Marion, IN F19
Fall 2019
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MARION PERSPECTIVES
WWW.PERSPECTIVES.ORG/MARION
Credit, Certificate or Audit Levels
15 Life-Changing Weeks
15 Challenging Topics
15 World-Class Instructors
9/3/19 thru 12/10/19 Tuesdays: 6 pm to 9 pm Meeting at 3783 E State Rd. 18 Marion, IN 46952
Contact Alison for More Info: | 260-450-0521 or
Are you ready to join God in His plan?
God's been drawing people to Himself since the beginning. A fifteen-week DISCIPLESHIP COURSE, "Perspectives on the World Christian Movement" is designed to give you a fresh and deeper understanding of God’s redemptive plan for all of mankind. You can find your part in His work right in your own community or, anywhere-- from the rain-forests to cities around the globe.
Want to find the part God designed for you?
God has a role for every Christian in His global purpose! Maybe, like some, you feel that you're treading water in your Christian growth experience? Each week, you, as a student, will read interesting, solid, and thought-provoking articles by biblical scholars, historians, and missions practitioners. This course is valuable, perhaps crucial, for any Christian seeking to live a purposeful life. A new or young believer will benefit greatly by seeing what God has in mind for him/her as a Christian. Most who have taken Perspectives say that they now see God clearer than they ever have before.
See, and then comprehend God's plan from these four "Perspectives."
Biblical, Historical, Cultural, Strategic.
As you seek a better relationship with God, your desire will be to follow Jesus more closely and understand his perspective on the world. We hope you will prayerfully consider joining this class. This is the best class you will ever take!!
Fifteen classes, featuring fifteen different instructors, bring unique and varied perspectives from their lives, with fresh insight and relevant information on the current topic. These Christian leaders come from highly respected Christian ministries, colleges, and missions organizations. Life Change Video (1 Minute)
Get in the Game Video
What's Your Perspective?
PERSPECTIVES: The Story of a Movement https://vimeo.com/12776762
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Instructor
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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.
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Instructor
Stan Yoder
World Partners, Maquoketa IA
Stan and his wife, Valli, served full-time with World Partners since 1978. Valli passed away in November 2021 after a long battle with M.S. Their experience includes 10 years of church planting and curative medical work in Sierra Leone, West Africa among the Yalunka People; 3 years at the US Center as Administrative Director for the Adopt-a-People Clearinghouse; 3 years mobilizing churches to adopt unreached people groups; 2 years training students at Bethel College, Mishawaka, IN; 4 years coaching workers in Africa and the Middle East; and 16 years reaching out to Middle Wast refugees in Kansas City, Missouri. They moved to Maquoketa, Iowa in October 2018 and will begin a new ministry to Middle East students.
Stan will continue to serve with World Partners as a traveling evangelist among Muslims and instructor for Perspectives. b
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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.
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Instructor
Luke Kuepfer
The Truth Made Simple, Prospect Heights IL
Luke Kuepfer is a keynote speaker, workshop leader, and co-author of Becoming a Leader Worth Following. Having founded and directed a non-profit in Southeast Asia, he now serves as president of the Reverb Network, a non-profit organization committed to growing missional leaders and starting serving leadership movements around the globe. Primarily focused on the business world in North America, Luke facilitates workshops on Serving Leadership, The Art of Listening, Employee Engagement, Teamwork, and Winning at Customer Service. He has a Master's degree in Leadership and has taught a class on Foundations of Management and Leadership at Colorado Christian University. As a leadership developer and life coach, Luke helps business and non-profit leaders understand how to maximize their God-given potential to lead and serve others. His newest venture in the experience economy integrates leadership development with high-mountain trekking adventures. You will find Luke online at LukeKuepfer.com, thetruthmadesimple.org, and ReverbNetwork.org. b
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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.
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Instructor
Jim Lo
, Marion IN
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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).
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Instructor
Samya Johnson
Call of Love Ministries , Cincinnati OH
Samya was born into a Christian family in Beirut, Lebanon. She accepted Christ at age six.
Samya lived in three Middle Eastern countries serving among Muslims before coming to the US with her family in 1999. She and her husband Mike founded Call of Love Ministries in 2001. She hosts English TV and radio programs. She continues to author publications and teach seminars that equip believers to reach Muslims. Samya’s 25+ years of Islamic research, writing, teaching, and working among Muslims bring a fresh and enthusiastic outlook about evangelism to Muslims. Samya resides with her family in Ohio. www.calloflove.org | samya@calloflove.org | 832-220-4040
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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.
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Instructor
Wayne De Wet
One Plus God Ministries, Marion OH
Wayne de Wet and his family had the privilege to grow up in the lovely, and very diverse South Africa. Wayne had learned since childhood how to put his trust in God no matter what, and how precious time is to make a difference to God’s glory! Over the years Wayne gained a global perspective, through his studies and missions involvement in several African countries, Haiti, Jamaica, Papua Indonesia, Thailand and the Karen State of Myanmar. He does not only have a burning passion for God’s Word, but also a broken heart for the lost, that inspired him to start One Plus God Ministries in 2013 to continuously pursue mission mobilization. b
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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.
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Instructor
Andrew Minch
Wycliffe Bible Translators, Dixon IL
Andy Minch is an Associate editor for the Perspective's Reader 5th edition and a 5 star instructor. He has instructed well over 100 Perspectives lessons over the past 30 years. He has spent 20 years working as a Bible translator in Papua New Guinea with Wycliffe Bible Translators. For eleven years he was an international administrator helping oversee about 20% of the world's remaining translation needs. Presently he is part of Wycliffe’s National Speaker’s bureau speaking on college campuses and other venues. He is author of the book 'Words Can Not Express'. b
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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.
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Instructor
Luke Fetters
Huntington University, Huntington IN
Luke Fetters is the Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of the Faculty at Huntington University. Previously, he served as professor of Ministry & Missions and founder/director of Huntington University's Institute for TESOL Studies. Luke served in Macau from 1986 until 1997 as the director of the English Language Program, a conversational English program for adults in Macau. While in Macau, he helped to establish the United Brethren Mission and plant two local churches. For nearly 30 years, Luke has consulted on English teaching methodology for numerous school districts and universities in China. b
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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.
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Instructor
Estera Pirosca Escobar
Culture Bound, Mt Juliet TN
As a former international student from Romania, with a career in international student ministry (ISM) spanning over 15 years, Estera brings contagious enthusiasm and passion to everything she does. Estera is a gifted writer and speaker, a sought-after Perspectives instructor and is also involved in various cross-cultural training projects. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Intercultural Education from Western Seminary. Estera is married to Francisco, a global nomad originally from Chile, and they have a beautiful daughter, Esmeralda. They live in Nashville, Tennessee. b
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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.
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Instructor
Eldon
Refugee assistance, Fort Wayne IN
Youth With A Mission is an international movement of Christians from many denominations dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world. Also known as YWAM (pronounced "WYE-wam"), their calling is to know God and to make Him known. When they began in 1960, their main focus was to get youth into short-term mission work and to give them opportunities to reach out in Jesus' name. Today, they still focus on youth, and they also involve people of almost every age (even many people who choose to spend their "retirement" in active service). Their many ministries fit into three main categories: evangelism, training and mercy ministry. They are currently operating in more than 1000 locations in over 149 countries, with a staff of nearly 16,000. Eldon has spent 8 years in Uzbekistan and is currently working with Somali and Burmese refugees in Fort Wayne, Indiana. b
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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.
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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.” b
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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.
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Instructor
Andy Bowen
Guarani-Jopara Institute for Missionaries, Marion IN
Born to missionary parents in Kenya, Andy followed God's leading to Paraguay in 1994 to help missionaries learn Guarani, the heart language of over 80% of Paraguayans. He also serves as World Gospel Mission's field director in Paraguay. He has been married to Lizet since 2002 and they have three boys. They live in the rural community of Escobar. b
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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.
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Instructor
Phil Grabowski
Upland IN
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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.
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Instructor
Eric Black
Lagro IN
Using a team-teaching approach modeled in their work throughout the developing world, Eric and Johnson are Perspectives alumni and passionate promoters.
Eric combines a background in business and entrepreneurship with a contagious passion for missions. Johnson was a long-term church planter among working classes in an Asian urban setting shaping his approach to discipleship and business as mission. They have worked individually and together with teams in over 20 nations, most with restricted access. Currently they focus on training near-culture disciple-makers to multiply workers among least-reached peoples.
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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.
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Instructor
Anil Yesudas
GYAN RATNA MANDIR, Chicago IL
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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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.
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Instructor
Richard Mendola
International Friendships, Upper Arlington OH
Rich was born in Buffalo, NY, the grandson of immigrants from Italy who settled in Western, NY. His mother and father were both raised in the Italian section of the city. Although he was raised in a religious family who attended church, he did not personally know Christ until he was 17 years old. Prior to that, the death of his father at age 13 triggered a search for meaning and truth. This eventually led to studying the Bible, where he discovered that the true purpose of life was to worship and serve God. Through reading the New Testament he learned that Jesus Christ made it possible to come to God because of His sacrificial death for sins. Immediately upon coming to know Jesus, Rich had the strong desire to let others know the good news.
Rich attended Colgate University in New York State where he majored in Biology and minored in Education and Philosophy and Religion. After his graduation, he had the first opportunity to pastor and was called to serve a rural congregation . At the same time he served on the Dean’s staff at Colgate University as the Director of Housing. In addition, he studied for a Master’s degree in counseling.
In 1979 Rich and Janet attended.the Urbana Mission Conference. There Rich sensed a call to full time cross-cultural ministry. In 1980 he began to work full-time with international students in Buffalo, NY. At the same time, Janet attended medical school at SUNY Buffalo. In 1987 they moved to Athens, Ohio to open a new ministry to international students while Janet fulfilled her obligation to the National Health Service Corp – a program placing physicians in shortage areas.
In 1991, Rich and Janet moved to Columbus, Ohio to work with International Friendships.
Since 1998 he has served as the Executive Director. He also leads Bible studies and does 1-1 discipleship with students. He has written several Bible studies for internationals. He has served as the Chairperson for the Association of Christians Ministering to Internationals. Rich has also helped to plant two churches. He currently serves as lead pastor for All Nations Christian Fellowship.
During Rich’s 29 years of service among internationals hundreds have come to know Jesus and many have returned as effective witnesses of Jesus among their own people. The kingdom of God is advancing among Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and atheists because of the ministry to internationals. Jesus can share many wonderful and dramatic stories of God’s work among internationals.
Rich is a regular speaker at missions conferences, evangelistic outreaches, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement and is a lecturer at Vineyard Leadership Institute.
Rich and Janet have 6 children: Grace, Danielle, Hope, Philip, Melody, and Paul.
Rich’s interests are: Evangelism, Discipleship, trips, chess, and hats.
Rich’s spiritual gifts are leadership, exhortation, and evangelism.
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Class Info
Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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Instructor
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Class Info
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