It’s a cliche, but it’s also a fact: we live in challenging times. A major part of the challenge lies in sorting out challenges.

Man has a tendency to perpetuate institutions, whether or not they continue to serve their original purpose. As a result, agencies and institutions clamor for support long after they have outlived their usefulness.

Too often our telling the gospel fails to hit the mark because we don’t know what, how, and why people believe. How culture shapes belief systems should be required knowledge.

It’s time to re-evaluate summer missions.

It’s easy either to blame or bless tentmakers. They aren’t the answer to unplugging evangelistic bottlenecks, but properly trained and with the help of missionaries, they can probe the stony ground of unbelief.

To mark the occasion, we asked the heads of our sponsoring associations where we are in missions now compared to 1964.

I wondered and wept. How does Christ enter the Muslim world?

Are tentmakers copouts from being real missionaries? According to some critics, yes. Are tentmakers God’s secret weapon to evangelize the world? According to some backers, yes.

Our look at what makes pastors (and missionaries) weep; power In proverbs; finding support In a good learning setting; and rooting out theological education’s colonialism.

Because there are so many techniques on the market, missionaries need discernment, they need to know how to weigh the pros and cons. To help them do that, I’ve put together a list of test questions. Apply them ruthlessly to every method.