• Urges those on mission to take a new approach

• Brings the needs of the lost into focus

• Teaches ways churches and mission agencies can more effectively work together

Changing the Mind of Missions: Where Have We Gone Wrong?
by James F. Engel & William A. Dyrness
Intervarsity Press
2000
192 pages

Imagine its 1994, Rwanda. Thousands of Tutsis lie dead, brutally murdered. Many who killed claimed to be followers of Christ.

And they were, at least according to the commonly accepted definition. They heard the Word and came forward, but nothing in their lives changed. Their hatred for other tribes and love for animistic beliefs remained intact. The thinnest of veneers covered hardened hearts.

The authors, James Engel and William Dyrness, explain that God is a missionary God who sent His Son into a hostile world. His one-to-one ministry touched lives in practical, real ways.

Postmodern people dont respond to mass marketing techniques and are often turned off by seeker-sensitive church services. What they want is personal, eye-to-eye contact, caring that meets them where they are. And often where they are is far outside our comfort zone.

Similarly, we need to apply creativity in dealing with other cultures, stress the authors. They urge readers to take new, creative, more Christ-like approaches.