Global Mission Handbook

Global Mission Handbook: A Guide for Crosscultural Service – Steve Hoke & Bill Taylor

Note: Due to the workbook style of Steve Hoke and Bill Taylor’s Global Missionary Handbook, this review will be one in a series of reviews broken up over multiple issues. See the first review at: http://deepmissionalreview.blogspot.com/2009/11/book-review-global-missions-handbook.html. This review will focus on chapters 2-4, on discovering a ministry identity, gaining exposure to other cultures and issues on schooling and support-raising.

Hoke and Taylor do a great job in grounding the young missionary-to-be in relationship with the church and family. Pre-mission is a crucial time in the development of a missionary, and nothing is more telling about a person’s ability in mission than who they are at home. Hoke and Taylor encourage the budding missionary into active ministry and mission at home, pre-mission. This includes gaining ministry experiences, especially in discovering different fields of ministry to see what suits personality, gifts and experiences. Most crucially, they encourage the missionary to include their home-church and family. Support comes in much more than finances on the mission field, and not engaging in these very basic support-bases from the beginning can be detrimental in the future. Plus, as these support-bases are encouraged, they might pour into the future mission of the missionary.

One of the most valuable articles in this section is the article titled, “Four Building Blocks for Lifetime Service,” by Robertson McQuilkin. McQuilkin gives four basic steps to build into a legacy of ministry. These are, Heart Preparation, Active Involvement in Ministry, Formal Preparation and Basic Education, and Language and Cultural Studies. This article can be a valuable resource in itself, but in the context of the section, it is a great summary that a future missionary can truly learn from.

The next chapter, on gaining exposure to other cultures, provides a myriad of ideas and is another great resource for the development of missionaries. The section on the value of short-term missions as preparation is incredibly enlightening. Taylor does a great job highlighting both the positives and negatives. This serves as a simple article for churches who are interested in preparing future missionaries and cross-cultural ministers.

Chapter four of the Handbook addresses some very critical issues in missions – schooling and support-raising. Missions agencies are increasingly upping the stakes of education for missionaries. While theological education may be important and is often required by missions organizations, this is not the only education that may be necessary. Many organizations are holistic in their approach and have ministries that range from micro-finance lending to health-care issues. Hoke and Taylor compile a number of articles regarding future education and vocation in mission.

This second section of the book is even better than the first. It is proving to be a great first-look into missions for many and would be a valuable resource for basic missions classes at universities or missions preparation through churches. Organizations looking into identifying and developing future missionaries ought to consider sending/recommending this book to people interested in missions and do follow-up with the organizational perspective.
Look for the review of the final section in January.