Evangelical churches are widely known for their commitment to mission locally and to the ends of the earth. However, in the last century, there have been profound theological and sociological changes that have impacted mission practice. Church and mission leaders have encouraged Christians to respond to the need for mission locally, especially as church decline accelerates in much of the Western world. Yet others are concerned that global mission involvement is being neglected in many local churches. This study explores the factors influencing local church participation in mission both locally and around the world. Through an in-depth analysis of the practices and perspectives among evangelical churches in Australia, the author identifies a range of theological, missiological, and organizational influences on mission practice. Though beliefs about the church, the world, and mission are important, understanding organizational principles, social capital, and the power of relational networks provides invaluable insights into church-mission practice. This book is for those who long to see local churches committed to engaging both their neighbors and the nations in mission, growing our understanding of how to encourage helpful church practices for the sake of Christ.

Can God use ordinary people to change the world? Join Jeannie Marie, bestselling author and advocate for global outreach, as she teaches us how to follow Jesus to the nations in our neighborhood and around the world. In the middle of diapers, dishes, papers, or presentations, deep down, we all long to live a life of purpose. In Across the Street and Around the World, Jeannie Marie shows us we can change the world right where we already live, work, play, and study--by learning to grow genuine, spiritually deep friendships with people from other countries, cultures, and faiths. In her refreshing "you-can-do-this-too" style, Marie leads us by the hand with clear steps, try-it sections, and beautifully crafted prayers. She gently guides us away from common cultural missteps so we can offer Jesus in a winsome way, while honoring culture, faith, and family. Across the Street and Around the World will give you the tools you need to: Engage the world at your doorstep--specifically refugees and international students in your community Intentionally cultivate discipleship relationships so that you're encouraging our cross-cultural friends to follow Jesus Christ Gain global experience, education, and exposure while building a bridge from the nations in your neighborhood to the ends of the earth With confidence, courage, and compassion, Jeannie will teach you to start small, start soon, and start somewhere you already are. Praise for Across the Street and Around the World: "Jeannie Marie shares a lifetime of invaluable experience with the rest of us. Her book is a treasure trove of insights and practical resources for engaging the nations in our own backyard and to the ends of the earth!" --David Garrison, author of Church-Planting Movements and Wind in the House of Islam "A book to pay attention to—whether you are an individual thinking through your life’s purpose, a church leader trying to ensure you lead on mission, or a mission leader navigating these days where everything is changing in your world. Jeannie is adding her experienced and articulate voice to the call for us all to have a fresh look at our efforts to bring the good news of Jesus to the billions who have never heard it or seen it lived out. If you are also serious about that mission, this is a must-read for you." --Andrew Scott, president and CEO of Operation Mobilization USA and author of Scatter

Verbally sharing the gospel is only part of evangelism, asserts author David Gustafson. We must also live out the good news, both as individuals and as communities. In this book Gustafson expertly lays out the foundations of and approaches to evangelism that are crucial for the church today. In light of our increasingly post-Christian Western contexts, Gustafson offers a mission-oriented ecclesiology that moves from missional theory to practices of missional engagement. Introduc-ing "God's human drama" as a way to explain the gospel within God's redemptive story, he outlines specific ways for pastors and church leaders to shape a "gospeling" culture within their congregations. Gustafson's biblical, theological, historical, cultural, and practical approach will make this book an ideal text for evangelical pastors, professors, students, and Christian leaders.

Indigenous peoples throughout the world tenaciously defend their lands, cultures, and their lives with resilience and determination. They have done so generation after generation. These are peoples who make up bedrock nations throughout the world in whose territories the United Nations says 80 percent of the world’s life sustaining biodiversity remains. Once thought of as remnants of a human past that would soon disappear in the fog of history, indigenous peoples—as we now refer to them—have in the last generation emerged as new political actors in global, regional and local debates. As countries struggle with economic collapse, terrorism and global warming indigenous peoples demand a place at the table to decide policy about energy, boundaries, traditional knowledge, climate change, intellectual property, land, environment, clean water, education, war, terrorism, health and the role of democracy in society. In this volume Rudolph C. Ryser describes how indigenous peoples transformed themselves from anthropological curiosities into politically influential voices in domestic and international deliberations affecting everyone on the planet. He reveals in documentary detail how since the 1970s indigenous peoples politically formed governing authorities over peoples, territories and resources raising important questions and offering new solutions to profound challenges to human life.

The "war on terror" and the battle in Iraq provided the framework for George W. Bush's first term in office. As he embarked on a second term, the president reaffirmed his administration's commitment to a transformative Middle East agenda that now includes the challenges of promoting democracy, non-proliferation, and Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Saban Center at the Brookings Institution commissioned a group of its experts to critique the Bush administration's first-term performance and present alternative approaches for its second term. T he Road Ahead covers the full set of challenges confronting President Bush in his second term: from fighting Binladenism to promoting Arab reform; from achieving Middle East peace to saving Iraq; and from tackling Iran to engaging Syria and Saudi Arabia. The contributors argue that the Bush administration will need to develop an integrated Middle East strategy that improves the prospects for achieving a priority identified during the 2004 presidential campaign: strengthening alliances and utilizing them to ease the burden on American leadership. Th e Road Ahead provides the necessary elements for a genuinely integrated strategic framework that will help decisionmakers manage both the changes and the continuities in America's post-9/11 Middle East policy. Contributors: Martin Indyk, Flynt Leverett, Kenneth Pollack, James Steinberg, Shibley Telhami, and Tamara Cofman Wittes, all connected with the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution. A Saban Center Report

In The Great Power of Small Nations, Elizabeth N. Ellis (Peoria) tells the stories of the many smaller Native American nations that shaped the development of the Gulf South. Based on extensive archival research and oral histories, Ellis’s narrative chronicles how diverse Indigenous peoples—including Biloxis, Choctaws, Chitimachas, Chickasaws, Houmas, Mobilians, and Tunicas—influenced and often challenged the growth of colonial Louisiana. The book centers on questions of Native nation-building and international diplomacy, and it argues that Native American migration and practices of offering refuge to migrants in crisis enabled Native nations to survive the violence of colonization. Indeed, these practices also made them powerful. When European settlers began to arrive in Indigenous homelands at the turn of the eighteenth century, these small nations, or petites nations as the French called them, pulled colonists into their political and social systems, thereby steering the development of early Louisiana. In some cases, the same practices that helped Native peoples withstand colonization in the eighteenth century, including frequent migration, living alongside foreign nations, and welcoming outsiders into their lands, have made it difficult for their contemporary descendants to achieve federal acknowledgment and full rights as Native American peoples. The Great Power of Small Nations tackles questions of Native power past and present and provides a fresh examination of the formidable and resilient Native nations who helped shape the modern Gulf South.

Since the end of the Cold War, the United States, NATO, the United Nations, and a range of other states and nongovernmental organizations have become increasingly involved in nation-building operations. This volume presents a comprehensive history of best practices in nation-building and serves as an indispensable reference for planning future interventions.

A generation of young Christians are weary of the political legacy they've inherited. Could it be that the church's politics are shaped by its habits and practices? Contending that we must recognize the formative power of the political forces around us, Kaitlyn Schiess urges the church to recover historic Christian practices that shape us according to the truth of the gospel.

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)

Over the past few years the Department of Defense has been intensifying its study of the global security situation, U.S. force posture, and future defense requirements. The National Defense University contributes to this dialog through Strategic Assessment, an annual publication which applies the expertise of this institution through the leadership of its interdisciplinary research arm, the Institute for National Strategic Studies, with the assistance of specialists from elsewhere in government and academe. Offering such analyses, in both general and particular areas of interest to the national security community is an important aspect of the NDU mission. This volume examines various approaches that the United States might adopt to shape the strategic environment of the future. The current environment is characterized by instability and change. The U.S. Government needs to apply the full range of options at its disposal to achieve national goals and ensure the peace and stability required to preserve our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But such options must be studied and conceptualized for years (and in some cases, decades) in advance to take advantage of the opportunities presented by a changing global environment. The recent Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) recommended a series of defense posture changes. This volume reviews these recommendations and takes the next analytical step, to propose what is entailed by such changes. Strategic Assessment 1998: Engaging Power for Peace should prove useful beyond the defense establishment, to all readers with an interest in national security affairs.