Resources

Spiritual Fitness

Follow Me by David Platt

Come Away by Shel Arensen

Practicing Proverbs by Richard Mayhue

The Bondage Breaker: Overcoming Negative Thoughts, Irrational Feelings, Habitual Sins by Neil Anderson

Working From a Place of Rest by Tony Horsfall

Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton

Prayer by Philip Yancey

A Call to Spiritual Reformation by D.A. Carson

Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper

Heaven by Randy Alcorn

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis

The Gospel as It Really Is by Stuart Olyott

My Rights? My God? by Robin Wells

Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli

Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller

Sonship for Africa by John Wade Long Jnr

Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby and Claude King

Secrets of the Vine by Bruce Wilkerson

Hearing God’s Voice by Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby

The Radical Disciple by John Stott

Your God is Too Safe by Mark Buchanan

Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey

Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald

The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard

Expectations and Burnout: Women Surviving the Great Commission by Sue Eenigenburg and Robynn Bliss

When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate poverty Without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert

Discipling Others

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Transforming Culture by Sherwood Lingenfelter

Perspectives on the World Christian Movement by Ralph Winter and Steven Hawthorne

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by James Packer

The Five Smooth Stones: Essential Principles for Biblical Ministry by Robertson McQuilkin

Teaching Cross-Culturally by Lingenfelter and Lingenfelter

Living

Daily Life

African Friends and Money Matters: Observations from Africa by David Maranz

When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor…or Yourself by Steve Corbett

Where There Is No Doctor (PDF, 2010 version) by David Werner, Carol Thuman, Jane Maxwell, Andrew Pearson

From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya by Ruth Tucker

Host Culture

Anthropological Insights for Missionaries by Paul G Hiebert   

Health, Healing and God’s Kingdom by W Meredith Long

Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door by Roland Muller

Ministering Cross-Culturally by Lingenfelter and Meyer

Cross-Cultural Servanthood Duane Elmer

Strange Virtues by Bernard Adeney-Risakotta

Make Haste Slowly by Donald K Smith

Creating Understanding: a Handbook for Christian Communication Across Cultural Landscapes by Donald Smith

Serving With Eyes Wide Open by David Livermore

Religious, Political, Social

• Animism/ African Traditional Religion:

Introduction to African Religion by John Mbiti

Unearthly Powers by David Burnett

Gods of Power by Philip M Steyne

Spirit of the Rainforest by Mark Andrew Ritchie

Communicating Christ in Animistic Contexts by Dr. Gailyn Van Rheenen

• Islam:

Cross and Crescent: Responding to the Challenge of Islam by Colin Chapman

Miniskirts, Mothers and Muslims by Christine Mallouhi

Muslims, Magic and the Kingdom of God by Rick Love

The Bible and Islam by Bassam M Madany

The Unseen Face of Islam by Bill Musk

• Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual Warfare: Victory Over the Powers of this Dark World by Timothy M Warner

The Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare by Neil Anderson and Timothy M Warner

What the Bible Says About Spiritual Warfare by Peter Wagner

Gods of Power by Philip M. Steyne

Wrestling with Dark Angels: Toward a Deeper Understanding of the Supernatural Forces in Spiritual Warfare by Douglas Pennover and Peter Wagner

The Battle is God’s: Reflecting on Spiritual Warfare for African Believers by Keith Ferdinando (not available on Amazon, not easy to find elsewhere)

• History/Strategy

The Kingdom of God in Africa by Mark Shaw

History of the Church in Africa by Jonathan Hildebrandt (not available on Amazon, not easy to find elsewhere)

Africa’s Moment by Pete Ondeng – Not on Amazon

Africa, Altered States, Ordinary Miracles by Richard Dowden

• Social (HIV/AIDS)

The Truth about AIDS by Patrick Dixon

AIDS is Real and It’s In Our Church by Jean Garland

The ABC Approach to Preventing the Sexual Transmission of HIV: Common questions and Answers  

AIM International

School in the Clouds by Philip Dow

We Felt Like Grasshoppers by Dick Anderson

Multi-Cultural Teams

Caring Enough to Confront by David Augsburger

On Being a Missionary by Thomas Hale

Interpersonal Skills

Cross-Cultural Conflict by Duane Elmer

Lambs Dancing with Wolves by Michael Griffiths

Creating Understanding: a Handbook for Christian Communication across Cultural Landscapes by Donald Smith

Cross-Cultural Connections by Duane Elmer

The Peacemaker by Ken Sande

Host Church

The Next Christendom by Philip Jenkins

The Mission of God’s People by Christopher Wright

History of the Church in Africa by Jonathan Hildebrandt (not available on Amazon, not easy to find elsewhere)

AIM Care, or Tumaini, exists to serve workers from AIM, SIL/Wycliffe and other affiliated organisations. Here’s what they say about themselves:

While we serve the members of these organizations, our services also support missionaries from over 160 like-minded agencies throughout Africa. Tumaini is a Swahili word meaning “hope.” Our mission is to provide preventative and restorative mental health services and pastoral care in order to enhance missionary resilience and fruitfulness. The experienced mental health clinicians are missionaries themselves, co-workers in the Great Commission, and committed to strengthening God’s servants as they follow His call. We accomplish this through on-site care, occasional travel, distance services, seminars, a loaning library, and other resources.

Contact details for AIM Care Nairobi are as follows:

Office cell phones: ++254-733-687050 or ++254-728-606911 (no SMS messages), 0732 479799 (does accept SMS)

Email for administration: tumaini.ac@aimint.org

Email for appointments: clinicalasst.ac@aimint.org

Website: www.tumainicounseling.net

Contact details for AIM Care Kampala are as follows:

Office cell phones (office hours only): +256 787 522 868 or +256 702 780 276

Email: tumaini.kampala.ac@aimint.org

Website: www.tumainicounselling.net

Coping with teenage repatriation trauma

How to Deal with a Move – Tips for Teens

Moving Abroad – Preparing Teenagers For Expat Life

Moving with a Teen

Moving with Teens

Teen help – Preparing to move to a new town

Teens Moving Overseas

Teens’ Health

Tips to Help Teens Move

Spiritual Fitness

1. Arrange with your colleagues, facilitator or other appropriate person to be able to take a half day as regularly as you can (for example once a month) to spend time “face to face” with God. Read, pray, sing, worship, listen and talk to your Father.
   “Show me your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely” (Song of Songs 2 v 14).
2. Find a prayer/accountability partner(s) to meet with regularly. Use the time for sharing lessons you are rejoicing in, learning or struggling with. Support one another in prayer.
3. Keep a personal journal for reflection and prayer.
4. Worship together with other believers – in your local church if there is one. If there are many, which one is God leading you to? If there are none, meet and worship together with your team. What differences are there to your own cultural way of worshipping? How can this enrich your fellowship?
5. Together with a friend/spouse/colleague, read the stories in Margin by Richard Swenson.

Discuss these together. Which story do you most identify with? Do you need to modify your ‘margins’?

Discipling Others

Choose one of the following topics and prepare a Bible study (and share with team members). The purpose of these Bible studies is to look for cross-cultural sensitivities, pitfalls, and methods. Each study should also seek to answer the question: ‘How do God’s people accomplish His purposes in a cross-cultural setting?’

• Esther in Persia (the book of Esther)
• Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah in Babylon (Daniel 1-3)
• Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 39-48)
• Paul in Athens (Acts 17: 16-34)
• Jesus with the woman of Samaria (John 4:1-26)

Host Culture

Choose an area of life common to all cultures (see possibilities below) and explore its expressions in your host culture. Over the next few months, put together a paper (or presentation) that can be shared with those who work amongst (or will work amongst) your host culture. Make your own discoveries by talking to people personally, and try to have a wide range of sources, not simply one or two people. Cite your sources as specifically as possible by giving a person’s full name and his or her relationship to the community as well as the date of the interview. Personal observations during attendance at cultural events can also be helpful and may be documented.

• Death and dying
• Birth and naming
• Family commitments
• Dating, sex, marriage
• Worldview of the spiritual realm
• Theology of God
• Role of women
• Rites of passage
• Decision making
• Education

Spiritual Warfare

“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” Ephesians 6:12

1. Recognise that our struggle is “not against flesh and blood”. Prepare a Bible study with three parts: a) Principalities and powers of evil; b) The power and glory of God, particularly but not exclusively as seen in relationship to Satan and demons; c) God’s promises and provisions for his children relating to evil powers. Take time to meditate on what you are reading and to worship your God and Saviour.
2. As you talk with nationals, reflect on what you learn from them about their traditional beliefs and religious world view. What help, answers and encouragement does the Bible provide? What parts of your Bible study (from above) would help believers understand better the spiritual struggle and how to stand firm against all evil?
3. Look at Stories about the influence of spirits and their ancestors and work through the questions.
4. Remember we are all under attack. Remember also the power of God. Look up and meditate on: Mark 9:14-29, Proverbs 26:2, 1 Peter 5:9, James 4:7, Ephesians 6:11, 2 Chronicles 20:1-29, 2 Kings 6:8-23

Islam

1. List the 5 pillars of Islam. Which of the pillars do you expect to play a major role in opposing the gospel message? Which pillars might work in favour of the gospel message?
2. Try and find practical ways to build friendships in the Islamic community where (or near where) you live. As a learner seek to understand how your new friends cope with sickness, misfortune and death by asking them at opportune times why they perform a given ritual or pray for a certain outcome. If possible probe deeper to see what beliefs underlie these rituals.
3. Walk through your community making a list of anything that could offend a Muslim. Consider your own way of life, habits, dress and diet as well. What changes should you make in your life to avoid offending Muslims?

HIV/AIDS

1. Look up regularly updated data on HIV/AIDS and other emerging health issues in your country of ministry. Kaiser Family Foundation is a helpful website .
2. Talk to the pastor of the Church you are attending to find out about his views on AIDS and to see what the Church is doing (if anything) in relation to HIV.
3. Research relevant materials for the institution/ministry area/church etc where you are ministering. What can be done in relation to AIDS?
4. Visit someone living with AIDS and talk with them, eat with them, listen to them, pray with them.

AIM International

1. Write a one page summary of when and how AIM began ministry in your country, and of how AIM works locally.
2. List the publications and regular communications that you receive from the International Office, your Mobilising Region, and your Receiving Region and Unit. Read them! Reflect on why they are important.
3. Make visits to other units and regions as able and describe something you have learned about the wider ministries of the AIM International family.
4. List (from memory!) AIM International’s Purpose, Goal and Values (found in the Members Handbook).
5. Attend AIM International prayer days and conferences.
6. Make sure you register for and become familiar with the resources on AIM Talk.