Articles for tag: Bible Translation

We”re Making Great Strides in Missions

By Justin Horey “If you have no churches, and you have no Scripture, you have no hope.” With those sobering words, Greg Pruett explains why he has made Bible translation his life”s work””to bring hope to those who have none. Pruett, president of Pioneer Bible Translators, says there are still about 1,775 languages worldwide without a written copy of the Bible. Pioneer Bible is one of many organizations committed to reducing that number to zero by translating the Bible into every language on Earth. Pioneer Bible”s passion for cross-cultural evangelism is shared by several missions organizations with roots in the

January 7, 2016

Theology & Bible

ASL Version of Bible Nearing Completion

By Jennifer Johnson Many native English speakers assume all sign language is the same””that it”s all based on English, and it”s simply signing English sentences as they”re spoken. However, American Sign Language is one of more than 400 different sign languages around the world, and it has a unique structure and grammar independent of English. “Sign language is a visual language, not a written or spoken one,” says Chad Entinger, executive director of Deaf Missions, a ministry based in Council Bluffs, IA. “It”s not “˜English with hands.” In fact, you might not sign every word the way you speak or

November 15, 2014

How Are We Doing with Missions?

We asked five missions leaders in the Christian churches to answer several key questions about missions progress, obstacles, and opportunities: Reggie Hundley is executive director of Missions Services Association, Knoxville, Tennessee. Doug Lucas is president of Team Expansion, Louisville, Kentucky. Doug Priest is executive director of Christian Missionary Fellowship, Indianapolis, Indiana. Greg Pruett is president of Pioneer Bible Translators, Dallas, Texas. Tony Twist is president of TCM International Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana.Â What are the most hopeful signs regarding international, cross-cultural evangelism you see in our movement today? Greg Pruett: Many are valuing working among the unreached peoples of the world,

September 21, 2014

Church & Ministry Church Leadership

I”m Flexible, as Long as You Don”t Change Anything

By Daniel Schantz I reached for a bottle of my favorite shampoo and headed for checkout, reading the label as I went. “New formula, new bottle, with easy-open cap.” While waiting in line, I felt something cold on my right leg. I glanced down to see a long strand of pink slime running down my pants leg. Well, they were right about the easy-open cap. When I got home, I discovered the new, taller bottle would not fit in my cabinet, and when I washed my hair, the shampoo left my hair feeling waxy. I dropped the bottle in the

July 24, 2014

Thanks, but No Thanks?

By Marsha Relyea Miles (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) One of the best pieces of advice I ever received came from Walter Birney, longtime coordinator for the National Missionary Convention (now known as the International Conference on Missions). During the year I served as president of the NMC (2007), many people contacted me with creative suggestions about how they thought the convention should unfold. Of course, in designing such a convention, broad involvement and teamwork is a great thing. The ideas of some folks were extremely insightful, but some others, less so! Now and

April 30, 2014

Just Decide to Be Happy!

By Jessica D. Vana We were finishing our technical evaluation with Mission Aviation Fellowship. We had stayed two weeks with a wonderful host family and then were invited to move into the home of Gene and Lynn Jordan. (Gene serves as vice president of personnel with MAF.) Gene was practically born into MAF, as he grew up with Steve Saint (son of early MAF pilot Nate Saint) in Ecuador. Shortly after we met Gene, he showed us a black and white picture of himself as a small boy in Ecuador with the strong arm of Nate Saint wrapped around him.

March 4, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

Brighter Days Ahead?

By Mark A. Taylor For the person enduring dark times, the biblical story of Joseph can be an inspiration. As a young man he went from favored son to captured slave to a position of authority to years in prison and then, finally, to his place as the second-in-command to the Egyptian pharaoh. When my men”s Bible study looked at his life, we focused on the happy ending to Joseph”s many years of recurring disappointments and confusion. What”s the lesson for our lives today? Our study guide pointed us to a verse Christians love to quote: “In all things God

November 9, 2013

Are We Being Paternalistic When We Talk about ‘Missions’?

By Michael Sweeney There are problems with the word, and many are beginning to talk about them. We do well to understand what some hear when we say “missions.” But that doesn”t mean we should curtail cross-cultural evangelism. “That”s not “˜PC”!” Have you ever had to deal with that “politically correct” criticism after saying or writing something that inadvertently offended someone because of a set of connotations you did not share? My reaction, when this has happened, has ranged anywhere from frustration to despair to paralysis. How does one even begin to keep up? As a missionary and teacher of

March 7, 2013

Institute a Chance to Match “˜Passion and Gift Mix”

By Jennifer Johnson For more than 35 years, Pioneer Bible Translators has offered opportunities for people from the Christian churches and churches of Christ to gain an in-depth understanding of taking God”s Word into new contexts through translation, church planting, and community development. The Pioneer Mission Institute began on the campus of Lincoln (IL) Christian College (now Lincoln Christian University) and is now held at the International Linguistics Center near Pioneer Bible”s main stateside office in Dallas, TX. This year”s weeklong event is scheduled June 9-14. In addition to the discovery program that introduces people to the ministries of Pioneer

March 4, 2013

Christian Standard Updates News & Updates

The Bible: Red Flag Edition on Sale Now!

By Jennifer Johnson I was pleased when Chad Entinger e-mailed to tell me about Deaf Missions” Bible translation and the new app that makes it available to even more people. I would not have been pleased to report on another new English translation. There are many good men and women working even now to bring us new translations of the ancient texts, but can we just admit we already have more than we need? An article on ReligionToday.com puts the number at 200, including the New International Version, New International Reader”s Version, New Revised Standard Version, King James Version, New

December 11, 2012

Spiritual Gifts Theology & Bible

Spiritual Gifts

By Jennifer Johnson In February we wrote about the history, goals, and current projects of eight missions agencies supported by Christian churches and churches of Christ. (Visit Christian Standard”s website to read the articles*.) As the year comes to a close, we invited each organization to share its “Christmas wish list.” Here are their most pressing needs and how you can help during this season of giving. Christian Missionary Fellowship International (CMFI) Christian Missionary Fellowship works with a variety of missionaries and leads a number of programs around the world, from developing international campus ministries to improving the lives

November 19, 2012

From Missionary Kids to Mission Veterans

By Paul Boatman David Filbeck, a second-generation missionary to Thailand, is president of Christian Mission to the Orient. Tim Doggett, a second-generation missionary to the Republic of the Congo, is executive director of the Alliance of Christian Missions International (ACM International). Tell us about your early life as a missionary kid (MK). DAVID FILBECK: I was born in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1961, just before my family moved to a remote tribal village in northern Thailand. Dad was a linguist doing Bible translation. Most of my memories up through eighth grade were about my childhood on the mission field. In

November 5, 2012

Where Are We Now?

By Stephen Burris Over the past 200 years, there has been a great deal of focus on what the church has been doing, is currently doing, and what still needs to be done. This article seeks to give a general overview of whatÂ the church has been doing to fulfill its nature as a missionary church. This piece builds on a model developed by Ralph Winter1. It looks at the three eras of mission he described and then updates that model to represent the current reality of the world. Virtually from the beginning, the church has wrestled with what task or

November 4, 2012

Future Trends in Missions

By Mike Sweeney As we look to the future of missions, we need to think in broad categories about the current trends that appear to have a future trajectory. Many strategies will rise and fall with people”s interests, technological changes, crises, and other transient issues. But, stepping back and observing the world of missions as a whole, we can see fairly clearly that there are a few major trends that will continue to push the church in new directions as we live out the Great Commission around the world. Just as recognition of the 10/40 Window made an impact on

February 28, 2012

Conferences & Gatherings Organizations & Events

“˜Commissioned”: NMC Becomes ICOM

By Chris DeWelt The National Missionary Convention became the International Conference on Missions at its gathering last fall. The conference seems set to continue what it does best: challenging thousands with the opportunity and needs for world missions. From the moment I heard that Wing Wong of China was the 2011 National Missionary Convention president, I knew it would be a great gathering. My anticipation grew when Wing visited Ozark Christian College a few months before the convention and immediately endeared himself to hundreds of students. Wing”s unique combination of humor, passion for Christ, and humble spirit connected with more

February 21, 2012

Sending, Serving, Reaching: Pioneer Bible Translators

By Jennifer Taylor Pioneer BibleÂ Translators (Founded 1976) 7255 West Camp Wisdom Road, Dallas, TX 75236 www.pioneerbible.org Greg Pruett, President Pioneer Bible Translators does not exist just to translate the Bible. Instead, its mission is “discipling the Bible-less,” a holistic approach that includes working with native people groups, developing literacy, investing in the community, and planting churches. “The end goal is not just translated Scripture, but churches using Scripture,” says President Greg Pruett. “We consider a project completed only when we have helped to create networks of growing believers and multiplying churches.” The ministry began with a vision to combine the

July 29, 2011

Sacred Moments

By Greg Swinney The white apron covered her faded flowered dress. Breakfast was the first thing on the agenda for my visit, but I stopped eating my cornflakes when I noticed my grandmother reach into an apron pocket and pull out a crumpled piece of notebook paper. Just a few months earlier she had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. “I want you to do my funeral,” she bravely said. “Let”s not talk about that now,” I replied. “Oh, yes we will,” she insisted, handing me the notebook paper. “This is my obituary, and it”s what I want you to read

October 4, 2009

Colleges & Seminaries Organizations & Events

Preparing for Ministry, Preparing for Community, Preparing for Change

Â by S. J. Dahlman Emmanuel School of Religion President Robert Wetzel retired in May, succeeded by Michael Sweeney. A few days before the transition, the two men sat down to talk about the once and future seminary. Â Â Â In his 15 years as president of Emmanuel School of Religion, Robert Wetzel saw how seminary education must include more than simply learning theology, history, and ministry methods in a classroom. Intellectual rigor and academic discipline are crucial to Wetzel, but the education must “make it more than that. It must be head and heart.” Wetzel retired at the

February 1, 2009