We have a dynamite lineup for 1999, stories to encourage, instruct and inspire you. Take a peek at this issue and also what's ahead.

January-February--Using entertainment and media to be on mission. As you read this, The Prince of Egypt, a new movie about Moses, is drawing millions of Americans back to the Bible. How can Christians and churches take advantage of this opportunity to point people to the Prince of Peace? Henry Blackaby offers a Bible study on Moses written just for readers of On Mission. Movie critic Dr. Ted Baehr provides ideas for starting on mission discussions about other Hollywood-produced movies. Also, you'll find ways to use entertainment and media produced by Southern Baptists and others in the Christian marketplace.

March-April--Don't go it alone! Evangelistic partnerships make the on mission lifestyle much easier to live. You'll learn how effective partnerships have been key to success. For example, with Easter's promise of resurrection on our hearts, we look at the Annie Armstrong offering and how it's used to reach people for Christ in North America. You'll meet missionaries and others just like you who accomplish this vital work. Bob Reccord, president of North American Mission Board (NAMB), shares his vision for building bridges that maximize Southern Baptist Convention evangelism efforts. We profile leaders such as Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ and Dick Eastman of Every Home for Christ.

May-June--Overcoming the embarrassment factor. Many sincere, on mission Christians want to talk about their faith but are afraid to. Why? They worry they'll be laughed at or ridiculed. We explore this very human response. Also, we go where the non-believers are. You'll meet people who sleep in on Sundays and find out why they think Christianity isn't relevant. And you'll meet Christians who've crossed barriers, such as mistrust, racism and violence, to take Christ to those in need--folks planting churches among gangs and a couple who welcomed into their family as son-in-law an ex-convict who was redeemed by the Lord.

July-August--Talking about Christ where we live, work and play. Nate Adams describes the upward, inward, outward and forward process that takes place when Christians become on mission. We'll discover how to have conversations that really count and how to explain in five impactful minutes what Christ means to you. Meet people who talk about Christ in settings such as their schools, workplaces and neighborhoods. Meet retirees who don't really "retire" from being on mission. Plus, Y2K will be on our minds. Learn how churches are preparing for the problem so they can minister to others.

September-October--Evangelism and personal holiness. Henry Blackaby provides our inspirational cover story to prepare us spiritually for the on mission lifestyle. C.S. Lewis stirs our hearts with the first of three excerpts from his classic, Mere Christianity. Plus, do the stress and clutter of everyday life, especially in our fast-paced infor-mation age, hurt rather than enhance your readiness to share Christ? We'll talk about how to simplify life, including a self-diagnosis. And follow people as they share the gospel with folks they encounter everyday.

November-December--Reaching our loved ones. What better time than the holidays of 1999 for a warm visit with this century's preeminent evangelist --Billy Graham--and his family. Why is it so hard to share Christ with our loved ones? Explore ways to reach family members with the message they need most. And remember others in the family of God; we discuss outreach to singles, the elderly who are alone, even homeless people. Imagine an on mission ministry designed to save marriages before they start. And we chat with artist Thomas Kinkaid, who is committed to sharing Christ with every piece of his art that goes into a home.

On Mission is aimed at Christians who recognize the life-changing truth that reaching people for Christ in the United States and Canada is a job for all of us, not just the paid professionals. On Mission was created to equip Christians with tools to introduce people around us to a relationship with God. We want to reinforce the work of Christians who are establishing churches and reaching out to their communities. We also hope to tell readers how to participate in mission work and how to model such efforts in creative ways of their own.

Now that you understand our goals, thumb through this issue and see how we're accomplishing them. First, turn the page and meet our three outstanding columnists who provide thoughtful commentary: Bob Reccord (Off the Reccord), Henry Blackaby (Awakenings) and Phil Roberts (Higher Calling). There's a fourth columnist too--one of you! That's right, each issue features My Mission, the behind-the-scenes adventures of readers. Turn to page 64, and you'll find yourself smack in the world of Larry and Noel Lamoureux of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Maybe your story would encourage others. We'd love to hear it. Contact us if you want to be considered. No editorial skills necessary.You live the on mission lifestyle, and we'll do the heavy-lifting when it comes to writing about it.) Looking for a quick read with lasting benefits? Try our departments. Vitals is chock-full of fascinating tidbits for you information-driven folks who thrive on statistics. Resource Review tells about books, videos, CDs, websites and other media--new on the market and classics--useful for the on mission lifestyle. Need a chuckle? Who doesn't! Jest as I am is an occasional humorous feature (and, by the way, how about a contribution from you?). On Mission Christians goes into the hearts of people who are finding innovative ways to share Christ. We reveal how they awakened to their responsibility, adjusted to their role, became active in a form of ministry that uniquely fits them and now advocate this lifestyle for others. Reader Forum/Reader Survey is where you talk back to us--give us a grade, feedback, suggestions --some of which find their way into Letters.

A word is in order about the on mission lifestyle. It's an attitude as well as an activity, an approach to life in response to the Great Commission. It applies principles which build strong people who can then build strong churches. The term on mission applies to people who are intentional about their desire to share Christ with others and who deliberately look for ways to accomplish that. They may begin a new ministry during their spare time--such as a neighborhood Bible study. Or they may simply make it their goal to talk during lunch to that guy at work or their sister-in-law about how their Savior, Jesus, has changed their lives. On mission Christians have a goal of encouraging potential believers to accept God's call, to repent of their sins and to follow Christ, Who died for them.

Readers tell us we're a high-energy publication (being on mission certainly isn't boring, is it?!), and on this page you'll see why. These are some people behind the scenes. (We're lookin' good, don't ya think?) You'll even get to know us through Staff Notes.

We appreciate your encouragement and even your constructive criticisms--they keep us on our toes. Pray that this magazine provides help to equip the growing number of laypeople who are mobilizing, along with professionals such as ministers and missionaries, to bring Christ to everyone in North America. And please enjoy the on mission lifestyle along with us, won't you?

Carolyn Curtis
ccurtis@namb.net