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Archive for the ‘Mission’ Category
Would Your Church Include PLI’s International Training in its Missions Budget?
By: Jock Ficken
It’s a busy time around PLI! U.S. Learning Communities met in North Carolina last week. There’s one in Chicago this week, with more to follow in the Twin Cities, Lincoln, Houston, Tampa and beyond. Dr. Scott Rische is just back from a month with Rev. Artis Eglitis in Latvia and Rev. Emmanuel and Lillian Makala … Continue reading
A Simple Solution for Reaching People
By: Jock Ficken
“So, did you grow up around here?” I was in North Dakota. Gail and I were driving home from vacation. (Beautiful drive!) It’s a question I often ask when meeting waiters, hotel staff, folks pausing long enough for a brief intersection of stories. It’s a chance for me to listen to a bit of their … Continue reading
Grit Your Teeth and Get in the Local Mission
By: Jock Ficken
So many—pastors, churches, women, men—who intentionally enter some slice of their community to represent Jesus and respond to the mission of God start by gritting their teeth and finally giving it a try. They’ve heard about it, talked about it, prayed about it, but never did anything about it. There is a lot of talk, … Continue reading
2 Prayers for the Mission Field
By: Jock Ficken
The Prayer Dr. Robert Newton, former missionary to the Philippines, former district president and PLI Board member, explained that when they were missionaries in the Philippines they would kneel down, hold hands and pray the essence of these two prayers as they prepared to enter a village. We have now come with the One … Continue reading
An Incredible Story from Ethiopia
By: Jock Ficken
And an Incredible Opportunity Last week I shared some recent discoveries. And, I asked you to watch for this week’s announcement and invitation to help! The Christian Church in Africa is booming! The center of global Christianity continues to march across northern Africa. Remember the eunuch of Ethiopia and Phillip? Earlier this month, we presented … Continue reading
Outsourcing the Mission of God
By: Jock Ficken
Outsourcing. Lots of churches do it. PLI does it. We outsource certain functions to people or companies with greater expertise or specialization that can do a specific task in a better and usually more cost effective way. Bookkeeping, payroll, maintenance, branding, custodial services, printing, etc. Here’s an alarming reality: Most churches—most Christians—have outsourced the mission of God! … Continue reading
3 Immigrants Who Made a Difference in my Life and a Book to Make Sense of It
By: Jock Ficken
I grew up on a farm in Nebraska. It was “the good life”…according to the state motto. While I learned that God was omnipresent in my years of confirmation instruction, I was quite sure God headquartered there, too. And, I was certain that for the most part, how I viewed the world was how God viewed … Continue reading
Introducing Multipli
By: Gail Ficken
PLI family, you are the first to know! As the President/Founder, I am pleased to announce the start of Multipli, a companion organization of PLI. In PLI’s 20 year history, it has trained 3,000 leaders–mostly pastors and their spouses–in the United States and around the globe. Thanks be to God that PLI has never been … Continue reading
4 Lepers Find New Places
By: Jock Ficken
Here are 3 different leadership postures: Our church is fine. We just need to get back to normal. We’ll be fine. Culture has permanently changed. We need to get members to volunteer to be disciples sent into the mission field. Culture has permanently changed. Recruiting volunteers to be disciples is a failed plan! I need … Continue reading
A Picture of Urban Ministry
By: Jock Ficken
Dan Czaplewski continues the conversation from last week about urban ministry, systemic racism, activity in the city, etc. Tell me about bringing Ben Piering on your staff as community minister and director of youth. Ben is great. He had just joined us when the riots occurred here in Milwaukee in 2016. The next morning he … Continue reading
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