Last week, we finalized some things related to how I will be working for and representing the International Mission Board. Jerry Rankin and I visited a minute and he started the conversation, "Aren't you working for me now?"

Yep. Sure am. The IMB has contracted with LifeWay for part of my time.

And, I am ready to help more and more of our churches be working along with Jerry toward that Great Commission. (Does that make us Jerry's kids?)

Both Jerry Rankin, President of the IMB, and John Floyd, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, know that we need all hands on deck for the Great Commission. As such, I will be helping them to connect with all kinds of biblically faithful churches in our denomination to involve them in global mission. So many of our innovative churches have been sidelined because they have been marginalized in a denominational culture that, well, just does not know what to think of them. The IMB thinks that if they affirm our faith statement and want to change the world through Church Planting Movements, it is the IMB's job to help... and I am a small part of that process.

I will do that in several ways.

First, whenever I speak in a SBC setting (or in settings with a large SBC contingency), I will bring greetings from both LifeWay and the IMB, and share information about both. As a matter of fact, we will be sharing printed info about both organizations when I speak. For example, when I speak in Texas this year at the missional ministry summit the SBTC is planning, I will encourage the Texas pastors to get on mission in Texas AND in Turkmenistan.

It just makes sense we would work together.

How can you encourage pastors to be missional and evangelistic here and not the uttermost parts? It is one mission-- the only question is "where?" and "among whom?"!

I will also be taking two global trips a year to IMB regions to speak and train at missionary meetings. These two trips will be part of the 15 days a year I will serve with the IMB. I would love to do more, but I have a great family that I like to see and they live in Nashville-- plus, I have got to keep selling the Bibles back at LifeWay.

But, these international trips will be a little different than my typical speaking engagement. I want to bring some of you along.

I need some pastors who fear nothing but God, know nothing but Jesus and Him crucified, are willing to go into the hard places, don't want to take a choir tour and call it church planting, and want to engage in these regions in the facilitation of Church Planting Movements.

The first trip will be to Spain in February (probably the 1st through the 10th). We would like 10 pastors who want to reach postmodern Europe to come. The second will be in Central Asia next fall and we will need a different group there.

So, if you are serious about being missional, let's go do it together in postmodern Europe and pre-modern Asia.

Email me at RESEARCH@LIFEWAY.COM and I will send you more information about the application process (no, we are not paying your way, we are just screening you to be sure you fit the above description... grin).

One more IMB related reminder: I will be representing LifeWay and the IMB at the Catalyst Conference. You can find more info here.