This group blog features updates from our "champions" who are promoting resources and best practices in the various areas that represent the top priority ministries of SIM.

A New Glue

7 August 2008 — For a long time now I have been thinking about what it is that keeps a young person committed to the Christian faith (and church) as they transition through their youth and young adult years.
Filed under: Youth and Young Adults

Short-Term Service and Lasting Impact: A Realistic Expectation?

29 July 2008 — What assurance do I have that short-term missions accomplish true change, true calling, genuine and effective investment in field ministries, and a discernment of one’s role in the full range of Kingdom work?
Filed under: Short-Term Service

Tell Me a Story: Disciple-making Through Bible Narrative

22 July 2008 — Gwen Baker shares what she learned about storying to primary and secondary oral communicators and how it relates to the whole discipleship process.
Filed under: Discipleship and Mentoring

Training Emerging Missionaries

11 July 2008 — I am often asked, "What can Western missions do to help the emerging missions movement?" Helping them set up a good missionary training school could make a huge difference.
Filed under: New Initiatives in Missions

Working with Volunteers: A Checklist

8 July 2008 — Volunteers are the backbone of most HIV & AIDS initiatives. The concept of a "volunteer" varies greatly between countries and settings.
Filed under: HIV & AIDS Ministries

Charms, Omens, and the Evil Eye

30 June 2008 — Workers in Asia share these thoughts about the fears that the people they serve face every day.
Filed under: Muslim Ministries

Global Youth Culture

23 June 2008 — Global youth culture proposes that young people in India have more in common with young people in New Zealand than they do with their own parents.
Filed under: Youth and Young Adults

SIMpact Kenya: Mentoring Those Who Mentor

16 June 2008 — Dorothy Hazard from SIM Kenya talks about the role of mentoring in the SIM Kenya short-term program.
Filed under: Discipleship and Mentoring

Seven Essentials of New Initiatives in Mission

16 June 2008 — After pondering this issue now for a number of years, I suggest seven essentials that must coalesce for a country to change from a harvest field to a harvest force.
Filed under: New Initiatives in Missions

First Missionary Congress in Portugal

16 June 2008 — The recent “1st Portuguese Missionary Congress” brought together denominational leaders, 14 missionary organizations, missionaries and church planters, bi-vocational workers and representatives from Italy, Luxemburg and Spain.
Filed under: New Initiatives in Missions

Generation Me

11 June 2008 — I am in the middle of an interesting book titled ‘Generation Me’ by Jean M Twenge. The premise is that young people (particularly in developed countries) have grown up having nearly everything they need or want but this isn’t making them happier.
Filed under: Youth and Young Adults

Crucial Moments

6 June 2008 — Crucial means “extremely significant or important, decisive”. This is why we call SIM’s network of children’s ministries “CrucialMoments”. It is extremely significant, important and decisive that we reach the children of this world for Christ.
Filed under: Children's Ministries

We've Heard it Before: AIDS and Youth in Zambia

5 June 2008 — Dorothy Wiebe, AIDS Prevention and Life Education, Zambia, addresses the serious concern of prevention complacency.
Filed under: HIV & AIDS Ministries

Editorial: Should India Send Missionaries Overseas?

5 June 2008 — Why should Indians (or other nations for that matter) send missionaries “far away” when there are so many near to them that do not know the Lord? Why is it important for every nation – not just the “reached” ones – to become involved in world missions?
Filed under: New Initiatives in Missions

They're on Facebook and into the Good Book, too!

22 May 2008 — Everything I read and hear these days challenges me to rethink how I communicate with and relate to today’s generation of young people. They are so wired up and interconnected globally they amaze me and intimidate me all at the same time!
Filed under: Discipleship and Mentoring

Hungry for a Way Forward

8 May 2008 — I just got back from Malawi and Zambia where I was involved in trying to help look at ways forward for reaching young people in these countries.
Filed under: Youth and Young Adults

Healthy Nutrition for People with AIDS in Burkina Faso

22 April 2008 — At the recent HIV support group meeting, André taught the members about the benefits of the Moringa tree.
Filed under: HIV & AIDS Ministries

Sharing the Vision - Emerging Mission Network

21 April 2008 — I pondered my position in my mission and prayed. "Lord if you can get me out of this administrative post, I would love to serve the nations of the world by preparing a highway for all nations to be involved in world mission.
Filed under: New Initiatives in Missions

"Big Siblings" to Newcomers

2 April 2008 — A recent communication from Dorothy Hazard (of SIM Kenya) reminded me of a practice that SIM Ecuador utilized a number of years ago as well.
Filed under: Short-Term Service

Giving Young People a Story

18 March 2008 — I have been working with young people and students for many years. I am concerned about the ease in which they seem to opt out of their faith around the age of 18 plus.
Filed under: Youth and Young Adults