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Tuscaloosa, AL S21    Spring 2021
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Mondays from 6:00 to 9:00pm - January 18 to April 26, 2021
Calvary Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa

Perspectives is committed to following all governmental and host location recommendations in our decisions to hold classes and gatherings. We are planning for this class to be a live, in-person class.  We have a back-up plan to hold the class in a virtual environment if needed because of COVID-19 restrictions.


What is Perspectives ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Join us and experience God's heart for all peoples and encounter the momentum of the WORLD CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT. Perspectives brings in 15 different amazing instructors over the course of 15 weeks, each an amazing and experienced leader in their field. No matter your current stage in life, they will open your eyes to what God is doing here and around the world. Learn more about God's kingdom and His glory, and find your part in His amazing plan to reach the nations. 


How do we join Him in that passion? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

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 live a life of purpose. Discovering that vision makes this course valuable, and perhaps crucial, for any Christian.  

The class will be taught by a fantastic array of pastors, theologians, international workers, and mobilizers. They will challenge and inspire you with their personal experiences and expertise, opening your eyes to see how God is working among all peoples right now and how you can be equipped to join Him. Whether it's praying, sending, welcoming, or yes, even going, Perspectives will help you learn how to play an active role in GOD'S KINGDOM. 


The material covered in Perspectives follows four sections . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 
Biblical:  A study of the Bible exploring God’s eternal three-fold purpose of kingdom victory against evil, redemption and blessing for the nations, and global glory and worship for Himself.
 
Historical:  A study of how God’s purpose has moved relentlessly from Abraham’s day until the present moment. It looks at different eras of history, pioneers of the world Christian movement, and the task remaining.
 
Cultural:  A study of how culture interfaces with the spread of the gospel and of the incarnation as a model of missionary humility.

Strategic:  A study of current world need, and the goal of spontaneous multiplication of churches in unreached areas of the world. This section covers how to live a life integrated with Christ’s global purpose, as each student learns to further apply the course lessons to their life.


Course Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Each student will use a Textbook and Study Guide throughout the class. Textbooks are no longer included in the registration cost as was historically the case. Once registered for the course, your coordinator will send you information on how to order your books at a discounted rate.  


Available Discounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

Early Bird Discount: Automatically receive a $30 discount if you register and pay by November 22, 2020

Family Member Discount: When one family member registers, the 2nd family member receives a $50 discount. 

Church Leader Discount: Pastors may claim a $30 discount. 

Class Info

Date: Monday, January 18, 2021

Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Location: Tuscaloosa, AL S21 Calvary Baptist Church 1121 Paul W Bryant Dr, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 Tuscaloosa AL 35401

Contact: Tollie Meggs

205-292-6270

 
    • 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

      Bob Sjogren

      UnveilinGLORY, Mechanicsville VA

      Bob Sjogren (pronounced show - gren) is the president of UNVEILINGLORY, a ministry awakening the Church to new awareness of God's glory in all areas of life, and to seeing His glory go to all the world's peoples. Bob has been mobilizing the Body of Christ to reveal God's greatest glory through reaching all ethnic groups with the gospel. He and his wife Debby have written homeschool Bible curricula. And in 2021, Bob launched a YouTube Channel called, "Maturing The Bride." Bob and Debby live in Richmond, VA.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, January 18, 2021

      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

      Danny Weiss

      Radical, Orlando FL

      Danny has a Civil Engineering background and has spent nearly a decade mobilizing and training missionaries in missions information and cross-cultural engagement after living overseas for several years, serving and working in various capacities. Formerly the program designer for Adventures in Missions and the lead designer and product manager of Stratus.Earth with Radical, Danny now resides in Orlando with his wife and 2 boys, on staff at unfoldingWord. He specializes in the intersection of missions information and data visualization, geopolitics, demographic trends, and patterns of multilingualism.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, January 25, 2021

      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

      Bradley Buser

      Founder Radius International, San Diego CA

      Brad came to faith in Christ at 17 and soon after was challenged with the need of unreached people groups. He began training for this directly after High School. Beth is from St. Johns MI., her Mom and Dad love the Lord Jesus and raised her with a heart for the world. They met, had two boys and left for Papua New Guinea in January of 1979. Soon after arriving they moved in among the Iteri people who live in the headwaters of the Sepik River Basin. After 4 years of studying the language and culture of the Iteri people they were fluent and began to share Christ with them for the first time. The baby church was discipled and in a few years leaders were ordained. The Busers worked on the New Testament translation and by 1999, after 20 years in the village, with the translation done, the church up and thriving, their need to be among the Iteris was over. Upon returning from PNG he and other men saw the need for appropriate training for missionaries who would be sent to Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. In 2010 he helped found Radius International as a ministry to do such training. Radius is currently the largest training program for those going into Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Tribal peoples. For those who desire to do church planting among the least reached it is the premier training available.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, February 1, 2021

      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

      Grant Haynes

      Global Frontier Missions, Lilburn GA

      Grant Haynes founded Global Frontier Missions in 2000 while church planting among indigenous groups in southern Mexico. His passion is to see as many individuals and churches as possible praying, giving, welcoming, and going to the least reached people groups of the earth. Grant spent 14 years serving in Oaxaca, Mexico with his wife and three children church planting, hosting short-term mission groups, running an indigenous Bible school, and starting a missionary training school for North Americans. Grant now serves in Clarkston, GA, known as the most diverse square mile in America, reaching refugees from Iraq, Burma, Bhutan, Nepal, Somalia, Ethiopia, and many other nations.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, February 8, 2021

      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

      Scott Green

      Northport Baptist Church, Northport AL

      Scott has served in stateside church ministry for over 30 years. The first 15 years given working bi-vocationally while working in the health care industry. The last 15 years he has served in full time church ministry. He earned his Masters In Divinity at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Scott has a passion to equip local believers to live on mission across the street and around the world. He currently serves as Missions and Discipleship Pastor at Northport Baptist Church in Northport, Alabama.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, February 15, 2021

      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

      David Cashin

      Columbia Int'l University, Columbia SC

      Dr. Cashin is professor of intercultural studies at Columbia Int'l University. He is fluent in Bengali and Swedish. The 1st due to investing 9 years with Bengali speakers (the 6th largest living language). The 2nd, thru marriage to Margareta, pastoring churches and earning his PhD in Indiology at Stockholm University.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, February 22, 2021

      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

      David Jackett

      Sixteen:Fifteen, Lewisville TX

      After spending 10 years as a professional firefighter/EMT / Fire Marshal in Fort Worth, TX, David left the fire service for full-time vocational ministry. He currently serves as the Director of Mobilization & Operations at Sixteen:Fifteen. David has led more than a dozen trips to Central America doing evangelism, medical and orphan care, firefighter training and church planting. He has helped his church and others develop missionary training and equipping programs and he has spoken to thousands of students and adults across the US and Central America about God’s global mission with a great passion to mobilize the body of Christ to strategic engagement in God’s global purpose.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, March 1, 2021

      Time: 6:00 PM to 7:30 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

      David Jackett

      Sixteen:Fifteen, Lewisville TX

      After spending 10 years as a professional firefighter/EMT / Fire Marshal in Fort Worth, TX, David left the fire service for full-time vocational ministry. He currently serves as the Director of Mobilization & Operations at Sixteen:Fifteen. David has led more than a dozen trips to Central America doing evangelism, medical and orphan care, firefighter training and church planting. He has helped his church and others develop missionary training and equipping programs and he has spoken to thousands of students and adults across the US and Central America about God’s global mission with a great passion to mobilize the body of Christ to strategic engagement in God’s global purpose.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, March 1, 2021

      Time: 7:30 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

      Julius Esunge

      Hope Outreach International Ministries, Fredericksburg VA

      Julius directs Hope Outreach International Ministries. In the the past 8 years, he has lectured for the Perspectives course hosted at several locations by the US Center for World Missions. He is a gifted planner, an engaging speaker, and a very enthusiastic servant. His unique background gives him an edge in dissecting cultural issues pertinent to the gospel message and he is blessed with fluency in several languages. Their family verses are 1 Corinthians 9:16 and Luke 12:15.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, March 8, 2021

      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

      James Cha

      Crescent Project, Leesburg VA

      Rev. James Cha was born in Korea, but grew up here in the US. He studied electrical engineering at Cornell University, and worked ten years as an engineer. In 2000 he and his wife, Faith, took their 3 kids to Central Asia, where they served ten years as church planting missionaries with Pioneers. They are now back in the US reaching out to the Muslims in the Washington, DC area. James & Faith are Washington DC Area Coordinators for Crescent Project. They also direct ESL ministry in Leesburg, VA. They have three adult children and one grandchild. James recently published a book about their missions journey - Fear Not: Living a Life of No Regrets. Available on amazon.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, March 22, 2021

      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

      Carleen Heath

      Wycliffe Bible Translators, Ocala FL

      Carleen, along with her husband David have served with Wycliffe since 1992. For 18 years, they lived in Africa helping Nigerians translate the Bible into their own languages. While there, Carleen served in various capacities including linguistics, translation advising, member care, teacher in an international school and mother to their 2 sons. Currently, the Heaths live in Bonita Springs, Florida where they support their aging parents and remotely advise and consult with more than 5 Nigerian Bible translation projects. She has an M.A. in Linguistics.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, March 29, 2021

      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

      Tollie Meggs

      Out of the Boat Ministries, Tuscaloosa AL

      Founder of Out of the Boat Ministries where she is a Bible teacher, conference speaker, and author. Missions Mobilizer at Capstone Church in Tuscaloosa. Tollie leads retreats and conferences around the world, and has an ongoing counseling/teaching ministry to women in homeless shelters, helping them re-establish their lives. A passionate and gifted communicator, Tollie’s mission is: challenging and mobilizing followers of Christ to know Him more deeply and to make His glory known among the nations. She has a passion to help Christ followers discover their gifting and maximize their gifts, talents and life experience for the glory of God at home and abroad.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, April 5, 2021

      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

      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: Monday, April 12, 2021

      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

      Wayne Edwards

      Wycliffe Bible Translators, Wheaton IL

      Event speaker, Translation and Scripture Engagement Consultant with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Wayne and his family pioneered in a Muslim tribal community for fifteen years before a medical crisis brought them back to the States. Wayne travels regularly to Asia to continue leadership development work and check translations done by local believers. He has to avoid family and work identifiers here but will share more of the story in person. Taking Perspectives and coordinating two classes has inspired and shaped everything Wayne has been involved in since; now he loves bringing a report of God's faithfulness from the field he serves.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, April 19, 2021

      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

      Renee Montgomery

      SOAR Global, Birmingham AL

      Renee Montgomery spent 20 years working in the Dental field as a Periodontal Hygienist. Renee and her husband Scott relocated to Birmingham, AL from Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2001 to plant a church and start the missions program at Church of the Highlands. In 2003 Renee and Scott moved to South Korea to serve as full time missionaries, while there they worked with NCDKorea and helped churches transition to a small group style of ministry and used these groups as well for friendship evangelism. In December 2005 they relocated back to Church of the Highlands to focus on local outreach, national church planting and global missions. Renee has coordinated many Perspectives on a Worldwide Christian Movement classes since 2012. Renee has now transitioned out of the local church to work with an organization doing Disciple-making in “closed” harsh to the gospel countries. She has also co-founded an organization called “Maranatha” which endeavors to bring the world-wide body of Christ together in unity to complete the Great Commission. (www.maranatha.community) Renee’s heart for the unreached, least reached and persecuted church as well as mobilizing others is what motivates her. They have one son, Alexander and one daughter Olivia.

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    • Class Info

      Date: Monday, April 26, 2021

      Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

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