Gospel.com Blog

How much training do missionaries need before heading out into the field? And what kind of training is needed–a simple orientation meeting, or a full-blown degree in missionary work? An article at the CAM International website talks about why it’s important to make sure your missionaries get the right about of education and training before they leave home. From the article:

What training is essential before departure? In my experience in missions for over 25 years I have talked with many leaders in mission agencies and churches. They answer this question with answers all the way from a seminary degree to a one-week orientation. I have seen missionaries thrive for years and seen others “crash and burn” within six months of their departure. So how much training is necessary and what kind should it be?

The article author offers some excellent Biblical suggestions for answering those questions.

School is back in session–and kids aren’t the only ones scrambling to gear up for the new school year. In an article in the latest issue of Christian School Teacher, Pete Post offers a collection of practical advice for educators embarking on their nerve-wracking first year of teaching. Post’s advise ranges from the predictable (”Listen to your students”) to the decidedly unusual (”Beware the Italian Renaissance”). Whether you’re starting your first year of teaching or have been a teacher for years, read his advice and consider whether it can help you through the school year ahead.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me”–is that true? Not by a long shot, according to a Bible study series going on this week over at Revive Our Hearts. This week, Nancy DeMoss is talking about the tremendous power of words, and about what the Bible says about how we are to manage our tongues. The series starts here, but you can also jump in with today’s message about lying.

Gospelcon, the annual internet ministry conference hosted by Gospel Communications, is almost here! The conference, which takes place later this month in Chicago, features three days of workshops, training, and networking about every facet of internet ministry.

Registration closes soon, but if you’re curious you can read more about the conference at the Gospelcon website–check out the list of speakers and the schedule of workshops. And if you can’t make it this year, the Gospelcon blog will be reporting live from the conference as it happens, so you can check back there for updates.

Are you suffering from an eating disorder, frustrated by the lack of understanding and support you’ve gotten from friends, family, and the church? Or are you watching helplessly as a loved one is being worn down by an eating disorder, but you don’t have the slightest clue how to help them?

Eating disorders are frighteningly common, especially among teenagers and young women but also among young men. What causes an eating disorder, and what desires and thought processes keep a person enslaved to it? The first step to helping people through such a disorder is to understand eating disorders and why people succumb to them. Read through the above article, written by Vicki Harvey at ACTS International, and educate yourself about these disorders–and the terrible pain and low self-esteem that create them.