August 25, 2026

The SEND U Blog

Reflections and Resources for Lifelong Learning for Missionaries

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Welcoming One Another in Grace
Spiritual Formation, Prayer

Welcoming One Another in Grace

Editor’s note: This blog post is republished by permission of the author, Jack Gilbert. Jack & his wife are missionaries with SEND International in Spain. Jack regularly blogs at I’m Listening to GOD. This particular blog post is part of Jack’s series on the book of Romans. Those whom God receives by grace must welcome others with grace as well. Pastoral intent: Paul wants to demonstrate that not all disagreements are of equal importance. He calls the Roman believers to seek to live together in peace by building each other up in Christ and welcoming one another in the same way Jesus has welcomed them Outline of Romans 14:1 – 15:13 Rom. 14:1–12 — Receive One Another Despite Differences Rom. 14:13–23 —Love One Another Through Self-Restraint Rom. 15:1–7 — Serve One Another Through Self-Sacrifice Rom. 15:8–13 — Glorify God as One People in Christ Context The Changing Makeup of the… Read the whole post
Jack Gilbert6 mins read
A Lifestyle of Prayer and Dependence
Spiritual Formation, Prayer

A Lifestyle of Prayer and Dependence

Editor’s note: This blog post is republished by permission of the author, Jack Gilbert. Jack & his wife are missionaries with SEND International in Spain. Jack regularly blogs at I’m Listening to GOD. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.(1 Thessalonians 5:17-18) We all live busy lives, juggling responsibilities, challenges, and expectations. And in the middle of it, Paul’s words can hit hard: “Pray without ceasing.” At first, that might feel impossible, or even a little unfair. But what if it’s not a rule to follow, but a way of life to enter? Instead of an obligation, what if we are being invited into something better than just getting by? Prayer is the rhythm that sustains the soul, the connection that shapes how we face each day. And that is what Paul wanted to communicate… Read the whole post
Jack Gilbert6 mins read
The Six Conversations: Why Loving Conversations Matter for Cross‑Cultural Missionaries
Book Reviews, Cultural learning

The Six Conversations: Why Loving Conversations Matter for Cross‑Cultural Missionaries

Many missionaries today live with a quiet tension. On the one hand, they are deeply committed to relationships—within teams, churches, and communities across cultures. On the other hand, they often experience relational fatigue, misunderstanding, and isolation, even while surrounded by people. Conversations that once felt natural can become complicated by language barriers, cultural differences, and ministry pressure. Heather Holleman’s book The Six Conversations: Pathways to Connecting in an Age of Isolation and Incivility speaks powerfully into this reality. Rather than offering communication techniques or formulas, Holleman calls for a revival of loving conversations—conversations shaped by posture, not performance; by presence, not persuasion. For those serving cross‑culturally, this message is especially timely. Missionary life places extraordinary relational demands on people, and the quality of our conversations often determines the health of our teams, partnerships, and witness. Understanding the Author’s Perspective Heather Holleman is an associate teaching professor of advanced writing at… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther9 mins read
Self-Theologizing and Church Maturity: Lessons from the Ukrainian Church
Mission Methodologies, Theology, Training, Contextualization, Leadership Training

Self-Theologizing and Church Maturity: Lessons from the Ukrainian Church

Self-Theologizing and Church Maturity A recent blog post highlighted three books written by Christian Ukrainian authors and scholars. In my view, this points to an often-overlooked fourth metric for church maturity. Most church planters are familiar with the traditional criteria for church maturity or an exit strategy. We often look for churches that demonstrate the three “selves”: self-governing, self-supporting, and self-propagating. These three “selves” do not always develop in a linear way. From my observation, Ukrainian churches have shown a strong vision and trajectory for self-propagation. Their progress toward self-sustainability (self-supporting), however, has been less consistent. At times, churches have looked too quickly to the West for financial support. This is simply my perspective. The Ukrainian Church as a Sending Church By 2022, the Ukrainian church was not only self-propagating. In practice, it had also become a sending church. Ukrainian missionaries were already serving among some unreached people groups. The… Read the whole post
Alfie Mosse6 mins read
Reflections on War in Ukraine: Three Essential Books
Books, Book Reviews

Reflections on War in Ukraine: Three Essential Books

Over the years, much of our cross-cultural ministry has been in leadership development (including theological education) in Ukraine. We have had the privilege of learning from and serving with truly gifted Ukrainian colleagues. Now, during war, as citizens of the defending nation and as citizens of heaven, many of our colleagues are sharing their experiences and reflections in print. I want to recommend three books that have been recently published. The three books are: Beatitudes and Terror: A Ukrainian Theological Response to Russian Aggression edited by Oleksandr Geychenko, Roman Soloviy, and Yevgeny Ustinovich Light in the Valley of the Shadow of Death: Stories of Ukrainian Christians During the War edited by Roman Soloviy Serving God Under Siege: How War Transformed a Ukrainian Community by Valentyn Syniy Beatitudes and Terror The foreword of Beatitudes and Terror says, “The book you’re holding right now is an endeavor by eight Ukrainian evangelical theologians… Read the whole post
Alfie Mosse9 mins read
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