Encountering Missionary Life and Work: Preparing for Intercultural Ministry [Paperback]

Tom Steffen (Author), Lois McKinney Douglas (Author)

Book Description

Series: Encountering Mission | Publication Date: June 1, 2008

This new volume in the award-winning Encountering Mission series is for current and future missionaries. It provides practical guidance regarding getting ready for the mission field and the realities of life on the field. The authors are well qualified to write such a manual, each having served as a missionary for more than twenty years and each having taught missions in seminary.

The authors begin by examining the contemporary context for missions, including the recognition that the world's mission fields are in constant and often rapid change. They then discuss aspects of preparing oneself for the mission field, beginning with home-front preparations and moving to on-the-field preparations. The final section deals with practical issues and challenges of missionary life.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Practical Guidance for a New Generation of Twenty-First-Century Missionaries"This book is a wonderful introduction to missionary life and work, addressing most of the questions that a person might ask about a possible career in Christian missions. Steffen and McKinney Douglas emphasize that preparation for missionary effectiveness begins first and foremost in one's relationship to God and then in one's relationships to God's people. They also address most of the practical questions--support, agency, culture, language, family, schooling--related to the daily life and work of a missionary. This is an excellent resource for introductory missions classes in any training context."--Sherwood Lingenfelter, provost and senior vice president, Fuller Theological Seminary"Tom Steffen and Lois McKinney Douglas have produced a work that is sure to become a classic text for those who anticipate ministry in another culture. Encountering Missionary Life and Work goes beyond any merely academic approach to cross-cultural ministry. It focuses on the lifetime development of deeper spirituality, self-understanding, and relationships essential for effective ministry that honors God in a global context. Tom and Lois write from a rich background in effective cross-cultural ministry and years of preparing others for such ministry. I anticipate using their text in my own classes. Others have written effectively on missionary life and work, but this text is for today's missionary and suits the dynamic world situation that confronts us."--Michael Pocock, senior professor and chairman of world missions and intercultural studies, Dallas Theological Seminary"Blending their own rich experience in missions, a strong biblical foundation, insights from the hundreds of students they have taught, and in-depth awareness of key research studies and literature, Steffen and McKinney Douglas comprehensively explore the broad range of issues that affect missionary training and life. Encountering Missionary Life and Work will give aspiring missionaries a solid start in their preparation for the field and will help missionary veterans navigate the rocky waters of cross-cultural service."--Steve Strauss, director, SIM USA

About the Author

Tom Steffen (DMiss, Biola University) is professor of intercultural studies at Biola University and director of the doctor of missiology program. He served as a missionary for twenty years in Southeast Asia. Lois McKinney Douglas (PhD, Michigan State University) is professor emerita of mission at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. She served as a missionary for twenty-three years with the Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Baker Academic (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801026598
• ISBN-13: 978-0801026591
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #301,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for potential Christian missionaries, January 18, 2011

By 

Darin - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Encountering Missionary Life and Work: Preparing for Intercultural Ministry (Paperback)

Simply said, this is a must read for anyone considering going into cross-cultural missions. This biblically based methodology to realistic preparations for the mission field is greatly needed. The 20+ years of experince of each author in the mission field is a testament to it's credability as well. Ideally you would apply what this book teaches a few years prior to your departure, but there is great usefulness even for this who are departing in a few weeks and those who are currently serving on the field in countries outside of their home country.