Gailyn Van Rheenen - Missions : biblical foundations & contemporary strategies

Owing to his broad spectrum of mission experiences from the plains of Kenya to the halls of academia to the city streets of domestic church planting Dr. Van Rheenen is uniquely qualified to prepare a work of this scope. He equips the reader with the tools necessary to navigate the waters of mission, guiding one from theological reflection to everyday praxis and back. The first edition of Missions was seminal in my early thinking about participating in Gods mission the kind of book that often gets dusted off and consulted. This revised edition promises rarely to gather much dust!

ANDY JOHNSON, Missionary among the Dagara of Burkina Faso

I have been indebted to Gailyn Van Rheenen for years teaching his Missional Helix in seminary classes and using it in my own reflection. Now, in this updated volume, he does not disappoint combining the heart of a practitioner with the mind of a scholar, Van Rheenen takes us to the text of Scripture and the context of culture, providing the guidance that practitioners and students alike will find invaluable.

ED STETZER, www.edstetzer.com

Too often, theology and mission practices are separated as if one does not inform the other. Dr. Van Rheenen brings theology and practice back together in clear and passionate prose. He knows that all mission practices say something theologically and that all good theology is good because it can be practiced. This book is a must read for everyone who finds themselves on mission with God!

BEN LANGFORD, Director of the Center for Global Mission at Oklahoma Christian University

Too often, those in the academy are not practical enough and those out on the mission are not theological enough. But Dr. Van Rheenen is an academic AND a missionary, and no one is better prepared to guide us from deep theology to workable strategy to sustainable practice. This book is the culmination of a lifetime of reflection and practice on how the Kingdom of God comes into the dark places in our world. And though it is not too late, there is no time to lose!

RANDY HARRIS, Bible Professor and College of Biblical Studies Spiritual Director, Abilene Christian University

What is rare and what makes Van Rheenens work in this volume so helpful is that he combines deep theological reflection on the mission of God with practical strategies which are not only commensurate with that good theology, but are tested in the field and timely in a world going through rapid global transformation. All of this is done in a way that is surprisingly comprehensive and accessible. If you are starting to build a bibliography for Missiology, this should be your cornerstone volume. No one has helped my understanding of missions more than Gailyn Van Rheenen, and I am grateful that his knowledge is now available in this more comprehensive edition.

DR. DAN BOUCHELLE, President, Missions Resource Network

Gailyn Van Rheenen is a missional polymath. A successful church planter in Africa, he subsequently established himself as a leading academic missiological voice. Recently he has birthed and leads an organization designed to equip churches for missional practice in North America. Because of this amazing confluence of missional capacities and experiences, you should pay close attention to the wise words in this revised version of his already outstanding 1996 text. Each chapter is extraordinarily accessible yet never dumbed-down. The addition of many new chapters makes this an even more valuable resource. Eminently practical. Grounded in personal experience enriched by informed historical, cultural, and theological analysis. There is simply no better introductory text for missional preparation today.

DR. CHRIS FLANDERS, Professor of Missions and Director, Halbert Institute of Missions, Abilene Christian University

Gailyn Van Rheenen is uniquely qualified to offer this work for those preparing to heed the call of God. He has the experience and skill to articulate the field in a practical manner. Most important, however, is the man himself. His description of the missionary is a portrayal of his own nature: The attributes of God holiness, love, and faithfulness form the character of those carrying this mission. This book is intended to do much more than offer strategies for mission work. It is intended to encourage the shaping of the heart of the missionary.

JACKIE L. HALSTEAD, Director, Institute for Christian Spirituality, Lipscomb University

Dr. Van Rheenen is an experienced missional practitioner across multiple contexts. He combines this experience with an engaging narrative style to paint a picture of biblical mission that is both deeply theological and eminently practical. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to more deeply understand Gods mission in the world!

MIKE BREEN, 3DM

I first read Missions in college as I was preparing for church planting in North America. Many of Dr. Van Rheenens insights impacted me deeply, and I carry them with me today as a missionary. I was particularly touched by Van Rheenens emphasis on the missionarys heart and motivation, which helped me to confront some of the deficient motives I was carrying into the mission. Im confident that the revised edition will serve others similarly as they seek to join God in his mission.

CHARLES KISER, Church Planter in Dallas, Texas; Director of Training, Mission Alive

Books on missionary strategy and methods abound. Books on mission theology are fairly numerous, but certainly not in commensurate supply. Books that combine strategy and theology are more rare and most welcome especially when, as is the case here, the strategy grows out of the theology. Able both as theologian and strategist, Van Rheenen and his book are worthy of wide reading and serious consideration.

DAVID J. HESSELGRAVE, Ph.D., Professor of Mission Emeritus, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Everyone who claims to follow Jesus can and on some level must be a missionary; but not everyone does missions responsibly. Grounded in both rigorous critical theory and years of experience on multiple fields, Dr. Van Rheenen brings an updated toolkit to the table for both students and practitioners of mission. More than that, he helps refocus missions away from human agenda and onto the character of God. Here you will find sound resources to challenge and guide you through the multifaceted work of the missionary task so that the act of sharing Good News really will be good news.

JONATHAN W. STRAKER, Missionary in post-disaster Ishinomaki, Japan

Van Rheenen has it right; he examines the why of missions before the how, where most activists prefer to begin. Solid biblical foundation must precede contemporary missionary strategies. Mission begins with the heart of God and then works its way out in opportunities for service the world over. Travel with Jim and Julie as they begin their mission journey in a university and proceed to the field where they encounter all of the normal missionary problems: culture shock, cross-cultural evangelism, ethnocentrism, the proper use of funds, contextualization, and reentry. This book is an introduction to missions on steroids; a must-read for anyone interested in Kingdom expansion.

DOUG PRIEST, Executive Director, CMF International

When students tell me, I feel called to missions; what do I do now? I often hand them the first edition of Missions. This updated edition with eight new chapters is as timely as it is broad. Dr. Van Rheenens years of experience, continued study, and practical focus lend weight to the insights and reflections he offers. It is a great starting point for the missional journey.

DR. GARY L. GREEN, Associate Director for Missional Formation, Halbert Institute for Missions, Abilene Christian University