This Christmas, let’s celebrate a God who traded Heaven to gain us. May that joy fill our hearts, so that it overflows into the 3.1 billion people who won’t be celebrating Christmas this year.

n my 18 years with Cafe 1040, I have had the privilege of hearing and seeing stories of lives changed from students who participate in our missions mentorships.

For our students, the people living inside the 10/40 window are no longer an unreached statistic on a page. (3.1 billion to be exact) They are friends they text for coffee dates, they are families they have shared a meal with, and they are people, just like you and me, longing for meaning in this life.

Have you ever wondered how giving a stock gift to a non-profit works? Read this story from our founder to see how your stock gift works for both you and Cafe 1040.

In the book “The Forgotten God” by Francis Chan, he poses the question, “If you could choose between Jesus beside you and the Holy Spirit within you, which would you choose?”

If you would say Jesus beside you, Francis would say that you probably do not truly understand the power of the Holy Spirit.* Don’t beat yourself up though; the original disciples of Jesus did not understand either.

Pray for the Nations, Go to the Nations, Send to the Nations, Welcome Internationals, Mobilize to the nations

The last book of the Bible, Revelation, reads like the script of a weird science fiction movie. It’s the final showdown between good and evil, full of unusual imagery and seemingly cryptic messages. Even the author’s story sounds like the beginning of a Hollywood blockbuster. John was an outcast and part of a rag tag group of troublemakers called the apostles. He even wrote a book about his time as an apostle, which he creatively titled “John.” He fought for his cause his entire life, only to end up exiled on the island of Patmos, where he had a strange vision and encounter with the Lord. 

Ramadan is 30 days set aside every year for Muslims to fast from sun up to sun down. For some places in the world, this could mean over 18 hours of fasting each day. Fasting is one of the five pillars in Islam. It’s a time set aside to focus on prayer and the reading of the Qur’an in an effort to seek God.

What could happen if Christians all over the world began to see Muslims the way God sees them?  What if we all joined in asking Ramadan to be a time Muslims sought God and found His Son Jesus for the first time?

What would it take for you to unapologetically, unreservedly decide to move your life to Saudi Arabia to share the gospel? We believe this next generation of missionaries is uniquely positioned to complete the Great Commission, but the ever-shifting roadmap of missions makes it a difficult task.
 

This is a guest post from our friend Joe at Pioneers.

Sensing God calling you to something crazy, but, in the immortal words of Will Smith, parents just don’t understand? In this, the first of a series exploring barriers to serving in mission, a mission candidate coach explores what is—for many—the first and trickiest obstacle.

With a day dedicated to love approaching, we rounded up three articles that radically counteract the way the world views love.  We know, outside of Christ, love is always self-seeking. But how do we love as Christ loves us? What is the source of this love?

The missions world can be complex and quite confusing. There are long lists of questions, endless applications, hundreds of organizations. How do you know where to begin? Where do you get started?

Moving overseas as a single male or female is scary.

There are fears of loneliness and endless questions that can never truly be answered this side of the pond.

Will I fit in with my team? Will I feel like a burden to the families that are there? Am I giving up on my chance to be married?  How will I make friends when I’m there? Will I be treated differently because I’m single?

The last word Jesus gave His followers was to go and make disciples of all nations. He did not suggest we only share his teachings with people who are not too different and not too set in their ways.

Over the years, we have sat down with numerous mothers, fathers, friends, cousins and coworkers talking about international missions. Inevitably by the end of the conversation, we have ventured onto the question of safety.

Is missions safe? Is where you are living safe? Do you feel safe overseas? Will my son or daughter be safe in your program?

The question comes in many forms but the heart of the question remains the same.

What is the number one reason missionaries pick up, pack up their bags and head back to their home country? Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with finances, homesickness or cultural exhaustion.

Are you curious about what an overseas missions mentorship is like? We could explain the different features of what you will experience but there’s really no better way to learn than from the students themselves.

Most long-term missionaries were first introduced to missions through a short-term trip. Short-term mission trips usually range somewhere between 1-2 weeks and are great opportunities for people in every stage of life to engage in God’s global mission.

An Interview with Cafe 1040’s Executive Director

"Recently, I was invited to attend a seminar at a church for people considering becoming missionaries. The church does this event annually to help its members navigate the process “from the church pew to the overseas location.”  Friends, this is a treacherous journey.  I have heard many missionaries say “getting there was harder than being here!”  

In the last few years, there has been a new wave of opportunities for people to leverage their jobs for gospel advancement. Often called “Marketplace Missions,” this idea refers to taking your career and moving it to a strategic location for the mission of God.

Are you passionate about photography? Do you get excited thinking about a degree in Nursing? Are you pursuing a degree in law?

Missions is not just a topic that is referenced in specific places in the Bible, but instead is a theme can be found from Genesis all the way to Revelation. “Since creation, God has been interested in redeeming all peoples to himself.”  From God’s first command of Adam and Eve to “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28), God has intended for the earth to be filled with worshippers.