Articles published in the monthly Together in Prayer newsletter.
Organizations like ours don’t simply descend from the sky. We are immersed in a story larger than ourselves. We are threads in a larger fabric. We have “taken root downward,” to borrow an image from Isaiah, that we might “bear … (read more)
While driving through the farmland of North Dakota, my father would sometimes comment on how the soil seemed less black than when he was farming. He attributed this unfortunate fact to erosion and the depletion of nutrients over years of … (read more)
We all stand somewhere. Everything must rest on something. This is true for people, projects, churches, nations – mission organizations, too. We stand upon foundations. Our milepost this month takes us to the very foundation of the World Mission Prayer … (read more)
I was thinking about cows the other day. You may wonder what brings a city slicker to think about cows, out in the suburbs in the middle of the afternoon. It wasn’t anything spiritual, at first. I was daydreaming about … (read more)
Over the past few months, we have described a series of historical “mileposts” marking our journey as a missionary community through the years. This month takes us to Bible camp along the shores of Lake Independence, just west of the … (read more)
Years ago, when I began preparing for the mission field, I overheard a member of a potential donor body say, “I don’t want to support an accountant.” “Real” missionaries, he must have thought, are evangelists, church planters, teachers, doctors, and … (read more)
In July, we arrive at another milepost in the winding history of our missionary community. On July 7, 1945, the World Mission Prayer League was legally incorporated in the State of Minnesota. It may seem a small step, and I … (read more)
Last month, I reported that we were implementing a change to our retirement plan. We introduced a 50% matching contribution to what our missionaries themselves deposit into their retirement accounts, hoping to encourage them to save. The change is now … (read more)
Over the past few months, we have identified a handful of mileposts marking our journey as a missionary community through the years. In April, we marked the conversion of Hans Nielsen Hauge: Hauge came to faith on April 5, 1796. … (read more)
How should a Christian view retirement? In our Finance Committee, we have been thinking about this a lot. A recent survey of our missionaries revealed concerns about the Prayer League’s retirement plan and whether it is adequate. Prayer League missionaries … (read more)