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Jackson, MS // S22
Spring 2022
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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!
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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
Steve Elworth
Baton Rouge LA
Steve serves at The Chapel on The Campus, a non-denominational church in Baton Rouge LA, as the Global and Local Outreach Director. He helps lead the church in reaching the nations, both in Baton Rouge through International Ministry, and around the world through trips and partnerships. He and His wife Amber have a passion to see the church grasp and act on her God given opportunity and responsibility to make disciples of all nations. After pursuing going to the Muslim world themselves, God has had them stay in the states to help every follower of Jesus see that their lives have been bought and their redemption has been given not just for themselves, but so Jesus will be made known through every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. In 2018, they opened Light House Coffee in Baton Rouge, a coffee shop with the mission to Serve the World Through a Baton Rouge Coffee Experience. They use this business as an opportunity to employ, love, and serve refugees from around the world, and train up global workers to use business to impact the world. b
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, January 9, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
DawnEllen Jacobs
Hideaway TX
DawnEllen Jacobs is a faculty mentor and academic consultant. Recently retired from 28 years at California Baptist University, she began serving on short term service teams in 1998 and has done over 20 projects to date. She has a passion for discipling others with a desire to share the gospel with the nations. b
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, January 16, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
Susan Gordon
West Monroe LA
Since 2016, when I finished as a Perspectives certificate student and went on to become a coordinator for the Northeast Louisiana region, the material covered in Lesson 3 has been my focus. "The Kingdom of God" has pushed me beyond boundaries I didn't know existed!
After 40 years of teaching the scriptures and doing ministry/mission work in several parts of the world, I can say there is nothing that has influenced the way I live, work, pray, and teach like Lesson 3! The Kingdom, I have found, is not what I thought it was! It is so much more.
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, January 23, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
Jeff Walters
Brandon MS
Jeff Walters serves as Lead Pastor of Missions and Church Planting at Pinelake Church in Brandon, Mississippi, where he gives strategic leadership to the church's local, national and global missions engagement. Jeff is passionate about the role of the local church in making disciples “here, there and everywhere” and in sending out missionaries and church planters. Prior to coming to Pinelake, he taught missions and church planting at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and was a church planter in Paris, France, with the International Mission Board. Jeff and his wife, Melanie, have three children: Rachel, Jeffrey, Jr. and Daniel. b
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, January 30, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
Russell Kyzar
Jackson TN
Russell was a missionary for 28 years with the International Mission Board, SBC in Costa Rica, Russia, Cuba, and Czech Rep. He was involved in church planting, leadership training, strategy development, and field supervision. He retired with his wife, Melinda, to Jackson, TN. in 2020. b
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, February 6, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
Eric Pratt
Mississippi College, Clinton MS
Eric Pratt was Vice President for Christian Development at Mississippi College for 17 years and has served in various leadership roles in churches from Pastor, Youth, Outreach, Education, Deacon, etc...He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and earned his Master of Divinity and PhD. degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and engaged in additional study at Loyola University. He served churches in Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, and numerous interims across Mississippi. He was the Director of Campus Ministries and the Church Related Vocation Program at Anderson University in South Carolina before coming to MC.
As a researcher, writer, teacher, pastor, and conference speaker he often is asked to address issues regarding leadership, ethical decision making, spiritual formation, ministry, missions, and making sense out of the cultural and generational changes taking place in society. As a consultant Dr. Pratt works with companies, individuals, and churches to utilize current trends and research to provide insights for growth and adaptation. He currently oversees Campus Ministries, the Community Service Center, International Chapel, and Christian programming at MC. Dr. Pratt also directs the Clinton Extension Center for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Eric spent 3 years living in inner-city Nashville leading Bible Study and reaching young people with the Gospel message. While at Anderson he helped with 3 church starts and maintained an on-going relationship and ministry to various people groups across Paris, France. Since coming to Mississippi he has developed a weekly outreach to international students and their families.
He is a member of the following boards and groups: Jackson Youth for Christ, FBI Citizen’s Academy, National Association of Christians in Student Development, Jackson Metro Cyclists, Urban Young Life Jackson, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Association of Ministry Guidance Professionals, and Mission Mississippi.
Dr. Pratt has led seminars and has spoken at numerous conferences including: Kaleo Conference (Called to Ministry) for the North American Mission Board, Lausanne Forum for World Evangelism, Leading and Teaching with Skill Conference (Tuscaloosa, Alabama), President’s Council for Foreign Relations/International Religious Freedom, and Key Note Speaker for the Louisiana/Mississippi Phi Theta Kappa Leadership Conference.
He has been married to Penny, RN at St. Dominic’s in the Infusion Clinic, for over 26 years and they have three children: Grace (Computational Analyst at ERDCT), Paul (Senior at MC), and Chip (Freshman at the University of Southern Mississippi). Both he and Penny are active in the Clinton School System and throughout Mississippi. They are members FBC Clinton where Eric was Chair of the Deacons, taught RAs, and leads an Adult Bible Study class when he is not engaged in supply or interim work. Currently, Dr. Pratt is the Intentional Interim Pastor of Daniel Memorial Baptist Church in South Jackson. Since coming to Mississippi College Eric has preached at over 100 different Mississippi Congregations as a supply or revival speaker.
Eric is an avid reader, an amateur furniture builder, a competitive race-walker, and sporadic cyclist. His desire is to provide those he influences with the necessary tools and resources needed for personal development and community transformation. He wants people to see the Lord accurately and respond to Christ appropriately and authentically live for Jesus.
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, February 13, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
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Anna Darnell
Perspectives, Conway AR
Anna & her husband Brian are passionate about mobilizing God's people to engage fully in His plans & purposes. Whether locally or abroad, one of her greatest joys is helping others realize who God created them to be and coaching them as they take steps toward their specific role in fulfilling the Great Commission. Anna has served through Perspectives as a coordinator, instructor, area mentor and currently serves as the Perspectives Chief Training Officer and Acting Director of Instructor Development. b
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, February 20, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
John Bowen
Union MS
Married with three daughters, I have served on vision trips and short term missions in Central Europe and SE Asia. Currently serving on the board of directors for a missionary effort in SE Asia and partnering with missionaries, church planters, and pastors across Poland. My desire is to assist Christians in becoming more involved in mission opportunities nationally and internationally. b
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, February 27, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
Justin Long
Beyond, Garland TX
Justin Long is a global missions
researcher. He presently serves with ActBeyond as part of the Global Ephesus Initiative which seeks to send teams to start movements that cascade through whole People Clusters. As a researcher He maintains the Global District Survey (places to go), Movement Index, Movement Case Study archive, compiles People Cluster Forecasts, and edits The Long View weekly missions trends analysis. His website is http://www.justinlong.org. b
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, March 6, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
Kristen White
Mobilizer, Brandon MS
Dr. Kristen White is an associate professor of intercultural studies at Belhaven University. Previously, she served as the Director of Mobilization at California Baptist University where she mobilized and trained more than 400 students, staff, and faculty annually to participate in International Service Projects. Although currently residing in Mississippi, she is an Oklahoman at heart. She has traveled to 51 countries since serving as a Journeyman with the International Mission Board for two years among Muslims in Asia. She is a member of Colonial Heights Baptist Church, the coordinator and facilitator of the Perspectives course in Jackson, an advocate for Alzheimer’s, and a board member of GoCorps and Shepherd's Staff. Kristen's ministry calling is to train and equip God's people for acts of good service throughout the world. b
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, March 20, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
Jerry Rankin
Clinton MS
Jerry Rankin, President Emeritus
International Mission Board, SBC
Jerry Rankin retired in 2010 after 40 years of missionary service with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board. Rankin, and his wife, Bobbye, served in South and Southeast Asia for 23 years, including tenure as Area Director for the region; they lived in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and India. This was followed by 17 years as president of the IMB, an organization sending and supporting more than 5,000 missionaries serving in 190 countries around the world.
Rankin is from Mississippi where he attended Mississippi College and later earned the M. Div. from Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. He was awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Mississippi College, Columbia International University and California Baptist University. He is the author of eight books on missions, spiritual warfare and devotional topics.
He has two children, Lori and Russell, both of whom have been appointed as missionaries to Asia, and six grandchildren.
Rankin, who currently lives in Clinton, Mississippi, is providing consultation for mission agencies on strategy, leadership and change, leading mission conferences and conducting seminars on spiritual warfare. He is adjunct professor of missions at Mississippi College, William Carey University, New Orleans Baptist Seminary and Gateway Baptist Seminary. For five years he served as Director of the Zwemer Center for Muslim Studies at Columbia International University in South Carolina. In 2013 he was named to receive the annual Lifetime Achievement Award by Missio Nexus, a national organization representing more than 200 mission agencies. He has traveled to 157 countries and is currently teaching at Mississippi College.
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, March 27, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
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: Sunday, April 3, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
Lillian Brown
World Mission Board COCHUSA, Madison MS
Lillian currently serves as Vice Chairman of the World Mission Board of COCHUSA. She also oversees all mission work in the Caribbean, Central and South America and has established Leadership Institutes in Ghana, Africa. Lillian, her husband Richard and their three children have travel to several countries and are passionate about making disciples and sharing the Gospel with the nations. b
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, April 10, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
Chris Clark
Pinelake Church, Brandon MS
Chris is a native Mississippian but has lived in Tennessee, Kentucky and Southern Africa before recently returning to the area. He and his wife Ashley have 3 children. Chris leads the Missions Mobilization Team at Pinelake Church. He has served as a missionary, church planter and missions pastor. He has also lead more than 50 short term teams to 23 different countries and has degrees from Union University, Mid-America Seminary and Southern Seminary. b
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, April 24, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 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
Swayze Waters
Fellowship of Christian Athletes - East Africa, Jackson MS
Husband to Kendal (10 years)
Father to Taitum (5), SJ (3) and Annelise (1)
Reg. Director of International Advancement for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Ministry focus is mobilizing staff, coaches and athletes in the SE region (290+ staff in AL, KY, MS, TN) of USA to Pray, Give and Go to partner in sports ministry with indigenous leaders in East Africa ( 20 countries ). FCA's vision is to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.
Swayze played football at UAB (05-08), in the NFL ('09-'11 and '16 w/ Detroit, Oakland and Pittsburgh), in the CFL ('12-'15, '17-'18 w/ Edmonton, Toronto and B.C.) b
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Class Info
Date: Sunday, May 1, 2022
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
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Instructor
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Class Info
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