Mission Hits #68 (October 2025)
- From Every Nation (Chris Howles)
- 17 minutes ago
- 9 min read
Welcome to Mission Hits, a monthly blog highlighting stimulating and significant recent resources related to world mission and world Christianity.
Welcome to Mission Hits # 68 (October 2025)
October’s Mission Hits highlights how global mission continues to grow in depth and diversity. You’ll find in this edition articles that question old assumptions, stories that refresh our sense of calling, and resources that strengthen both senders and goers.
From re-entry care to global church trends, from the courage of language learners to the theology of intercultural encounter, all told there’s loads here to stir thought and prayer. I hope it blesses you as it has me!
If Mission Hits does you a good service, perhaps you might share it with someone else too?
And do let me know what’s helpful, or what you’d like to see more of - chris.howles@fromeverynation.net.
Have a mission-minded month ahead, and I'll see you again soon for the next edition,
Chris (Howles)
Director of Cross-Cultural Training, Oak Hill College (UK)
Doctorate in Intercultural Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary (US)
ESSENTIALS (if you only have time for one...)
Essential for Missionaries
Five traits that sustain the long road to language fluency for missionaries, including courage to step into confusing situations, humility to be willing to make mistakes (and laugh at them when we do), and curiosity to explore language deeply enough to connect meaningfully with others. Joe D (VP Operations for Radius International) writing for missionary.com
Essential for Church Leaders
Joel Hollins (MissioSERVE Alliance) writes for the Lausanne Movement urging pastors and leaders to bring global mission back home to the local church. Centred on three convictions: 'God intends for the local church to be the primary mobilizer of missions,' 'God intends for the local church to own the strategic responsibility in missions,' and 'God intends for the local church to be the goal of all mission endeavors,' this article helps church leaders clarify their biblical role in sending, sustaining, and shaping mission rather than outsourcing that to agencies.
Essential for Christians Partnering as Senders
Re-entry after overseas service can be unexpectedly hard. In this piece for the Reaching & Teaching blog, Peter Brock argues that the local church, shaped by biblical 'one-anothering' is God’s best design for helping returning workers heal and flourish. Practical, wise, pastoral.
GENERAL (well worth your time)
Missiologist Harvey Kwiyani urges the Western church to move beyond mere inclusion toward a theology that truly values cultural difference: "We have not yet developed a robust theology of intercultural encounter — one that sees the image and, dare I say, fingerprints of God in other peoples and other cultures and enables our diverse ecclesiologies to exist together and enrich one another in worship." Timely and crucial reflections for the UK context, and no doubt the US and beyond too.
Gene Daniels reflects beautifully on the shared burden of those who go and those who pray: "There is a missions heart that gives itself away in unknown places with unpronounceable names. And there is also a missions heart, just as sure, just as unknown, that cries out to God in full view of a church on every corner. The heart-level struggles of these two are very much the same; only their roles in the kingdom differ." A reminder that both kinds of obedience matter equally in the story of God’s mission.
Some thoughtful tips from Dave Jacob (Gospel Mobilization) for how to 'cheer on' those we are engaging with about the possibility of cross-cultural ministry. Church leaders, mission pastors, and mission agency workers might enjoy this brief article.
AUDIO/VISUAL (podcasts & videos)
I enjoyed this thoughtful 30-minute conversation between Adrian Reynolds, Dan Strange, and Rob Scott exploring how UK churches can engage wisely and lovingly with Muslim people. Not a quick-fix how-to but rather a theologically grounded discussion on what makes Muslim outreach both similar to and distinct from other forms of evangelism.
34-min episode of 'From The Amazon to the Himalayas': "Paul Akin talks with Tim Challies and Tim Keesee about their new book 'From The Rising of the Sun' which explores churches from jungles to mountain villages, showcasing God’s work in diverse cultural settings. The episode touches on the unique insights gained from witnessing global worship practices and the unity of the global church."
Author's Privilege! A 27-min sermon I gave recently in the Oak Hill College chapel on the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch, and what we can learn from that about enjoying the part God has for us in his global mission purposes.
DIGGING DEEPER (challenging but rewarding)
In this WEA Mission Commission 6-page PDF essay, Dr Israel Olofinjana calls for a confident, contextual, and collaborative Majority World missiology—one that moves beyond inherited Western frameworks and offers new theological depth to world Christianity. A challenging and vital reflection from the September 2025 Majority World Christian Leaders Conversation in Dubai.
Ted Esler (President, Missio Nexus) challenges the usefulness of the term parachurch, arguing that it often creates a divide between the local church and the wider missionary movement. He argues the NT missionary team itself was distinct from (but still part of) the church, showing that mission has always belonged to all God’s people, not just local congregations.
What does evangelical mean globally, and how many are there? A 70-minute World Evangelical Alliance webinar featuring Gina Zurlo (World Christian Database) and Jason Mandryk (Operation World), moderated by Peirong Lin (World Evangelcial Alliance). Together they explore how the world’s evangelical population is counted, defined, and understood across regions and traditions. Fascinating data and thoughtful discussion.
BOOKS (recent releases)
Links are to Amazon for best info/reviews. Other outlets are available...
Bradley Bell & Ted Esler (editors)
"Churches around the world are returning to their Great Commission calling. However, many who are charged with leading the church into global missions find themselves with a map but no compass. Missiology for Missions Pastors is designed to be a guide for the journey. With accessible chapters from trusted voices, it applies healthy missiology to the church’s missions strategy. Whether you’re a pastor, director, or volunteer, this book will help you chart a faithful course in today’s missions landscape."
Darren Carlson
"The gospel continues to spread and transform lives across cultures and contexts today, just as it did in the early church. In this sixty-day devotional, Darren Carlson shares the stories of modern-day Christians and draws parallels to the experiences of first-century Christians in the book of Acts, giving readers a virtual world tour of God’s work both near and far."
(3) New Frontiers in Missiology: Exploring Innovation, Global Shifts, and the Future of Mission (2025)
Marty Shaw Jr, Larry W Caldwell & Enoch Wan
"Today's trends- global demographic shifts, digital frontiers, and rising indigenous voices - demand more than minor adjustments. They call for reimagining what mission looks like. [This book] rises to this challenge, offering fresh insight into emerging trends and innovative ideas that are reshaping the global mission landscape. From AI and gaming to urbanization and animistic practices, this book charts the expanding boundaries of mission with depth and clarity."
MISCELLANEOUS (varied but valuable)
The Global Voices Report Conducted by the Lausanne Movement is a global listening project capturing perspectives from over a 1,000 leaders in 119 countries. It seeks to present both the barriers and breakthroughs facing mission in an age of complexity and rapid global change. The report highlights major trends (from digital engagement to theological unity to attitudes to the Great commission and more) and invites readers to hear what mission leaders around the world are seeing at this time. Lots of great data, graphics etc.
A striking infographic from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary), created by Gina Zurlo, compares the global distribution of Christians at the time of the Council of Nicaea (AD 325) with 2025 projections. Then as now, most believers lived in Africa and Asia - a reminder that Christianity has always been a scattered, decentralised faith.
William Carey Publishing are offering a special 50% discount on the complete 33-volume Evangelical Missiological Society paperback collection for $390 (or $270 for the eBook bundle). The EMS Series brings together hundreds of essays and papers on almost every imaginable mission topic - biblical, theological, historical, and practical! There are far, far worse ways to spend money than this!
QUOTES (wise one-liners)
(1) "The church is not meant to call men and women out of the world into a safe religious enclave, but to call them out in order to send them back as agents of God's kingship."
Lesslie Newbigin
(2) "Unfortunately, when it comes to mission, we Westerners like to be central to the solution, not peripheral. We like to be in the limelight."
Craig Greenfield
(3) “We need each other’s vision to correct, enlarge and focus our own; only together we are complete in Christ”
Andrew Walls
GLOBAL INSIGHT (critical news & trends)
"Chinese authorities detained Ezra Jin, the leader of the Zion Church, on October 10 alongside more than 30 church staff and pastors. The arrests come amid the largest crackdown on Christian churches in China in recent years, and have put renewed light on Beijing’s attempts to curb religious activities in China...The question is not why the crackdown is happening, but why it is happening now. China’s tense relations with the US have as much to do with this as domestic religious policy."
"Church growth statistics, Rosalía's new album, and the testimony of a former football star released from prison are causing reactions of surprise throughout the press and television....Faith in God is resurgent in the West, much more so among young people than in other generations, because it offers a moral example, but also a lifeline to hold on to; the neoliberal project is falling apart, leaving corpses in its wake"
"Americans’ views about religion in public life are shifting. From February 2024 to February 2025, there was a sharp rise in the share of U.S. adults who say religion is gaining influence in American life…The new survey also finds that in recent years, a growing share of the public takes a positive view of religion’s role in society."
TWEETS (short but significant)
STATS (noteworthy numbers)
(1) The world's population has doubled from 4 billion people to over 8 billion since 1975. SOURCE
(2) 120 out of 201 countries in the world had Christian majorities in 2020 – four fewer than in 2010 (UK, Australia, France, Uruguay) SOURCE
(3) By 2100, over a billion people (10% of the world's population) are expected to be living in just 20 cities worldwide. SOURCE
ONLINE EVENTS (Zoom webinars)
The first in a new webinar series based on the important 2024 book People Vision: Reimagining Mission to Least Reached Peoples. Alan Johnson, Len Bartlotti, and Dave Datema reflect on the biblical and missional rationale for people group thinking, with responses from Peter Lee and J.D. Payne. Free, Thursday November 14, 4pm UTC.
"Igniting Jesus movements is not only for evangelists and entrepreneurs. All of God’s people have a part to play, no matter what your primary grace of gifting may be. Don’t miss this opportunity to dive into the 5-fold graces of Ephesians 4 and see how crucial your piece of the puzzle truly is." Sat Nov 15th, 9am-12noon CST, $15, hosted by All Nations, training will be led by Jessie Cruickshank
Missio Nexus Peer-2-Peer online webinar featuring Robert Mullen and Mark Byrom, exploring how churches can send their own workers while also forming deep, respectful partnerships with indigenous missionaries around the world. Designed for pastors, mission leaders, and volunteers. Free for members, Tuesday, November 19, 1–2 pm EST.
BONUS: This coming Friday 7th November 2pm-3.30pm GMT Ted Esler (President, Missio Nexus) will be at Oak Hill College (London) where I serve giving a 90-min (inc Q/A) seminar on "The Changing Landscape of World Mission". If you'd like to join us on Zoom, email me at Chris.howles@fromeverynation.net and I'll send you the link.
HIGHLIGHTS (Most popular from last month's Mission Hits…)
JUST FOR FUN (unrelated but interesting!)
A fascinating visual summary of world news from 1900 to today, this chart shows the country most mentioned in New York Times headlines each month. A surprisingly fascinating snapshot of modern history (and a good flag quiz).
There's quite a few games like this out there: guess the country in as few as clues as possible and get points. It's the missiologist's perfect time-waster!
This is so random I just couldn't resist it! A great way of exploring barmy corners of the internet and the world which you'd never usually encounter through the generation of random pairs of words.
Full searchable archives of all Mission Hits resources from edition #1
Questions, comments, or suggestions for the next edition?
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