"We are convinced that God has a 'world-sized' role for every Christian in His global purpose. Whether people go to distant countries or stay at home is a secondary issue. The primary issue is what most people are hungry to discover: vision to lead a life of purpose. Discovering that vision makes this course valuable and perhaps crucial for any Christian." Steve Hawthorne, Perspectives Study Guide Editor

Class Info

Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Location: Ridgecrest Baptist Church 2210 West Republic Road Springfield MO 65807

Contact:

• • Instructor

    
    

• • Lesson 1

    The Living God is a Missionary God

    God's purpose is three-fold: against evil—kingdom victory; for the nations—redemption and blessing; and for God—global glory in worship. God's purpose revealed in promise to Abraham. Exploring God's purpose for the nations: Blessing to the nations described.

  • Instructor

    

    Jamie Farr

    Wycliffe Bible Translators, Orlando FL

    I grew up in the South Pacific in Papua New Guinea the son of Translators speaking four languages. I experienced the joy of watching my ethnic people receive the NT and experience the power of God in amazing ways. I later went with my beautiful Wife Anita to Thailand to serve with Wycliffe. On our watch we have seen over 2000 missionaries go to serve among over 1800 people groups in the last 24 years. We are passionate about God's glory to be experienced by all peoples.
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 2

    The Story of His Glory

    Exploring God's purpose for Himself: How God has been steadily unfolding a plan throughout all nations and generations to bring about His greater glory, ultimately drawing to Himself the worship of all the peoples. Passion and prayer for God's glory.

  • Instructor

    

    Richard Nelson

    The Town Church, Ft Collins CO

    Dick grew up in Colorado and has a degree in forestry from Colorado State University. He served two years in the Army where he became a believer and eventually moved to NW Arkansas to get more training in ministry. Then after graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary (1985), he was on staff with Student Mobilization for ten years. During this time his family spent 14 months in the Ukraine working with college students. Presently he is the cross cultural pastor at Fellowship Bible Church of NW Arkansas. He and his wife Karen live in Fayetteville. They have 3 grown children and 2 Grandsons.
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 3

    Your Kingdom Come

    Exploring God's purpose regarding evil: How God has accomplished a defeat of evil powers in order to open a season of history in which the nations can freely follow Christ. The kingdom of God as the destiny of all history. Christ's mission seeks a hindering of evil to bring about a sign of the coming peace of the kingdom of God. Our prayers contend with evil in order to bring about the transformation of society with Christ's kingdom in view.

  • Instructor

    

    John Zumwalt

    Outrageous Love, Choctaw OK

    John Zumwalt is the Cross Cultural Coach for the innovative organization, Outrageous Love. After serving as a missionary among the unreached Minnan he returned to America and for over 22 years served as the founder and Director of the Missionary Training Institute, Beautiful Feet Boot Camp. He has trained over 300 Career Missionaries. He has a Doctorate of Divinity from International University for Graduate Studies. John has authored the book, Passion for the Heart of God and travels widely, preaching and holding seminars, raising up activist to go to the ends of the earth. John and his wife, Jamie, also pastor a church in a “red light district” of Oklahoma City. They have five children, Jessica, Josiah, Jael, Jewel and James.
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 4

    Mandate for the Nations

    Jesus shows great strategic interest in Gentiles; wise strategic focus by initiating a global mission on a few disciples among the Hebrew people. The Great Commission and the ways of God's sending in relational power. Dealing with the ideas of pluralism (all religions the same) and universalism (all persons saved).

  • Instructor

    

    Sean Cooper

    The Traveling Team, Fayetteville AR

    Sean and his wife Meredith have spent the last decade traveling the entire Continental U.S. casting mission vision with Traveling Team. They have a two year old daughter named Haven. Sean graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Communication. He has short term exposure in India and Indonesia. Sean continues to travel nation wide speaking to students and churches. When not speaking he serves alongside The Traveling Team Leadership as the Director of Ministry Advancement. He is working on a Masters Degree from Reformed Theological Seminary.
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 5

    Unleashing the Gospel

    The first followers of Jesus: obedient in costly, foundational ways. The climactic act of the book of Acts is the freeing of the gospel to be followed by Gentiles without Jewish traditions as a requirement. A foundational act of God which speaks to the situations where the gospel is hindered today. Strategic suffering and apostolic passion.

  • Instructor

    

    Martin Winslow

    Bethlehem Christian Academy, Arnold MO

    Martin Winslow is the Pastor of Families and Missions at Canaan Baptist Church in St. Louis, Mo. With a passion for Christian education, church planting and the poor, Martin has co-founded five Christian schools (Bethlehem Christian Academy www.bcazambia.com). Each school includes a feeding program for orphans and impoverished children. Two schools are in Zambia and 3 are in the 10/40 window of West Africa. At each campus of BCA a church has been planted. Martin was married in 1998 to Amy and has five children, Noah, Anna, Emma, Laura and Nati.
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 6

    The Expansion of the Christian Movement

    The story of God's purpose continues relentlessly from Abraham's day until the present moment. An overview of the largest and the longest-running movement ever in history—the world Christian movement. How the gospel surged through the peoples and places of the world. Important insights for our own day.

  • Instructor

    

    Jenni Paul

    Springfield MO

    Jenni has served the Lord since 1984 in a multitude of ministry leadership positions. She especially enjoys beginning ministries and passing them on to others to grow, so she can start or help another ministry. Jenni obtained her Masters Degree in Intercultural Ministries in 2013 and was immediately invited to attend, instruct, and coordinate Perspectives courses. Currently, she works with her husband, Dr. Robert Paul, as a Focus on the Family Hope Restored Retreat and Conference Speaker, speaking into the lives of couples who want to invest into their marriage and family. Jenni has been married for 40 years and is blessed with four wonderful children, of whom, have blessed them with delightful spouses and a growing number of grandchildren.
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, February 17, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 7

    Eras of Mission History

    The greatest explosion of growth ever has taken place in last 200 years in three "bursts" of activity. Why we could be in the final era of missions. The global harvest force comprised increasingly of non-Western missionaries.

  • Instructor

    

    Andrew Herbek

    Perspectives, Omaha NE

    God took this farm boy from the middle of nowhere in Nebraska and sent him to serve among an unreached people group in East Asia doing ethnographic research. God used this experience to shape Andrew into a mobilizer and sent him back to North America to equip the body of Christ back home to engage and participate with God in His global purpose. Andrew is a member of Perspectives and serves on the Curriculum Revision Team. He has a Masters of Divinity and a MA in Intercultural Studies, and has field experience in thirteen countries. His heart is that of an educator and discipler, and he desires is to see Christ named and known by all the peoples of the earth, so that Christ can be loved and obeyed within all the peoples of the earth.
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 8

    Pioneers of the World Christian Movement

    Today we anchor the race by continuing what others have begun. It's a day of finishing. All the more reason to learn the wisdom and the heart of ordinary people who did extraordinary things in earlier generations. Reading the writings of William Carey and other leaders to discern what these people have left to us. Exploring the contribution of women in missions throughout the centuries.

  • Instructor

    

    James Bryant

    Harrison AR

    Married, Wife-Virginia, 2 daughters, 1 son deceased, I granddaughter, 4 grandsons. Pastored seven different churches during 50 years of ministry (AR, MO, TX,and Thailand) Former missionary to Bangladesh and Thailand, where served as a Church Planter and International Church Pastor/Prison Ministry Coordinator, respectively. 1980-1991 Have served as Director of Missions for two associations of Baptist Churches (50+) for a total of 15 1/2 years 1991-2001 and 2003-2008. Served as Missions Consultant for Missouri Baptist Convention 2001-2003. Taught college courses in Missions, Ethics, Old and New Testament, Philosophy in several colleges and seminaries - Sterling College (KS), Southwest Baptist University (MO), Three Rivers Community College (MO), Mid-Continent College (KY), Mid-Western Baptist Theological Seminary (MO) Hobbies: Painting, golf, writing, singing, dramatic dialogue ministry
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 9

    The Task Remaining

    God's pressed His purpose forward until the present hour of amazing opportunity. Understanding the concept of "unreached peoples" to assess the remaining task. Recognizing the imbalance of mission resources shapes strategic priorities. The basic minimal missiological achievement in every people group opens the way for working with God against every kind of evil so that the gospel of the kingdom is declared and displayed with clarity and power. The need and opportunity of urban mission.

  • Instructor

    Gene Daniels

    Fruitful Practice Research, Jacksonville AR

    Gene Daniels has a passion to spread the fame of Jesus in the Muslim world, something he and his family have been involved in since 1997, first as church planters in Central Asia and now as a mission researcher. Daniels has his doctorate in Religious Studies from the University of South Africa. He is also the author of several books and dozens of articles on mission. (Gene Daniels is a pseudonym)
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 10

    How Shall They Hear?

    Culture and intercultural communication of the gospel. Communicating the gospel with relevance at the worldview level helps avoid syncretism (blending of cultural error with God?s truth) and also enables powerful movements of the gospel. Sensitive missionaries will look for ways that God has preserved or prepared people to hear the gospel, often finding redemptive analogies for God's truth.

  • Instructor

    

    Sue Westrum

    Wycliffe Bible Translators, Branson MO

    Sue & her husband, Peter, have been with Wycliffe Bible Translators for 43 years. They worked with the Berik people in Indonesian New Guinea, and celebrated the dedication of the Berik New Testament with them in December 1993. They worked in Indonesian Borneo from 1997 to 2000. They serve now from their home in Branson, Missouri.
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 11

    Building Bridges of Love

    The incarnation as a model of missionary humility. How missionaries can enter appropriate roles in order to form relationships of trust and respect to develop a sense of belonging, and thus to communicate with credibility for understanding. Explore the intricacy of identification in another culture. Explore the even greater complexity of presenting identity with integrity in a globalized, terrorized, pluralized world. Recognizing the dynamics of social structure in order to initiate growing movements of ongoing communication throughout the society.

  • Instructor

    

    Pam Arlund

    All Nations, Kansas City MO

    Pam is currently the Co-Editor of Perspectives 5th Edition and a member of All Nations. She lived in Central Asia for ten years, where she planted churches among three people groups, two of whom are Muslim. She earned an MA and PhD in Linguistics (i.e. Bible Translation) from the University of Texas at Arlington. She has published numerous books and articles in missions. She is most well known as “The Stick Figure Lady” for her popular book “Stick Figures Save the World.”
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 12

    Christian Community Development

    A survey of world need. Dynamic balance of evangelism and social action. Hope for significant transformation as a sign of Christ's Lordship by Christian community development. Exploring the charge that missionaries destroy instead of serve cultures. Healing the wounds of the world between the peoples.

  • Instructor

    

    Chad Puckett

    Heritage Baptist Church, Oklahoma City OK

    Chad serves as an Associate Pastor with an emphasis on college students, couples in their 20's to 40's and tends to have his hands in other random areas as well. He is married to Cindy and they have three daughters. Chad has been leading his churches efforts in Central Asia and brings a range of experiences to the classes he teaches.
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 13

    The Spontaneous Multiplication of Churches

    Look beyond institutional features of churches to understand churches as dynamic movements of Christ Himself being followed. Such a view of churches as organic, living things opens up the practicality of seeing them multiply rapidly as movements and also flourish in society bearing the fruit of social transformation. Churches as counter-communities, acting as salt and light, bringing change to their cultures. How movements multiply by connecting with entire families and larger social structures.

  • Instructor

    

    Mary Ho

    All Nations Family, Inc, Kansas City MO

    Dr. Mary Ho is the International Executive Leader of All Nations (http://allnations.international), a global Christian missions organization with workers making disciples and doing church planting in 44 countries. Dr. Ho is passionate about finishing the Great Commission in this generation by sharing the love of God among every people and in parts of the world where the name of Jesus Christ is little or not known. Dr. Ho received her Doctorate of Strategic Leadership from Regent University, VA, U.S.A. in 2016.
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 14

    Pioneer Church Planting

    The hope of planting churches among unreached peoples. How the breakthrough of the gospel in an unreached people requires that the gospel be "de-Westernized". The difference of contextualizing the message, the messenger and the movement. Distinguish and appreciate people movements, church planting movements and insider movements.

  • Instructor

    

    Norm Howell

    Calvary Church, Coulterville IL

    From 1993-2001, Norm served with New Tribes Mission (now Ethnos 360) as a bush church planting missionary to the Kakuna people of Papua New Guinea. From 2004-2008, he served with the Missouri Baptist Convention as their Mission Specialist working in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, West Africa, and Central America. From 2008-2017 Norm served as pastor of the Skyline Baptist Church in Branson, MO. Norm served from 2017-2020 as the Director of Missions for the Muskogee Baptist Association. At present, Norm is the Senior Pastor of the Calvary Church in Sparta, IL.
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Lesson 15

    World Christian Discipleship

    What it means to integrate life for Christ's global purpose as a "'World Christian". Into the great story for His glory: a Person-driven life as a way of. pursuing a purpose-driven life. The basic practices of world Christians: going, sending, welcoming and mobilizing. The essential disciplines of World Christian discipleship: community, giving, praying and learning. Simplifying your lifestyle as if in "war-time". Exploring the practical ways of pursuing God's purpose. Business and mission. Short-term mission. Welcoming international visitors. Wisdom in working with local churches and in partnership with Christians in different parts of the world.

  • Instructor

    

    Hudson Smith

    The Traveling Team, Conway AR

    Hudson Smith is from the United States, and grew up in Arkansas, earning a degree in history from the University of Arkansas. For 10 years, he served as the Director of Operations for The Traveling Team. The Traveling Team is a mobilization organization that recruits college students from all major US universities toward Christ's global cause. During his time on staff, he traveled to 49 states and 3 countries and spoke to over 40,000 college students, sharing God's heart for the world. He also spoke extensively at Perspectives classes and missions conferences for churches. In 2021, he and his family moved to Dubai, UAE to serve as the Director of Operations for Redeemer Church of Dubai. He has Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary.
    
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  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• • Celebration

    Celebration

  • Instructor

    

  • Class Info

    Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2015

    Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

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