home. Such a blessing. I'll do several of these each month. But I would need someone else to tell you how God uses my stuff. I tell pastors (in fact, told Pastor Chris Kynard just yesterday at the luncheon) that "you do not know how God is using your stuff." A pastor will go home and tell his wife the sermon bombed. Then the phone will ring and someone will thank him and say "How did you know? That was exactly what
I needed to hear." So, we do this work the same way we do everything else: by faith.

JR: The pastor at my church (Jeremy Couture, Northside Baptist, Indianapolis) gave us three areas to pray for him: Personal walk, Priorities, and Protection. In what ways does God use your cartooning and pastoring to strengthen your walk? How do you manage the priorities of pastoring and cartooning? And what ways does God protect your ministry?

JM: Being retired I no longer have to find a balance between pastoring/ministry and cartooning. but it is such a blessing being 82 years old (and having come through a number of health challenges) to still be getting the invitations to speak and minister. Right now--post-covid!--I'm getting on average two invitations per week. - When I was pastoring, say, around age 40, I had to convince some people that cartooning is ministry and not just goofing off. My wife of 52 years, now in Heaven, was one who did not have a great appreciation for cartoons. She was supportive, however, of the time I flew to Singapore for 2 weeks and drew an evangelistic comic book for the missionaries (it was her idea). My wife Bertha (we celebrated 6 years of marriage on Jan 11) is a strong encourager of my cartooning. - I pray about the cartooning and the ideas and the effect. But I have no idea how to answer your question about "how God uses these things to strengthen my walk." I just do them, the same way someone else plays the piano and another the guitar. It's what I do. People stand around and watch me draw, and they ooh and ahh and seem impressed, but since I've literally done this since childhood, I take it in stride and thank them. 

JR: Thank you for your time. How can we keep up with your ministries? Do you have any books and/or websites you'd like to tell us about?
JM: Several ways.

1. My blog is www.joemckeever.com, where I write for church leaders (pastoral and otherwise). This website is 20 years old now and contains thousands of articles from these two decades. Scroll down the page for a list of categories. Scroll further down for the "archives," where they are listed month by month since 2003. If you're interested in reading my journal about Hurricane Katrina and the rebuilding of New Orleans, start by scrolling down to September 2005, then to September 1 and pull up a chair. The next two years is devoted to that subject.
2. My cartoons are posted daily by Baptist Press. Go to www.bpnews.net and at the top of the page click on 'comics.' In times past, they posted the work of six cartoonists, but they cut back to one. Even though if says "comics," plural, I'm the only cartoonist whose stuff is posted there. There are thousands of cartoons.
3. Google "Joe McKeever cartoons."
4. I have a page in each issue of Deacon Magazine, a quarterly published by Lifeway. My page is devoted to "my favorite deacon."

My personal website is www.joemckeever.com There are no cartoons here, but articles I have written for pastors and other church leaders. Started the website in 2003, so it's in its 20th years. There are literally thousands of articles there. Scroll down the page for a list
of categories.

I've published probably a dozen books of cartoons over the years. Amazon or alibris.com would have a lot of them. Some non-cartoon books I've written that are available from me (203 Garden Cove, Ridgeland MS 3917. Everything is $15 each) are--

• "HELP! I'M A DEACON."
• "GRIEF RECOVERY 101" written with my wife Bertha about the deaths of our spouses and what we learned about dealing with grief.
• "SIXTY AND BETTER;  MAKING THE MOST OF OUR GOLDEN YEARS" also written with Bertha.
• "PRAY ANYWAY."
• "HEALTHY CHURCH."

 

BOOK REVIEW - MISSIONS: HOW THE LOCAL CHURCH GOES GLOBAL (9 MARKS: BUILDING HEALTHY CHURCHES) BY ANDY JOHNSON

What is the purpose of missions? What should the relationship between the missionary and the supporting local church be? Should the local church have missionaries they support all over the world to show their commitment? Are short-term missions trips a blessing or a trial for the long term missionaries?

Andy Johnson, author of "Missions: How the Local Church Goes Global"  (Part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series) starts out with the various views Christians have about missions. He does an excellent job looking at how missions was done in the New Testament, and how to apply those principles.

I'm in a Southern Baptist, where technically through their Cooperative Program every SB church supports every SB missionary. Johnson suggests it may be better for churches to have a smaller number of missionaries to support and then give substantial support to the few.

On the subject of short term missions, Johnson questions if those trips are more for the benefit of the short-termer than the field missionary or the mission field. He suggests a long-term relationship between the local church and the missionary so that the short-termers are doing what helps the missionary. He gives an example of a short-termer from his church in D.C. taking care of baby sitting (including diaper changing) while the missionaries go through training. The missionaries were in tears when they learned the regular job of that short-termer was being on the White House staff.

As is typical for the 9Marks books, I highly recommend this short book.

A FOUR DAY MISSION TRIP

 

On May 1-4, 2022, I had the honor of joining half a dozen other members of Northside Baptist Church in Indianapolis on a four day mission troop at Ethnos 360 in the Ozarks in Missouri.

Are you familiar with Ethnos 360? Some of you might be more familiar with it by its former name, New Tribes Missions. Two of my college friends, Tony and Lauren Finch, joined New Tribes when they graduated. I remember Tony writing to me in the '80's and excitedly mentioning he was going to a place where "Jesus" isn't even a swear word. We learned Ethnos 360 is the third largest missionary organization, behind Wycliffe and the Southern Baptist's International Mission Board.

We came right after the missionary trainees spent a three week period of time in shelters they constructed during the first week and lived more off the land (they also learned how to butcher their meat). A billboard company gave them used billboard tarps which they used for shelter. We helped collect the used tarps and tools. Me and one other friend helped grind up pork for sausage.

The grounds were quite large and have a lot of things going on. For example, they had an auto garage, where they seemed to store everything. We also had a presentation on working with solar energy and water purification, and saw where they were growing plants hydroponically (without soil, using nutrients in water).

One thing we did was construct a place where they kept some of their supplies. We first put a couple of billboards up and then covered it with plastic to protect the structure from wind and rain. They decided to put the billboard with the pictures facing in, so anybody in that building could see a gigantic Jimmy John sub sandwich and this guy advertising truck driver training.

One blessing was finding out the grounds crew leader had served in Mexico with the Finches previously, and one of the other grounds workers who also headed up working with volunteers spent a semester at my alma mater, Southwestern Conservative Baptist Bible College.

We spent time with Ethnos Missionaries Dennis and Monika Farthing. Dennis and his family used to attend Northside. We had dinner with the Farthings, their children, and Dennis' parents, and Monika, who's from Germany, fixed us Wienerschnitzel. Another evening, we took a boat ride on the Lake of the Ozarks, with a former missionary piloting the vessel.

It was a blessing to spend some time on working with Ethos 360 and with my co-laborers at Northside Baptist Church.

 

 







 

I'M EXCITED ABOUT MISSIONS! AREN'T YOU?

Map in CEF director's Reese Kaufman's office, indicating where the sun is shining on the world.

 

One of life's great mysteries I started think about while in Junior High: Why did some missionaries have full 8 1/2 x 11 length prayer letters, folded in half so they can fit in the bulletin, while others' letters were half that size?

I don't know how long it took me to figure that out, but it still wasn't long. The full size letters were from CBFMS missionaries, while the half page letters came from CBHMS missionaries. The ones serving on foreign fields got the full size paper, while those on the home field (North and Central America) only got the half page.

Which left me wondering why they thought the home missionaries didn't deserve the same amount of paper the foreign missionaries did.

One other thing I noticed. At Verde Baptist Church, the Conservative Baptist church I attended, they had pictures of their missionaries and where they served. There, at least, the foreign and home missionaries got an equal due.
Then, when I attended Cactus Baptist Church when I moved to Phoenix to start college, I would see a different set of pictures. Mel Bitner, who was in France, was on both missionary boards, but the others were different. Why? Because CBFMS and CBHMS would appoint the missionaries, and then the missionaries would "discover" their support at the various local churches. Each congregation would choose who they supported.

Over the years, I moved East. In that move, I noticed fewer Conservative Baptist Churches, and more Southern Baptist. the main difference? How they support missions. The Southern Baptist Convention has the Cooperative Program (CP), so basically all Southern Baptist Churches are supporting all the Southern Baptist Missionaries.

One thing that excites me are the Lottie Moon Christmas and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offerings. As you'd expect, any Mission organization has overhead costs, and for the Southern Baptist Convention, the CP takes care of those. With the Lottie Moon Offering, 100% goes to the international missionaries; the one named after Annie Armstrong goes entirely to those serving in North America. (I'm posting this the final day of Annie Armstrong this year.)

Why do those offerings excite me? Because at the beginning of those offerings they send out a pamphlet on how to pray for specific missionaries each day for a week. Usually, I select one or two to keep praying for after the offering ends. 

Becky and I are also interested in other mission organizations. Becky's active with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), which has official workers in every country except one (can you say North Korea, boys and girls?). We used to volunteer with Voice of the Martyrs and actively correspond with two sister ministries Spirit of Martyrdom (which is in Clarkdale Arizona, where the CEO attends Verde Baptist Church) and Vision Beyond Borders. We've attended dinners for Wycliffe Associates (where they send workers to take care of things like teaching and construction so the Wycliffe translators can concentrate on translating). One of my former roommates is active with Community Health Evangelism and Medical Ambassadors International. 

International Learning Center, Rockville, VA

 How many would think Thru The Bible would fit in the conversation? Oh, but they do. That program is heard in 120 languages and dialects around the world. No, you're not going to hear Dr. J. Vernon McGee's Texan accent speaking in Tagalog or other languages, or even the quartet singing "How Firm A Foundation." The programs are more aimed at the locality it's aimed for.

Are you excited about missions? If so, what excites you? If not, what would it take to change your mind? 

"YOU'RE RETURNING TO THE PEOPLE WHO KIDNAPPED YOU TO WITNESS TO THEM?" - A LOOK AT ST. PATRICK OF IRELAND

Stained-glass window of St. Patrick from Saint Patrick Catholic Church, Junction City, Ohio

 Ladies and gentlemen, let's picture this scenario. A young man tells his parents he's leaving to be a missionary. Not just that, but he's not expecting to return. Add to that the fact this young man had been kidnapped by foreigners and served as a slave for six years before escaping and returning home. One last thing - the region he's going to as a missionary is the place he was held captive.

Let the above be your picture of the gentleman whose day is celebrated on March 17th. 

Bryan Litfin added two historical figures when he released the second edition of Getting To Know The Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction. One, Ephrem the Syrian (who we looked at a few days ago) represented Christianity's expansion eastward; the westward move is represented by Patrick of Ireland.

Patrick is one of those people we have to really study to distinguish the reality from legend. He didn't make the job easy by leaving only two writings (his autobiography and a letter to a tyrant claiming to be a Christian). But here are a couple of things to keep in mind (besides what I mentioned in the first paragraph):

1. He learned how to adapt his evangelism to the region he was in. Paul set the model of going to urban areas and preaching the gospel. Patrick may have done it if there were large urban areas in Ireland. There wasn't, so Patrick's witnessing had to be revised to reach a more rural, agricultural environment. And he succeeded.
2. The British Isles and beyond were impacted by those Patrick converted. One of those was Columba, who came to Iona, Scotland. (True, it's fiction, but a novel that deals with Columba which I highly recommend is The Keeper Of The Stone by Donna Fletcher Crow - click here for my review of that book.) 

Patrick is the final church father Litfin dealt with. I'll wrap up this series with tomorrow's blog.

By the way, I chose to use a font called "Irish Grover" for today's blog.

BOOK REVIEW: BEYOND POVERTY BY TERRY DALRYMPLE

 

In Beyond Poverty: Multiplying Sustainable Community Development, Terry Dalrymple gives a vision to overcome worldwide poverty. The solution, however, is not through the state but the church. He sees the answer also being a movement that is able to multiply.

The author of this book served on the mission field before joining Medical Ambassadors International (MAI), where he was trained in Community Health Evangelism (CHE). He founded and is current coordinator of the Global CHE Network, and is cofounder and current VP of the Alliance for Tranformational Ministry. Additionally, he is an instructor at the Genevea Institute for Leadership and Public Policy at the United Nations.

Dalrymple points out that while there are physical aspects in dealing with poverty, the root is the evil in our hearts. While faith in Christ alone may not irradicate poverty, the transformation in the believer's life should be visible so said transformation becomes contagious to the community and beyond. He gives examples how some belief systems help keep others poor, and in one segment Dalrymple illustrates how latrines can be a sign of spiritual growth.

There are five fundamental principles of what Dalrymple calls "wholistic transformational ministry:

1. Integration of the physical and the spiritual;
2. Asset-based development (funded not by outsiders but by what the participants have access to);
3. Community ownership of the ministry;
4. Multiplication; and
5. Self-discovery.

One powerful point of the book is an inclusion of a pair of warehouses built in the third world. One was funded by an outsider, and it looked functional. The second had been built by the contributions of the villagers who were going to be using it, and that warehouse was a solid, well built building.

Dalrymple gives examples of how CHE has changed communities around the world in the villages of Asia, Africa, and South America. 

If you want to be a part of the solution to the poor, I highly recommend that you acquire this powerful little book and consider how you can impact the lives of others. He gives information how to get involved in CHE.

Let me add an item. How many of you have a former room-mate who addressed the U.N.? I've known Terry since we attended Southwestern College (now Arizona Christian University) in Phoenix, Arizona in the late '70's. Is that why I highly recommend this book? No! I believe it is well worth reading.

If you are interested in learning more about the Global CHE Network, you can check their webpage at www.chenetwork.org.