Strike The Match With J. D. Payne

In this episode of Strike the Match, I have the honor of having a conversation with David Joannes about his latest book Gospel Privilege: The Unearned Advantage that’s Meant for Everyone. Privilege is a frequently used word, but seldom applied to gospel conversations. Though more people claim Christianity than any other world religion, the majority […]

If Jesus is building His Church and we are filled with a dynamic Spirit, then we should expect change. Also, we live in a world where change is constant. And with change, we encounter ministry barriers. It is here that leaders must lead with innovation. Throughout history, the Church has often innovated to overcome challenges […]

Peyton Jones is no stranger to the ministry of church planting. After two decades of such kingdom labors in Europe and the United States, his recent book addresses many of the elements involved in this Great Commission activity. In this episode, Jones and I discuss Church Plantology: The Art and Science of Planting Churches. In […]

Season 7, episode 1 is now available! In this initial podcast of the season, I provide several updates since last season and share some important facts from the recently released US Census Data. Percentages and numbers represent individuals and communities. Behind the stats we find cultures and worldviews. While demographics are not the only thing […]

In this second episode of a two-part series, I continue to discuss the ministry of writing and publishing. I specifically address publishing books through traditional publishing houses, indie publishing, and partial-investment publishing. As a hybrid author, I have used each of these paradigms. They have unique strengths and limitations. Listen. Share. Discuss. Go!

Writing and publishing expands your influence in the present and extends your influence into a future (Lord willing) beyond yourself. In part one of this two-part podcast, I address my approach to the ministry of writing and publishing. I share my philosophy on writing and practical methods. Listen. Share. Discuss. Go!

Elders are the most influential people when it comes to churches going to the nations. However, such pastors are busy and often so focused on established church ministry they do not take time to develop the needed apostolic imagination. In this episode, I share 14 thoughts to help church leaders develop an apostolic imagination for […]

Lesslie Newbigin once stated, “there is no higher priority for the research work of missiologists than to ask the question of what would be involved in a genuinely missionary encounter between the gospel and this modern Western culture.” While Newbigin’s words and work led the Church to claim the “West is a mission field,” they […]

The Church has been told to go into all the world and make disciples. The world is a big place. Where should she begin her apostolic work? How does the apostolic imagination relate to the Great Commission and geography? Most mission work occurs among reached people groups. But with 7000 unreached peoples in the world, […]

I return to the discussion of the apostolic imagination in this episode. The majority of evangelicals do not subscribe to an evangelistic priority when it comes to the Church’s missionary activity. The priority is no priority. This is a recent development in history. As twentieth century theologians returned to the Scriptures, the definition of mission […]

One of the most influential U. S. missiologists was David Hesselgrave. After serving in Japan for several years, he was a professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Some of his writings include Planting Churches Cross-Culturally, Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally, and Paradigms in Conflict. Hesselgrave passed away in 2018. Prior to his death, he and his granddaughter, […]

How many apostles are in the Bible? Twelve? Twelve plus Paul? More than that? What about Jesus “the apostle and high priest?” Did apostles cease to exist after the first century or remain today? In this episode, I continue with The Apostolic Imagination series addressing fixed and fluid categories of apostles found in the Scriptures. […]

Mission language forms our ideas and actions. Talking about such language is not a waste of time. Uncertainty abounds when it comes to the language of mission. Definitions are found in the eye of the beholder. Missionary activity is defined as everything from church planting among an unreached people to putting a roof on a […]

With the publication of Transforming Mission (1991), David Bosch acknowledged the Church’s activity in mission has transitioned through several paradigms. His conclusion at the end of the twentieth century was the new paradigm had not arrived but was in the process of development. We are still in this liminal state. What is a possible way […]

The topic of climate change makes the news everyday. Yet, few within the missions community are talking about this matter. John Ferch is an exception. I recently attended the annual Evangelical Missiological Society where I listened to John give a presentation on his experience in Alaska. He provided a fresh and unique perspective, one I […]

Craig Ott is my guest on this episode of Strike the Match. Craig is a professor of Mission and Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. We talk about ecclesiology and missiology as we focus on Craig’s book The Church on Mission: A Biblical Vision for Transformation among All People. The Church is central to […]

Gene Daniels and Warrick Farah are my guests on this episode of the podcast. Many of us are familiar with the Five Pillars of Islam and the faith’s generalities learned in our comparative religion classes. However, our world is comprised of a Muslim mosaic not a monolithic Islam. My guests and I talk about understanding […]

The first Sunday in November marks the Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. On this special episode of Strike the Match, Dr. Gregory Cochran is my guest. Greg is a professor of theology at California Baptist University and author of Christians in the Crosshairs: Persecution in the Bible and around the World. We discuss […]

The gospel has often advanced on the wings of Kingdom innovation. While the Church is not in the business of getting a better product to market faster than the competitor down-the-street, Spirit-led innovation is a divine blessing and necessity in a radically changing world. Jon Hirst, Director of Program Innovation at SIL International, is my […]

My guest in this episode is Nik Ripken, missionary, author, and founder of Nik Ripken Ministries. Ripken is one of the world’s leading experts on the topic of Christian persecution and missions. His travels have taken him to 72 countries where he has interviewed over 600 believers living in persecution. His writings include The Insanity […]