Misión en Conjunto

by David Wesley A recent article in The Guardian questions how efforts to raise funds for Africa such as the recent Band Aid video often portrays the difference between Africans and those giving the funding in disparaging ways. Conducting research that supports A Common Mission led to some unexpected discoveries.  One of these was the way that Africans perceived their partners in the U.S. and conversely how those in the U.S. perceived their partners in Africa. Beyond interviews I collected videos, articles and other information in which those in the U.S. described their partners in Africa. Relationships that are heavily dependent on donors affect how congregations frame the ‘other’. Stories that are told and images used for securing funds may frame people in the host country in ways that depict the enormous difference between the donor and the recipient demonstrating bleak situations through the use of pictures that emphasize the extreme poverty.  An issue of the Int...

by David Wesley     Money is often a major part of partnerships. When misused money can produce dependency and ultimately do more harm than good. Conversely, as I have described in A Common Mission , money can also provide unimaginable, lifesaving opportunities.       The following are some pointers for unhealthy as well as healthy uses of money.     

A Common Mission is now available on Google Books.  This is a great way to search through the book.   A Common Mission on Google Books

-David Wesley I n earlier posts I have defined five patterns for healthy partnerships. I will be at a large church this weekend that invited me to speak to their congregation about aspects from my book A Common Mission that would help them as they begin a new partnership. I have chosen to re-frame the five patterns in terms of marriage counseling for congregations in two different cultures. There are many parallels since marriage is a cross-cultural partnership. Most important is the fourth pattern that reminds us that any successful partnership between congregations or individuals focuses on God and His mission.  The following are some of my power point slides that I will be using:

by David Wesley   The Rat Trap (Author Unknown) A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? He was aghast to discover that it was a rat trap. Retreating to the barnyard the rat proclaimed the warning; “There’s a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!” The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Excuse me, Mr. Rat, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.” The rat turned to the pig and told him, “There’s a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!” “I am so very sorry Mr. Rat,” sympathized the pig, “but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured that you are in my prayers.” The rat turned to the cow. She said, “Like wow, Mr. Rat. a rat trap. I am in grave danger. Duh?” So the rat returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s rat trap alone. That very night a so...

  I am grateful to Robert Priest who is the president of the American Missiological Society , and was the first reader for my Ph.D dissertation at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School for writing the foreword to the book. Dr. Priest has done significant research in related areas as mine and his insight gives an important framework for the book.  The following excerpt from  A Common Mission  is used with permission from Wipf &Stock Publishers.