Urbana Onward

Make no mistake-spiritual warfare is real. As you make your way into intentional mission and ministry, you may find yourself facing various kinds of opposition and resistance. You may experience great discouragement or doubt. Temptations may threaten to derail you. And you may even encounter active attack from spiritual forces of evil. But fear not. Veteran missionaries Jack and Mary Anne Voelkel give us confidence that God can overcome the enemy's spiritual attacks on us. When we face harassment and persecution from the principalities and powers, we need to know that Satan is not on equal footing with God. Jesus has disarmed the forces of evil through his death and resurrection. We have available to us tremendous resources for spiritual defense and offense, and by putting on the whole armor of God, we can take practical, prayerful steps toward spiritual triumph. Be not afraid. In the midst of spiritual warfare, the greater reality is that Jesus is Lord over all powers and authorities. He has already achieved the victory. Includes questions for group discussion.

In our globally interconnected world, mission depends on healthy partnerships across the globe. Many talk about wanting to partner with the Global South, but we're not always sure what that looks like on the ground. Too often North Americans have acted as if we don't need others to do what we think God has called us to do. And our witness overseas has suffered as a result. We need to live out a more humble posture of missional partnership, marked by true mutuality and service. Nikki Toyama-Szeto and Femi Adeleye look at how we can partner well across cultures. People on mission together from diverse perspectives are a picture of how the body of Christ works together in the world. Addressing tricky issues like power, finances, transparency and trust, the authors provide best practices and models for ministry that reflect the servant heart of God. God invites us all to engage in his work, and he gives us partners for the task from around the world. Discover how we can do more together than we could ever do on our own. Includes questions for group discussion.

What happens when God calls you to follow him? Where might Jesus take you? What might it cost? And what kind of surprising blessings could it bring you and the world around you? Through sharing his own personal story, Urbana director Tom Lin shows how pursuing God's call can take us in unexpected directions. As a success-driven Harvard student, Tom figured he was headed for a lucrative career in corporate business. But then God called him to a life he never expected. Despite painful resistance from his family, he followed Jesus, eventually going halfway around the world to pioneer Christian campus ministry in the virtually unreached nation of Mongolia. Along the way he saw how God had been guiding his journey all along. Our challenge today is that we too easily settle for less than God intends for us. We prefer comfort and avoid risks. But we live in an era of unprecedented opportunities for God's global mission. If we are willing to embrace a life of adventure, we too can discover the radical ways God can use us to bless the nations. So step up and answer the call. And God will surprise you beyond all imagination.

Worship gives us a glimpse of the majesty and grandeur of God. But that's not all. It also paints a picture of God's purposes for the world. He is in the process of gathering together a multitude of worshipers from every language and nation. Urbana worship director Sandra Van Opstal shows that worship both takes people where they want to go and challenges them to go where they need to go. Worship creates a space for us to encounter the mission of God. Having culturally diverse worship gives us a more holistic portrait of God's attributes and character. In missional worship, we proclaim and demonstrate that the kingdom of God is here, accomplishing reconciliation, justice and shalom. Such worship is good news for the world and offers God's transcendence and healing to all who yearn for his transformation. Worship can mobilize us for God's mission in the world. As we worship, we can invite the world around us to enter into the praise of the one true God.

Your mind has a mission. Sometimes it might seem like Christians just want your body-to serve or go. Or it might seem like they just want your heart-to emote in worship or commit to a cause. But that's not all. God invites us to love him with our minds as well. Being holistic, global Christians means that we need to think well about the world around us. Greg Jao roots our pursuit of the discipleship of the mind in our allegiance to and love for Jesus. Because Jesus is Lord of all, our intellectual engagement is a way we can bring all things under Christ. Jao addresses common myths that result in a passive engagement of our intellect with our faith. He provides key disciplines for Christian discipleship of the mind, how we can love God with our minds in community, obedience and humility. With practical application and formational activities throughout, this guide offers concrete ways to integrate the life of the mind into a life of mission and ministry. The Christian mind is a missional mind. Discover how you can use your mind to extend the glory of God throughout the world. Includes questions for group discussion.