Fort Smith, AR // S21
Spring 2021
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***COVID-19 Notice: While we are currently planning for an in-person class, we are continually monitoring national, state, and local government guidelines for gatherings and will make adjustments as necessary based on those recommendations. In the event that these guidelines are not conducive to launching an in-person class, we will transition to a live virtual format until relevant restrictions are lifted. 15 Challenging Topics | 15 World-Class Instructors | 15 Life-Changing Weeks
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.
Perspectives is a discipleship course that takes you through the Bible, back in time, and across the globe. A fantastic array of pastors, theologians, missiologists and mobilizers will challenge and inspire you as they help bring the course content to life with their personal experiences and expertise. You will join a community of believers as you journey together toward a better understanding who God is, what He is doing, and your role within that. Whether you are single, married, a student, a homemaker, a professional or retired, Perspectives will encourage and challenge you to live on purpose, with purpose.
Still not sure? Grab a friend and visit the first class for FREE!
***Textbook Notice: Historically, course textbooks were included in the registration cost and ordered by the class coordinator. In this current COVID environment, textbooks will be ordered by the student. Upon registration, you will receive and email with instructions on how to order your books at a discounted rate. Current class pricing reflects this change in process.
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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
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. b
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Class Info
Date: Monday, January 11, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
Brian W Pope
Global Outreach Fellowship Bible Church , Fayetteville AR
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Class Info
Date: Monday, January 18, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
Dave Rofkahr
Center for Mission Mobilization, Springdale AR
Dave Rofkahr has a tremendous background in grass roots campus ministry, in cross-cultural church planting (in Asia for thirteen years), and Business As Mission. He served as the International Director for all of Asia for EFCA ReachGlobal, its US Director of Recruiting/mobilization and now serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Mission Mobilization (www.mobilization.org). He is married with three children and now makes his home in Woodbury, Minnesota. He hopes to bring glory to God by using the talents and opportunities God has entrusted to him to strategically multiply healthy leaders and churches among all people. b
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Class Info
Date: Monday, January 25, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
John M
Rogers AR
John learned about God’s heart for the world while studying Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas. He discovered God’s plan to reconcile some from every people to Himself and then spent 4 years in India connecting with college students and young professionals before returning for a graduate degree at the UA. He worked at J.B. Hunt within the Engineering & Technology department for 6-1/2 years and then took a Product Management role at Walmart in 2021. He and his wife continue to engage internationals and mobilize fellow believers while seeking opportunities to use their professions overseas. b
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Class Info
Date: Monday, February 1, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
Joshua Babb
First Baptist Centerton, Centerton AR
Joshua serves as the Pastor of Preaching and Teaching at First Baptist Centerton. He and his wife, Melinda, have four children. Joshua is a 2016 graduate of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he received a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in Biblical Languages. At Midwestern, he served as a teaching assistant for the seminary's Old Testament/Hebrew professors. He also has a degree in Marketing Management and an MBA from Missouri State University. Joshua's short-term exposure includes India, Greece, and Central America. b
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Class Info
Date: Monday, February 8, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
Nathaniel Allen
Global Outfitters, Fayetteville AR
Nathan Allen is the Global Missions pastor at New Heights Church in Fayetteville, AR and the Director of Global Outfitters. He has a Bachelors of Arts in History and political Science from the University of Arkansas. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Theological Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary. b
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Class Info
Date: Monday, February 15, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
Josh C
Fayetteville AR
Over the last decade, Josh has been traveling the US challenging college students and churches towards God's heart for the nations. In 2013, Josh moved into the business world - working in tech startups and Fortune 500 companies. He also wrote Hold Fast, a book addressing the obstacles of missions. b
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Class Info
Date: Monday, February 22, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
Amber Callison
The Traveling Team, Porland OR
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Class Info
Date: Monday, March 1, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
BJ Sanders
Ethnos 360, Bentonville AR
BJ and Jill are church planting and translating God's word among the Wantakia people group in Papua New Guinea. They have been there since 2014. They have developed a literacy program in the village. They are helping translate God's word into the language. They shared the gospel for the very first time to the Wantakia people in their heart language in 2020. The church was born for the first time. They will continue ministering there until the church is mature and able to stand on their own, not needing the missionaries anymore. b
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Class Info
Date: Monday, March 8, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
Daniel Rupp
, Fayetteville AR
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Class Info
Date: Monday, March 22, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
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: Monday, March 29, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
Cliff Peters
Paraclete Mission Group, Siloam Springs AR
Cliff is a tinker for Jesus and loves to work on gadgets in his workshop that could be useful in developing countries. He has been a missionary for over 20 years, most recently with Paraclete Mission Group, and is now retired but continues to volunteer with Paraclete and other organizations. He enjoys teaching Christian community development to missionaries, national workers, and Perspectives students as he has opportunity. He lives in NW Arkansas with his wife of 40 years, and has four children and three grandchildren. b
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Class Info
Date: Monday, April 5, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
Heather L
Beautiful Feet , Springdale AR
Heather lived in South East Asia for 10 years and started a Business as Mission company that is still making disciples among the unreached.
She has a passion to train and mobilize believers to use their gifts and talents for the Kingdom. b
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Class Info
Date: Monday, April 12, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
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. b
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Class Info
Date: Monday, April 19, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 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
Joe G
PIONEERS, Orlando FL
Joe has been with Pioneers for 18 years. Previously, he spent 5 years on staff with the Traveling Team sharing the Biblical Basis of Missions and mobilizing college students. He and his wife Sarah served on church planting teams in Central Asia in and out of country from 2002-2012. He currently serves as the VP of Mission Engagement for Pioneers USA. Joe, Sarah and their sons Ezra and Eli live in Orlando. b
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Class Info
Date: Monday, April 26, 2021
Time: 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM
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Instructor
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Class Info
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