I am thankful for the many voices, resources, institutions, and ministries that are actively assisting churches today in living out a missional lifestyle. Our communities, cities, and states are ever-evolving. For that reason it is critical that the local church be the missionary for the gospel in their given field. I hope this collection of thinkers and ministries will further challenge you to live a missional lifestyle. They have certainly challenged me.

Read: When Missions Shapes the Mission; You and Your Church Can Reach the World by David Horner. Born out of a research study of evangelical churches and their commitment to making Christ known worldwide, Horner makes an impassioned plea to place the biblical missions mandate at the center of the church’s life. He offers theological, practical, and personal implications of missions shaping the overall mission of the church. This book has made an impact on our missions team who worked through it this year.

Follow: Mark Clifton. Mark is the Director of Church Replanting at the North American Mission Board author of the outstanding replant book, Reclaiming Glory; Revitalizing Dying Churches. His passion and concern for seeing dying churches live again through replanting and revitalization is very much needed today. His experience in replanting and revitalization makes his voice worth listening to. Follow him on Twitter – @johnmarkclifton

Meet: Heifer International. Their purpose is to “empower families to turn hunger and poverty into hope and prosperity”. Heifer brings sustainable agriculture and commerce to communities with a long history of poverty. This happens through the provision of farm animals that provide both food and reliable income in the form of agricultural products such as milk, eggs and honey that can be traded or sold at market. Families in turn pass on farm animals to other communities who have similar need. This sustainable income brings opportunities for building school and funding small businesses. Follow them on Twitter – @Heifer

FYI: According to NAMB research in 2017, more than half of all churches started by Southern Baptists each year identify as ethic or multiethnic.