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Corvallis, OR    Spring 2019
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Welcome to the 

Corvallis Perspectives Class


Perspectives will be hosted at First Baptist Church of Corvallis

on Mondays from 6:00 - 9:00pm, beginning January 14, 2019.  


Perspectives on the World Christian Movement is an adventure of a lifetime that will give you a new and deeper understanding of God's story and His desire for your participation.


Perspectives is a unique, advanced discipleship course which will change the way you view the world. We will hear 15 outstanding speakers as they share from their experiences and teach on the Biblical, Historical, Cultural & Strategic perspectives of God's plan for the nations. Hear how God has been and continues to work throughout the world. Learn more about God's kingdom and His glory. Find out what your part is in this exciting movement to make Jesus' disciples from all nations. 


We need you there!  Why?  Because great things happen when our hearts align around God's global purpose.  Perspectives will take you on a journey of exploration through four sections—Biblical, Historical, Cultural and Strategic—all rich with insight into God’s global purposes:

 

Biblical.  More than a few familiar Bible verses, fully a third of the class talks about God’s purposes from cover to cover—things like:

  • Reaching all peoples;
  • God’s glory; 
  • The Kingdom of God;
  • Jesus, the Lord of the nations;
  • Events in Acts that freed the Gospel to grow through cultures worldwide from Afghani to Zulu!

Historical.  This section examines how the message spread organically from Jerusalem to the world and the amazing people that made it possible. How has our understanding of God's worldwide purposes changed over time, bringing us today to our sharpest focus ever on completing the task? 


Cultural.  Culture goes much deeper than skin deep. While it begins with what we can see, it encompasses the most basic assumptions -- many of which we’re largely unaware.  How do we communicate God’s timeless message to people whose thinking and language is so different from our own?


Strategic.  How do we approach a world of need through holistic Christian development? What does it look like when the Christian faith makes itself at home in a radically different culture from ours? And—not least—what does Perspectives mean for our lives?  God has a "world-sized" role for each of us in His global purpose, wherever we live and whatever we do.


Got questions? Check out the Perspectives FAQs!



Class Participation Options. Perspectives can be taken at 3 levels: Key ReadingCertificate, and Credit.



Key Reading

Certificate*

Credit**

Homework Time

3-5 hours of reading per week

7 hours of reading per week

8+ hours of reading per week

Assignments

·        No written homework

·        5 'Personal Reflections' assigned during the course

·        Weekly 10-question review assignment

·        5 'Personal Reflections’

·        1 research project due at course end

·        Mid-term and final exam

·        Integrative project

·        Regular weekly assignments

Cost

$250

$250

$495


*The Certificate level is recommended for students to get the full impact of the course and be kept accountable to read, as 90% of the course is in the text. Further, several mission sending agencies, committees, etc. require this level for candidacy; as does Perspectives for those wanting to coordinate a class in the future. 


**Credit is available through Trinity College.  Cost:  $495

ACSI credits are also available.  

*****


When:  Mondays, 6:00 to 9:00 PM (January 21 to May 20, 2019)  


Where: First Baptist Church of Corvallis (125 NW 10th Street, Corvallis) in the Fellowship Hall


Cost:  $200 (on or before Dec. 31) / $250 (after Dec. 31) includes the Reader and Study Guide.


Early Bird Discount.  Take an additional $50 off when completing registration on or prior to December 31, 2018.


Additional Family Member Discount.  When more than one family member living in the same home are taking the class together, the second family member may claim this $50 discount.  If you share a set of text books, you may also claim the book discount.  


Book Discount.  If you own the textbook, or are going to purchase it for Kindle, you may also take a $30 discount.

Alumni Pricing:  No charge, but former Key Reading alumni can upgrade to Certificate Level for only $40 grader fee.


Information Session: Class Orientation, Registration, and Syllabus Overview: Monday, January 14 at 6:00 PM.  Not sure if Perspectives is for you? Sign up to visit Lessons 1 and 2 free of charge by choosing "First 2 Nights Free" on the Class Pricing link to the right.      


Coordinator:  Jason Pittman 541-760-4692  





Class Info

Date: Monday, January 14, 2019

Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Location: First Baptist Church 125 NW 10th St. Corvallis OR 97330

Contact: Jason Pittman

541-760-4692

 
    • Registration & Orientation

      Perspectives Orientation

      Registration & Orientation

    • Instructor

      Paul Watson

      Contagious Disciple Making, Beaverton OR

      Paul grew up on an airplane. Not really, but he felt like it! He split his childhood between Hong Kong, Malaysia, India, and Singapore while his parents, David and Jan Watson, planted churches as career missionaries with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Since the day God called Paul into full-time ministry, he has traveled over 200,000 miles training disciple-making teams in the UK, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, Lebanon, Egypt, Germany, and all over the United States. From January 1, 2012, through August 15,2015, Paul served as director of Cityteam’s Rescue and Recovery Center in downtown Portland, OR. Feeding the homeless while helping alcoholics discover sobriety and Jesus taught him incredible lessons about putting feet to faith and loving those who don’t love themselves. Paul left his role at Cityteam and founded Contagious Disciple Making (http://www.contagiousdisciplemaking.com) to focus on catalyzing Disciple Making Movements among the unreached and under-reached peoples in the Cascadia Corridor (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, and Alaska.) Paul and his family are active members at Westside Community Church in Aloha, OR. Paul and his wife, Christi, lead a growth group that meets in their home on Sunday evenings. Paul is incredibly excited by his pastor’s desire to see 10,000 churches planted in the Pacific Northwest and wants to use his experiences to help his pastor and other ministry leaders plant churches among people who would not normally attend the typical church in North America. Paul blogs at http://www.pauldwatson.com and http://www.contagiousdisciplemaking.com. He is the host of American Church Stories (http://www.americanchurchstories.com). He is published in ‘Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, 4th Edition.’ He co-authored Contagious Disciple Making: Leading Others On a Journey of Discovery with his father, David Watson. You can reach Paul at pwatson@contagiousdisciplemaking.com.


    • Date: Monday, January 14, 2019

      Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

    • 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

      Gerry Breshears

      Western Seminary, Portland OR

      Gerry Breshears has been professor of theology at Western Seminary since 1980. He served three years with WorldVenture in the Philippines, teaching at Faith Academy and helping start Calvary Baptist Church. He received the Ph.D. from Fuller Seminary. He now teaches overseas about one month per year. In addition to teaching and lecturing at a number of colleges and seminaries around the world, he speaks in many churches. He is co-author of Vintage Jesus, Death by Love, and Vintage Church with Mark Driscoll, in the Relit series from Crossway. Gerry and his wife, Sherry, have two sons, Donn and David, and a daughter, Cyndee, and three wonderful grandgirls. He is an elder and a member of the preaching team at Grace Community Church of Gresham, Oregon.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, January 21, 2019

      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

      Ron Billings

      Trinity International University, Corvallis OR

      Ron Billings was born in Everett, Washington and grew up in Oregon and the Philippines, where his parents were missionaries. His grandparents and great-grandparents were also missionaries, with China Inland Mission. Ron’s great-grandfather and great-grandmother were recruited by Hudson Taylor from England and Australia, respectively, and they met and married in China (as did Ron’s grandfather and grandmother, who was from California). Ron’s mother and grandfather were both born in China. Ron’s father was born in Oregon with a Native American heritage, and he met Ron’s mother in college in Seattle. After serving with the military, Ron attended the University of Texas at Austin where he received way too many degrees: a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, an M.B.A., an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, an M.S. in Computational and Applied Mathematics, and a Ph.D. in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering. Ron first took the Perspectives class while he was an undergraduate in 1986, and as usual it wildly transformed his plans for the future. While in graduate school, he coordinated the Perspectives class in Austin from 1987 to 1992. He also worked for twelve years in the electronics industry as an international standards negotiator and traveled extensively in Asia and Europe. He then started his own software-development company. Dr. Billings has served on the faculty of Concordia University in Austin, Texas; Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta; Oregon State University in Corvallis; the University of Oregon in Eugene; Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Oregon; and Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois (for which he served as the Professor of Record for many Perspectives classes on the West Coast). He lives in Corvallis, Oregon, with his German wife Bina whom he met in the house church they attended. He likes to say that he married half the single women in the church.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, January 28, 2019

      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

      Beth Chambers

      Chi Alpha, Corvallis OR

      Beth found Jesus at the end of high school. But it was during her years in college at Eastern Michigan University that she learned to passionately love and obey Jesus. It became obvious to her that a life spent reaching college students was the most strategic way for her participate in God’s mandate to make disciples of all nations. And so she has invested the last 28 years of her life discipling students at 3 different universities to be world-changers with Chi Alpha Campus Ministry. Beth is currently reaching out to internationals students at Oregon State University. She lives in Corvallis with her hard-working husband, compassionate daughter, brilliant son and their adorable pit bull, Lola.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, February 4, 2019

      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

      C.C.

      Portland OR

      Our speaker was born and raised in Oregon and currently serves as one of the pastors of a church in Portland. Before pastoring, he served with a non-profit in the US, London, and North Africa. He has been married for 24 years, and has two daughters and one son.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, February 11, 2019

      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

      Frank Peters

      Bible College, Albany OR

      Frank & Marie Peters worked with the Christian & Missionary Alliance (C&MA) in Indonesia for over 35 years. Other than language study they were on the Island of Borneo in East Kalimantan ministering in a Jungle Bible School and later in a Bible College in a strategic city near the coast.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, February 18, 2019

      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

      Lance J. Kamara

      Monmouth OR

      Lance J. Kamara spent over fifteen years as a literacy consultant in West Africa.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, February 25, 2019

      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

      Alex Smith

      OMF International (Overseas Missionary Fellowship), Portland OR

      Dr Alex Smith taught Perspectives for 25+ years. His burden is 1.3 Billion Buddhists. He earned his D.Miss from Fuller's SWM in 1980. Born in Brisbane, Australia, Alex was trained as a chartered accountant and as a pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force. He married Faith, his American wife in Canada and they joined OMF Intl. (CIM) in 1964. The Smith’s served for 20 years in Thailand doing pioneer evangelism, church planting, training national leaders, supervising new missionaries, coordinating evangelism. Alex started the Thailand Church Growth Committee (1971). He was OMF Northwest Director in USA 1984-2002, during which he also taught as Adjunct Faculty, Multnomah University. In 1998 he co-founded SEANET. Since 2002 he is OMF's International Trainer and Advocate in the Buddhist world. Primarily Alex now trains Third World leaders in Asia. He authored books in Thai and English, and contributes chapters to all 15 SEANET books (WCL). You will enjoy this dynamic Aussie.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, March 4, 2019

      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

      R. Jordan

      Beaverton OR

      R Jordan uses her 30 years experience in children's missions education to empower churches in developing global outreach strategies for their children's ministries. She makes history relevant and memorable through the use of audience participation and a variety of media. Ruth's husband John, is the World Missions Pastor at Village Baptist Church in Beaverton, Oregon. Contact Information: (503) 952-6901; email: ruth.jordan1922@gmail.com.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, March 11, 2019

      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

      Darrell Dorr

      Frontier Ventures, Lynnwood WA

      Darrell Dorr was Perspectives Director 1980-1982 and an associate editor of the first edition of the Perspectives Reader. He has been a missionary with Frontier Ventures since 1980, specializing in communications, and has been on assignment with various other organizations and projects, including Frontiers, Operation World, the Adopt-a-People Clearinghouse, and the Center for the Study of Global Christianity.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, April 1, 2019

      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

      Bruce Benson

      Wycliffe Bible Translators, Oregon City OR

      My wife Jan and I worked for over 37 years with Wycliffe Bible Translators, 30 of those in Peru. In 2003 the Huamalies Quechua New Testament was published and distributed. In 2011, the Huallaga Quechua Bible was published and distributed. We are currently retired (as of October 1, 2015) and are looking forward to what God has for us next. Perspectives will continue to be a vital part of our lives and we are prayerfully considering other ministry opportunities.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, April 8, 2019

      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

      Betty Sue Brewster

      Fuller Seminary (Retired), Vancouver WA

      Retired: Senior Associate Professor of Language and Culture Learning, School of Intercultural Studies. Currently: Language and culture learning consultant Betty Sue has traveled in over 100 countries, teaching and consulting in the area of language and culture learning. Her teaching and writing focus on practical, hands-on learning through relationships.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, April 15, 2019

      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

      Jonathan Martin

      Black Butte Ranch OR

      Jonathan lives with his wife, Janie, in Sisters, Oregon. Jonathan taught in several colleges and universities in Central and East Asia for over a decade working with Muslims, and then spent 15 years pastoring at Good Shepherd Community Church in Boring, Oregon. He is now on staff with Co-Serve International and has the amazing privilege to learn from and help train leaders all over the world. He is the author of Giving Wisely, Breaking the King Saul Syndrome, and Reconstructing the Church: Paul's Letter to the 21st Century. Jonathan and Janie have three children and 4 grandchildren.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, April 22, 2019

      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

      N8 Scholz

      Vision 5:9 Network, Stanwood WA

      N8 spent his early 30s in Lebanon as an English teacher and Hope Broker from 1999 to 2006. He published the story of his experiences in Coffee & Orange Blossoms: 7 Years & 15 Days in Tyre, Lebanon. Currently, N8 is actively engaged in helping form Jesus-following communities across North America to engage Muslims, and together learn how to obey the commands of Jesus.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, April 29, 2019

      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

      Jim Stevens

      Fr., Portland OR

      Training in Biology and Environmental Science Worked as agricultural consultant and water quality specialist 6 years in Uganda in late 80's early 90's as agriculture development specialist. 4 years in Kyrgyzstan (06 thru 09) teaching in national ag university and doing projects outside of capitol. Currently Pac NW area director for recruiting and mobilization for a mission agency.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, May 6, 2019

      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

      Miriam Adeney

      Seattle Pacific University, Shoreline WA

      With a Ph.D. in Anthropology and three sons, Miriam Adeney never stops learning. When not conducting her regular courses at Seattle Pacific University, Miriam teaches modules on five continents. She is passionate about training indigenous writers. A prolific speaker who has been invited to many campuses and national and international venues, Miriam also writes, resulting in five books and over 100 articles.

      b

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, May 13, 2019

      Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

    • Celebration

      Celebration

    • Instructor

      Brian Hogan

      Disciple Making Mentors, Fayetteville AR

      Brian and Louise Hogan have served in mission since 1987. From the Navajo Tribe to Outer Mongolia, their passion has been to see Jesus glorified and lifted up among those who have never known Him. From 1993-1996 their team pioneered a church planting movement in Erdenet (AIR-DUH-NET), Mongolia that continues to grow under fully indigenous leadership to this day. Their Mongolian disciples are now training and sending out their own missionaries to other unreached people groups. The story of the work in Erdenet can be read in Brian’s book: There’s a Sheep in my Bathtub (Asteroidea Books), and in the case study article – “Distant Thunder: Mongols Follow the Khan of Khans” – on page 695 of your Perspectives Reader.

    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, May 20, 2019

      Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

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