Page 3288 – Christianity Today (2024)

Why is follow-up important?

This question takes us back to the purpose of short term mission ministry. Why do most teams go out in the first place? What were they hoping to accomplish? Most of the time at least one of the team’s goals is to experience spiritual growth. You’re really going to struggle to accomplish that goal if you don’t do follow-up. We come back to a busy life in this culture. We’ve had our mission experience, but then we have to get back to bills that need to be paid, and work that needs to be done. We can’t properly process the experience we had because we’re so busy. Serving your partner community should be the primary reason for going on the trip. But personal growth is important too. And if you have any hope for growth, you will not attain it without a good follow-up program.

In the months leading up to a mission, it’s relatively easy to keep people excited about the trip. But when you come back, that enthusiasm tends to fade. What are some of the practical ways you suggest doing follow-up?

One idea is to have the team members write themselves a letter at the end of the trip. These letters can be about what they’ve learned and what they want to see changed in their own lives. Then they put the letters in envelopes, seal them, and put their own address on it, but they don’t mail them. The leader collects them and the leader sends it to all of them three months later.

It’s important to have follow-up done in phases. There should be something done immediately when they return because “reentry” can be overwhelming for some people. And then you need follow-up a week or two out, and then a few weeks after that and then maybe a few months down the road. Have them articulate some goals early: “This is what I think God taught me, this is what I believe he’s leading me to change in my life.” It could be a whole scope of things; you don’t have to put any parameters around that. Have people share with their team and maybe with a mentor who has been assigned to help them through this process. The next time they come together they can share how they’re doing at accomplishing those goals. This is simply for encouragement, not to make anyone feel badly. But as they mutually encourage each other towards those goals, they start to experience real change with the Lord’s help.

It’s also important to just help them process the experience. Give them good questions to journal on when they get back “How was your trip?” is not helpful. That’s too broad. They don’t know where to start. Give them open-ended questions, such as, “Was there anything that you learned about God? Was there anything you learned about yourself? What were some highlights? What was difficult? What was a typical day like?” Just get them expressing their experience and reflecting. Many of us really don’t know how to stop and reflect because we are not living in a reflective culture. We don’t lead contemplative lives so we have to be intentional about processing our experiences.

How can a leader guard against having team members creating a narrative that is romanticized or too idealistic?

When my students return, in the first reentry session, I talk about the danger of setting goals that are not achievable. I will give them a list, “These are some of the possible ways you may be thinking you want to change.” Then I’ll encourage them to pick one or two of the ways they hope to change. We talk quite a bit about expectations throughout the program so that they’re expectations before they go are released and surrendered. I often tell them, “You may know someone who’s been completely transformed by a short term mission, and that does happen, but what often happens is more incremental change.” So we just explain that incremental change is a valid option. We’re not expecting complete transformation of everyone who went. Sometimes they feel like a radical change is what’s expected of them by those who organized the trip or those who receive them back.

Can you talk about how establishing a partnership with your host community aids in the process of follow-up and long-term change for the members?

When my Paraguay teams come back this coming February, there are two previous Paraguay team members still around. A few have graduated, but not all. So we have students who went to Paraguay who are on campus, and it’s the same for every other trip we do. So right there you have students who have had a similar experience. So it builds some continuity. It helps the ones who went months ago to remain engaged with what’s going on in Paraguay, and they don’t feel like no one understands the experience but them. Because of our partnership focus, we have these leaders from the field come visit Taylor, so there’s another opportunity for them to remain engaged. So both groups, the Taylor and the host group, can remember what God did together, and then can think again about what he wants to do with them now. It cements those lessons from the Lord, for both sides.

Tell me about the Standards of Excellence, these guidelines for short term missions that you’ve been part of creating.

It’s a volunteer set of mission leaders from around the U.S. The concept of a code of best practices for short term missions was in the minds of a lot of different mission leaders in the nineties. There were a lot of informal conversations at short term mission conferences in the hallways about how we really needed something to call people to excellence. So this ad hoc committee of volunteers was formed. It was totally grassroots and whenever we would get stuck, we would just pray, “We don’t know what to do. This is so hard to work through.”

We tried to keep the standards very principle-based so they could be applied to any type of short term mission, and that was difficult. There were some people that were adamant that we had to include exactly how evangelism should be done. But ultimately we felt like that would be getting prescriptive, and we wanted to keep it principle-based, so it could be used in a variety of contexts. There are about eighty organizations that have adopted the standards. About half of those have gone through the peer review and become covenant members. It’s not the number that we would like. Financially, we can barely sustain ourselves; this whole thing is now done by volunteers. But I’ve talked to many people here who have said, “You know what, I actually measure my program against the standards. We will probably not adopt them since we don’t have the resources to do a peer review or pay the annual fee of $135, but we are using them.” I would just love for the forty thousand churches sending short term mission groups to take a look at the standards and use them as a guide as well.

There's plenty to excite your imagination when you're planning a short-term missions trip: The ministry of your work in the field, the spiritual growth of your group, the opportunity to support a missionary, and to share the love of Christ with people around the world. And there are many details to nail down, including flights, transportation, and accommodations, among others.

But months of planning cannot prevent the unexpected from interrupting even the most meticulously planned itinerary. It only takes a moment—a turned back, a missed stop sign, even just being in the wrong place at the wrong time—and suddenly you find yourself in a dreaded "worst-case scenario" you didn't think would ever happen to you. But by preparing for these unlikely situations before you leave, you can replace panic with a carefully crafted immediate response plan that makes the most of available resources.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for any given problem. Before you leave, be sure to research the destination, especially when the trip takes you across borders. Good resources include the host country's U.S. consulate and U.S. embassy.

"Definitely gather all the information—there's a lot of information available through the State Department," advises Eric Spacek, senior risk manager at GuideOne Insurance. "Reach out to the missionaries in the field who are aware of the community and the surroundings and the lay of the land there—gather information from them as well. Then sit down before you go to create a plan on what to do in the event of an illness, or accident, or any of these situations."

Preparedness is all about asking the right questions, both before you leave and in the field when the situation occurs. The following "worst-case scenarios" can help guide your thinking on what questions to ask now so you can act calmly and swiftly should one happen.

Worst-Case Scenario #1: Something is stolen.

You turn your back for one minute, and it's gone: your laptop, your camera, your sound equipment—even a round-the-clock guarding of your most valuable possessions cannot guarantee that you won't become a victim of theft. As soon as you notice something is missing:

• Alert your group and anyone else you may be working with;
• Search your possessions, quarters, property, vehicles, and anywhere else you may have visited to be sure it wasn't accidentally left behind;
• Check with the host family if you are staying with one, says Monnie Brewer, president of the National Association of Missions Pastors. "Don't be surprised if your hosts dig through your suitcase or take things out of your room, backpack, or purse. If you stay at their home, everything you have is theirs, because everything they have is yours, too.";
• When you are sure that the item has been stolen, report the theft. "Touch base with the missionary in the field about what to do," Spacek says. "The State Department would recommend that you first make a report with local authorities. They can also offer some sort of assistance. They offer themselves as a resource for American citizens who are victims of crimes in a foreign country."

Personal possessions are generally covered by homeowners insurance, and the team member should contact their carrier to report the theft. However, if you are traveling abroad with valuable items that belong to the church, such as sound equipment, or that belong to someone else, such as gifts destined for an orphanage, then you may want to pursue an inland marine policy, which releases the transporter from responsibility for the moving property.

"If we currently have a policy with a church, it's very easy to write that endorsem*nt off the church's existing policy," says Mike Ummel, Passport to Ministry manager at Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company. Before you leave, identify any items you want covered and contact your insurance company with the value of the items, as well as when and where you will be traveling.

The best way to prepare for theft, of course, is to prevent it from happening. "The first question to ask yourself is, 'Do you really need that stuff?'" says John Potts, executive vice president of YouthWorks, which organizes short-term missions trips for youth groups. Make sure your group members know that anything they bring may be stolen, and encourage them to bring only what they absolutely need.

Some valuable items, however, are essential, including travel documents. Always carry multiple copies of important forms and identification. "If your passport is stolen, you can take your documents to the nearest U.S. embassy and get your new passport sooner. If anyone asks to hold your passport, give them a copy; never give them the original," Brewer says.

Before you leave, coach your group in some basic precautionary methods:

• Do not flash money or expensive objects, especially in public places;
• Carry all cash, important documents, and smaller expensive equipment on your body (a money belt worn underneath clothes works well);
• As much as possible, avoid leaving luggage, electronics, and expensive equipment unattended in vehicles, even when vehicles are locked;
• Try to keep your expensive belongings within view at all times;
• Be aware of your surroundings—thieves and pickpockets may create diversions to distract attention.

Worst-Case Scenario #2: A vehicle crashes.

Auto insurance for any vehicle, including rentals, is essential for a trip. If you are in the United States, make certain your church or organization has insurance for the vehicle and that all drivers are covered.

In the case of an accident, seek medical attention for any injured parties first. Before you leave on a trip, identify who you will contact for medical assistance if there is an accident.

"We would recommend that, much like with your vehicle here in the States, you carry around an accident pack that contains all the information (authorities) might need," Spacek says. After the accident occurs, be sure to collect witness statements, witness names, and that type of information. These items will help file an insurance claim back in the States.

For international travel, research the laws regarding minimum coverage for each country visited because those laws vary. Even if you borrow a car from a local missionary or national, make sure you are covered to drive it. Local insurance on the vehicle itself should be sufficient, but many countries have very low medical limits and liability for any third parties that may be involved. Before you leave, ask your travel insurance provider about additional liability insurance, which is called "auto contingent liability," to protect the insured against any medical and legal costs incurred by an involved third party.

Worst-Case Scenario #3: Someone gets sick or hurt.

First things first: in the case of an emergency, seek medical attention right away. Go to the hospital, get help, and then worry about insurance.

But before you even leave, it's essential to identify the best hospitals in the areas you plan to travel, using help from local missionaries and your insurance company. If you're not connected to a local missionary, "the State Department offers a list of physicians and hospitals in each of those countries. They don't recommend any particular facility, but they provide a listing," Spacek says.

Also, familiarize yourself with the country's medical system, which may include some key differences from what you're used to. "In Canada, for example," Potts says, "when you go to the ER, they're going to ask for a credit card. They will not take your insurance, they're not going to bill you, they will refuse service to you until payment is rendered."

If you are in the U.S., follow up with the individual's medical insurance. Before leaving, trip participants should verify that their provider offers adequate coverage. "Talk about it a lot ahead of time," Brewer says. "Many people have medical coverage that may have hospitals in various parts of the world, especially in parts of Asia and Europe."

Be sure to ask plenty of questions about participants' medical coverage before you leave. "Being out-of-network is one thing, but being out of the country is another," Ummel says. "I called my major medical carrier when I was going to Brazil and they said I was covered. But when I started asking deeper questions, 'covered' meant the co-pay went from 20/80 to 50/50. For the price you'd pay for supplemental travel insurance, you'd better take it. They typically range from $20 per trip, to $70, depending on which policy you get. But when you add that in to the cost of the mission trip, it's not very much for the peace of mind."

One benefit of supplemental travel insurance: Most carriers will evacuate the most serious cases back to the U.S. According to Ummel, this is not typically covered by standard domestic insurance for an overseas situation. To make the most of these benefits, be sure that each individual carries an insurance card. Most carriers list a 24-hour help line on the card; call this number once the individual is in stable condition.

For less severe illnesses, create a plan in advance for where you can house and care for the ill. "Isolation has become huge for us in providing a place to where someone with a fever can be separated from the rest of the group," Potts says. "We've recently dealt with H1N1 and norovirus. Be really responsive and attentive to why someone's running a fever or displaying symptoms. Are other people feeling the same way? Find out the source, and isolate it."

Good hygiene practices, such as washing hands regularly and not sharing food or drinks, also are extremely important whenever traveling, whether anyone in the group is ill or not.

Worst-Case Scenario #4: Someone gets arrested or detained by local authorities.

Research the laws of destination countries ahead of time and prepare the team to remain within them. "Talk through these things and become aware of the laws and customs of the land; they may be significantly different than those in the United States," Spacek says. For this information, contact the host country's consulate in the U.S. as well as the U.S. embassy in the host country.

Regardless of your preparations, misunderstandings—and accidents—can occur. "We had some doctors that were thrown in jail because the person they operated on passed away and the government was saying they were responsible for the death, and they locked them up," Ummel says.

In situations like those, do not panic, and do not resist authority.

"A lot of it's really out of a lack of understanding how to communicate," Potts says. "We've told people to remain calm, and to get someone who speaks (the native language) to the scene to help translate. At that time, just be submissive to the authority of the police and to find out what they're looking for."

Be particularly careful at airports, where you may run into problems with visas or security. Brewer advises groups to have a local missionary or a local contact travel with them as far as possible through the airport so they can help communicate with authorities if a problem arises.

If the situation is not resolved through communication, legal help may be needed. Most travel insurance policies include 24-hour legal advice hotlines. The State Department can also provide such services, but it will cost you if you don't have insurance. Before you leave, make certain you have these numbers written down and readily accessible.

Worst-Case Scenario #5: Someone is the victim of armed robbery, an act of violence, or kidnapping.

As the situation unfolds, safety is key.

"Don't struggle," Ummel says. "Give them your money, your passport, or your wallet."

This applies no matter the destination. After the threat passes, and any medical issues are addressed, report the incident to local authorities. "Evaluate the situation to make sure that this is just a random act," Potts says. "Ask if the site needs to be closed and everyone needs to be sent home due to the lack of safety." You can work with the host missionary and local authorities to assess the situation.

If you require legal advice, contact your travel insurance provider. The State Department can also help Americans who are victims of crime overseas. No two situations are exactly the same, but these resources can walk you through the process, provide legal advice and, if necessary, representation.

Before you leave, be sure to coach your group members about reducing their vulnerabilities to potential thieves and kidnappers. Some preventive advice: Don't flash cash or expensive possessions, especially in public. Don't tell others where you are staying. And be sure to keep doors and windows of vehicles and accommodations locked at all times.

Show Sensitivity

Should one of these worst-case scenarios occur, leaders must remember the emotional tolls their trip members may experience, Potts says. But it's equally important not to let the incident overshadow any good outcomes from the trip, he says.

"A lot of times, people feel like they've been victimized by the community. You cannot take this one event and say, 'It was a bad mission trip because the community didn't protect me,'" he says.

Leaders of the trip should acknowledge an injustice when it occurs, he says, then help the individual move past the incident to embrace the positive elements of the trip.

This article first appeared on our sister site, ManagingYourChurch.com, which provides leaders with authoritative information and resources on church management. For additional safety resources related to short-term missions trips, be sure to check out Planning Safe Missions Trips and International Safety Overseas, two electronic training guides from our sister site the Church Law & Tax Store.

Round Trip Missions spoke with T.V. Thomas, Director of the Centre for Evangelism & World Mission.

You grew up in Malaysia, so you’re no stranger to other religions. How should Christians respond to the growing number, specifically of Muslims, in the United States and Canada?

Number one, I think we need to deal with our fear issue. I think a lot of Christians are fearful of all Muslims, and that’s because it’s formed by images on the screen and rhetoric in the media about what’s happening overseas. This fear is counterproductive when relating to Muslims. A lot of Christians don’t realize that most Muslims are nominal, and nominal Muslims are more apt to respond to the gospel if they can see Christianity lived out for them.

What are some of the obstacles Christians face in relating to Muslims?

Most Muslims think that Western Christianity is bankrupt. So that’s one problem. From their perspective, Western society has become morally degenerate. They have a point. And unfortunately, they see this as a reflection on Christianity in general. After all, the West is a so-called “Christian” society. So my first piece of advice for Christians is not to use the word “Christian.” I describe myself as a diligent follower of Christ. “Christian” means a lot of things. But identifying as a diligent follower of Christ suggests the kind of relationship I have and the faith I live by. And that really throws Muslims. It saves me from having to defend somebody else’s activity, somebody else’s lifestyle.

When talking to a Muslim, is it best to start with similarities between the faiths? Should a Christian focus on the common moral ground? Or is it better to delineate the differences up front?

No, definitely don’t start with the differences. There is a lot of common ground. The Bible clearly calls for holiness, righteousness, and prayer. It also stresses the importance of the family. These are all commonalities that we should focus on. Of course, talking about these similarities often leads to discussion of the differences, but I think we need to focus on the similarities first. Muslims often use theological issues as a smoke screen. And I feel that when you relate to Muslims, you should appreciate some of the aspects of Islam—for instance, that they take daily prayer seriously.

Once you’ve established a rapport by talking about the commonalities between your faiths, how do you broach the differences? How do you talk about Jesus?

They have a great respect for Christ. I talk to them about Islam. That’s when they find out that they didn’t know Islam as they think they do. They are blown away because they thought they knew the Koran. I let them read in their own language what the Koran affirms about Jesus. Most of them don’t know their own scriptures.

This is kind of a hot-button topic, and I know a lot of good people that fall on either side of this, but can you say to a Muslim that as Christians we worship the same god?

I would say we have the same name, but the God of the Bible is far different from the god of Islam. So at the beginning of our conversation, if a Muslim wants to use the name Allah, I’ll give him room for that and not go and say, “Oh, you can’t use Allah. Allah and God are not the same.” You don’t go and fight over it at the beginning because then you don’t have any starting point. So I would say to a Muslim, “We can refer to Allah, but we need to carefully look at the God of the Bible and Allah that you refer to.” Both have one common thing: they are supreme, but there are other attributes that make God and Allah different. Always start from where people are at.

For the average pastor out there who wants to reach out to Muslim people in their neighborhood, what can they do practically as a church to reach out to Muslims?

The Muslim woman is the key. They are not accessible because they do not always freely interact with others outside the home, but Christian women can reach out to them in their homes. Most Muslim women are stuck at home. But to go there and learn about their cooking and show them how to bake, or have women over to your house when their husbands are gone and say, “I’m going to teach some baking, some cooking.” Women from the Middle East jump at this sort of offer. Stick to baking because it’s neutral. Don’t work with meat and halal food. Baking is neutral. The other opportunity to serve them is teaching ESL (English as a second language). Hold lessons at a location outside the church environment. Most Muslim women will not come to a church, or their husbands won’t let them to go to church. But if you run ESL just for women in a neutral place, you sidestep those obstacles.

It’s an all-too-familiar scenario: A person wants to participate in an upcoming short-term missions trip and asks the church for the financial support they need in order to go. Donors from the church respond with a heartfelt desire to support the cause and the individual.

The question is, Can someone make a gift to support an individual going on a short-term missions trip?

It depends, says Dan Busby, president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

A gift restricted for a particular missions trip generally qualifies for a tax deduction; it’s no different than a gift restricted for the building fund, he says. The challenge comes when a gift for a missions trip is identified with a specific individual. If the donor only expresses a preference or desire that the gift be used to fund a certain individual, the sponsoring church generally has sufficient discretion and control over the gift to qualify it for a tax deduction. “However, a gift that is restricted for an individual generally doesn’t provide sufficient discretion and control to the church and does not qualify for a charitable gift deduction or a charitable gift receipt,” Busby says.

How problematic is a church’s lack of discretion and control over a missions trip-related gift? Consider this: Sally and Johnny both need to raise $1,000 for the same trip. Sally raises $1,100 through restricted gifts, while Johnny raises only $900. The church cannot take the extra $100 from Sally’s collections to cover Johnny’s shortfall, Busby says, because the nondeductible gifts are restricted for Sally and Johnny, respectively. However, if Sally raises $1,100 and Johnny raises $900 for the missions trip, but the gifts are only preferenced for Sally or Johnny, the church generally has sufficient discretion and control over the funds to use the money to cover the expenses of both trip participants. Moreover, the gifts qualify for charitable deductions.

Busby says the question of restricted gifts arises more frequently as church leaders look to individuals to come up with the money for domestic and international short-term missions trips as a way to avoid sapping budget resources.

So how can churches still encourage individuals to raise money? Busby, author of Donor-Restricted Gifts Simplified, suggests the following:

Support letters sent out to the congregation should explicitly say that any gifts will go toward the missions trip, and that the church maintains full discretion over how those funds are used for the trip. This establishes the trip’s connection to the church’s charitable purpose, and lets the donor know the church controls how the money will be used.

The response coupon included with the letter should repeat the same information…

If a donor insists on helping a specific individual, the donor needs to indicate the money is for the trip first and foremost, with a preference that it be used on behalf of that individual, if possible.

This article originally appeared in our sister publication Leadership Journal, © 2009 by Christianity Today International. For more articles like this, visit leadershipjournal.net.

Travel safety is sometimes taken for granted. But taking adequate precautions needs to be a priority before any church travel. Winter weather can add dimensions that require even more planning, especially when children and youth are involved. Follow these recommendations to help prevent accidents and injuries.

Vehicle Selection

When selecting vehicles, whether church or privately owned, the issue is always safety. A mechanic should check all features, such as tires, battery, fluids, ignition system, heater, brakes, defroster, thermostat, lights, flashing hazard lights, exhaust system, and seatbelts.

Driver Selection

A vehicle is safe only in the hands of a safe driver. All drivers for church events should be carefully selected and screened. Also, drivers should be trained to handle the vehicles they will be operating. Let’s face it, shuttles, vans, and other large vehicles are significantly different than small cars. The stakes are too high and the potential liability too great to not to take these precautions.

Before You Travel

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death during winter storms. It is important to know what is ahead of you, prepare for the worst, and know what to do in any situation. This means taking time to prepare your route. Have a method for checking weather so you can adjust your times or travel routes. The following are other supplies you may want to consider having on hand: scraper/brush, booster cables, bottled water, bright-colored flag, blankets, first aid kit with pocket knife, flashlights with extra batteries, rain gear, small sack of sand for traction, and small tool kit.

Traveling Safe

Once on the road, always have a Plan B. Weather, poor road conditions, and road closings may cause you to delay or even abandon travel. Make sure you have a contingency plan that keeps everyone safe. By taking these precautions during travel, you can dramatically reduce the likelihood of accidents, injuries, or fatalities. Take the initiative.

Country Profiles

Encyclopedic resources about population, climate, geography, and history.

CIA World Factbook

• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
• From their site: “The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities. Our Reference tab includes: maps of the major world regions, as well as Flags of the World, a Physical Map of the World, a Political Map of the World, and a Standard Time Zones of the World map.”

Library of Congress Country Studies

• http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html
• Has very detailed information about every country’s history, which is helpful since the World Factbook is lacking in historical information.

BBC News

• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profiles/default.stm
• Profiles each country and has basic facts, but has helpful information about political leaders and current events.

Development

Articles and statistics about the state of development in each country.

Eldis

• http://www.eldis.org/go/country-profiles
• Abstracts and full reports about the key issues in health policy and development. The academic and technical language makes for challenging reading but the in-depth information is useful.

UNICEF

• http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html
• Specific information about issues facing children in each country.

Break

Cultural Tips

Advice on acceptable social rules, standard customs, and etiquette in different nations.

Cultural Crossing

• http://www.culturecrossing.net/index.php
• Short, very general tips for different countries

Kwitessential

• http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/country-profiles.html

• Detailed tips on customs and cultures

Religious Atmosphere

Information about unreached people groups, persecution, and religious freedom.

Joshua Project

• http://www.joshuaproject.net/index.php
• Interactive tools to inform you about unreached peoples in your country of choice.

Persecution.org

• http://www.persecution.org/suffering/country_info.php
• Lists countries where persecution is taking place and links to the State Department’s religious freedom reports.

Open Doors

• http://www.opendoorsusa.org/content/view/962/21/
• Lists short descriptions of the 50 countries where the most persecution is taking place and gives prayer points.

Voice of the Martyrs

• http://www.persecution.net/countryreports.htm
• Lists a short history of the presence of Christianity in each country, as well as prayer points.

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Health

Recommendations for vaccinations and information about general health concerns.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

• http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/
• Comprehensive list of destinations and information about how to prepare for a visit to each one.

World Health Organization:

• http://www.who.int/ith/en/index.html
• Similar to the CDC travel page, this page provides info about vaccinations and such.

• http://www.who.int/countries/en/
• This page has links to each country’s health statistics…infant mortality, access to clean water, etc. Useful in educating your team about the overall state of the country, but not useful as to how to safeguard their own health while they’re there.

Travel

Advice about passports, visas, travel warnings, and things to watch out for in each country.

U.S. State Department

• http://www.state.gov/travel/
• The first place for U.S. citizens to seek information on passports, visas, travel advisories, and emergency information.

The Lonely Planet

• http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
• Tons of travel tips, even though the intended audience seems to be tourists.

Author Alice Hoffman has said this about her popular pre-teen novel, Aquamarine: “If I’m asked if Aquamarine is only for children, I would have to say no. This is a book I wrote … to remind myself that no matter how difficult it is to say goodbye, it is still possible for the power of friendship to triumph and for love to be the final victory.”

True to her vision, the movie adaptation of Aquamarine is a sweet and relatable story about friendship, sacrifice and love. And while it’s definitely made for girls between 10 and 14 (complete with cartoon bubbles, fast-forward filming, and a Radio Disney soundtrack), its message and charm won’t be lost on many viewers. Neither will its humor—there are many authentically laugh-out-loud scenes. Older teens may say they’d rather be caught dead than seen at this film, but most will walk away pleased and with much to relate to (even if they won’t admit it).

Best friends Hailey (Joanna `JoJo’ Levesque) and Claire (Emma Roberts) share a secret

The movie begins with soon-to-be 8th graders Hailey (Joanna Levesque) and Claire (Emma Roberts) trying to make the very most of their summer—and their last few weeks together. In just days, Hailey is moving to Australia. Crushed that they will soon be separated, the best friends spend almost every waking hour together—either ogling the hunky high school lifeguard Raymond (Jake McDorman) or dreading the big move that’ll leave them both alone. They wish for a way to stay together.

Their prayers seem answered when a hurricane washes ashore Aquamarine (Sara Paxton), a mermaid who needs their help. Arranged to marry a merman she doesn’t love, Aquamarine has struck a deal with her father: If she can prove—in three days—that the fabled notion of love does exist, he will let her out of the betrothal. When she sets her eyes on Raymond, Hailey and Claire strike a deal of their own: If they get Raymond to pledge his love to Aquamarine in three days, Aquamarine will make their biggest wish come true—Hailey won’t move.

The film’s greatest treasure is the sweet and real relationship between Claire and Hailey. It’s so easy to believe these two girls have a supportive, fun and comfortable friendship that started long before the opening credits. But the main reason this relationship feels authentic is that each of them is a very real and relatable pre-teen character. They are normal, un-Hollywood girls with fears, dreams, insecurities, emotional scars, and lots of laughter. They are extremely relatable. Everyone has felt like these girls—a bundle of mixed emotions from excitement and joy in life itself to insecurity and fear about the future. And everyone has wanted a best friend like they have. Everyone has also wanted a friend like Aquamarine—not with a tail fin, but one who is confident, self-assured, challenging and affirming. Together, the three of them learn and grow. Claire discovers that life is not something to fear, but to be friends with. Hailey learns to put aside her anger and selfishness to see a bigger world. And Aquamarine finds that love does exist.

What is unexpected and refreshing about Aquamarine is that it doesn’t follow typical teen movie conventions in its search for love. Just when you think the movie is about to preach the flawed gospel of instant and magical Hollywood love (the kind that occurs in just three days and is pledged with a kiss under fireworks), the film ends with a strong statement about undying friendship, sacrifice, and the beauty of unanswered prayers. Instead of praising romantic love as the end-all-be-all, the movie lifts up the unconditional love shared between families and friends. In fact, the love that defines Aquamarine is straight out of 1 Corinthians 13: It cares more for others than self, loves at all times, puts up with anything, isn’t always “me first,” and never dies.

The movie isn’t flawless. It loses steam for a while around the three-quarters mark. There’s a spiritual problem with Hailey jokingly praying to the “gods of love” and the “gods of hurricanes”—and an implication these prayers may actually bring help. There are some typical pre-teen movie goofy performances as well. While Levesque, Roberts and Paxton carry the movie with endearing and only rarely uneven moments, the acting of snooty villain Cecilia (Arielle Kebbel) and her whole clan of cronies is way too over-the-top and clichéd. In addition, by portraying the popular girls as beautiful, stick-thin, and too revealing—even if poking fun at them—the movie may unintentionally reinforce the cultural claim that this is what makes one have worth.

At the same time, the movie scores a major victory in reaching its audience with the all-too-important message that they are fine just the way they are. Besides showcasing two wonderfully normal girls who don’t focus on outside changes to grow as people, the movie ends with a wonderful sequence in which Aquamarine gives her new friends very special starfish earrings. Not only are these fetching accessories very complementary to any outfit, they are also very complimentary to the wearer. Hailey’s talking earrings whisper to her, “Hailey is beautiful inside and out.” Claire’s rave as well: “Claire glows from the inside. She is so courageous.”

This self-esteem boost is what every pre-teen needs. And the message that loving yourself and those around you is more important than romance—even with hunky Raymond—is indeed the film’s final victory.

Talk About It

Discussion starters

1. Hailey and Claire are consumed by boys and reading up on how to find love. What do you think they’d say at the end of the movie about what really matters?
2. Who are you most like: Hailey, Claire or Aquamarine? Why? What lessons do they learn that you most need to learn?
3. Why would it benefit you to have starfish earrings like Claire and Hailey have? Why do we need reminders that we are wonderful inside and out? Who in your life is kind of like those complimenting earrings? What does God think of you? (Read Eph. 2:10, Gal. 3:26, Eph. 4:2)
4. Hailey is determined to not move to Australia for most of the movie. What changes her mind about the move, her mom and her mom’s new job? What does Hailey’s final decision say about how she feels about her mom? What do you think she’d say to her mom when she returns home from the final scene of the movie?
5. Aquamarine finds such simple joy in small things like having legs and eating cotton candy. What small joys do you find in your daily life? How can you better enjoy the simple blessings around you?

The Family Corner

For parents to consider

The film’s language is pretty clean except for one instance of name for a very mean girl. As far as the film’s sensuality, there are only two sweet and public kisses shown. But the real problem is that Aquamarine, as any film mermaid, arrives topless with only her very long hair to cover her front. Nothing is actually shown, but some scenes of her uncovered body can feel very intimate and risqué. There are also some barely-there bikinis worn by teen characters in beach scenes.

Photos © Copyright Fox

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

What Other Critics Are Saying

compiled by Jeffrey Overstreetfrom Film Forum, 03/09/06

“Sweet.” That’s the word that Christian film critics are using for the new romantic comedy Aquamarine. But some of them also observe that this sentimental movie about teens who discover a mermaid hits a few sour notes as well.

Lisa Rice (Crosswalk) says it’s a “sweet movie for tweens” that “skillfully addresses the pain of separation, the hurt of divorce, the extreme emotions of a first crush, the sting of jealousy, and the joy of healthy friendships.” She hopes that it will “show Hollywood decision-makers that cute, pre-teen movies without the lewd sex, violence, nudity, or language can actually draw the big crowds and hold their attention.”

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says it’s a “sweet modern-day fable about friendship told with a delightful mix of fantasy, comedy and romance … Apart from some skimpy bikinis and rude language … the film is commendably wholesome fun.”

Adam R. Holz (Plugged In) calls it “a sentimental story about three girls’ growing friendship. But their boy-crazy ways and rapt attention to CosmoGIRL!‘s shallow advice model a conflicting brand of superficiality.” He’s also bothered by the fact that the mermaid’s shapely form is “technically covered, but just barely. For a film aimed at such a young audience, Aquamarine had me wondering why its creators couldn’t have given its 17-year-old star a bit more clothing.”

While most reviews are guardedly positive, the mermaid has not heard many mainstream critics singing its praises.

Imagine picking up the morning paper and reading this headline: “U.S., Iraqi Soldiers Lay Down Weapons in Day-Long Ceasefire.” You learn that this truce was not ordered from on high, but initiated by the soldiers themselves, who actually put down their guns and approached each other with gestures of peace. They put their mistrust aside and shared coffee, chocolates, and cigarettes, looked at family photos, and even played soccer, right there on the desert sand.

You can’t believe what you’re reading.

Nor could people believe it almost a century ago when such an event actually did occur in the midst of arguably the most hellacious combat in history: World War I. It was 1914 in German-occupied France. The invading army and the Allies were literally dug into trenches, sometimes just 20 feet apart. To raise your head above the sandbags was to risk having it blown off. The opposing soldiers could hear one another, and, if they dared, even look into each other’s eyes. Separating the two trenches was a small patch of earth dubbed No Man’s Land—littered with shells, shrapnel, and the corpses of the slain.

Such is the landscape in which Joyeux Noël (French for Merry Christmas) takes place. Nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film, it’s the true story of that Christmas cease-fire, when men on both sides really did lay down their weapons and fraternize with each other.

Several years ago, I was spellbound by Stanley Weintraub’s Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce. It seems like the stuff of urban legend, but it really happened. It also seems like it can only be explained as “a God thing,” and indeed, how else could something so extraordinary take place without divine intervention?

When putting together the story for Joyeux Noël, writer/director Christian Carion—who grew up in France near where the truce took place—said “the tricky part of writing the script was how to make the viewer believe that these incredible events were true.” But after doing exhaustive research, Carion had himself a story—and now the world has been treated to a soul-stirring feature film.

In Joyeux Noël, we meet key characters on all sides of the story—a pair of Scottish brothers and their parish priest, who accompanies the boys to the front lines; the three field lieutenants for the Scottish, French and German battalions; and, interestingly, a German tenor and a Danish soprano who’d met and fallen in love through pre-war opera performances.

The soprano may have been a fictional addition for the film, but there really was a German tenor who played a vital role in the story. German emperor Kaiser William II had ordered thousands of Christmas trees sent to the front lines to boost the men’s morale. On Christmas Eve, they placed the trees, with candles lit, in parapets atop the trenches, in clear sight of the enemy. And then—in the film and in the true story—the tenor, an enlisted man who’d been fighting alongside his comrades, began singing “Schtille Nacht” (“Silent Night”). The Allied troops obviously knew the tune, and soon, all sides joined in on the singing from their trenches, each in their own language. Soon, men were climbing out of their earthen dugouts, sans weapons, and toward one another—toward the enemy!—to join together in celebrating the birth of a Savior they all had in common, politics and the war be hanged.

In Joyeux Noël, arrangements are made for the soprano, Anna Sörenson (Diane Kruger of Troy and National Treasure), to join her beau in singing to the men on the front lines—a twist that seems far-fetched even in this unbelievable tale. Kruger’s role adds nothing to the story, and her lip-synching is terrible. Fortunately, the actual singing, by French soprano Natalie Dessay, is glorious, as is the voice provided for the tenor by Mexican opera star Rolando Villazon.

The men playing the three lieutenants—Guillame Canet as Audebert, the Frenchman; Daniel Brühl as Horstmayer, the German; and Alex Ferns as Gordon, the Scot—are well-cast, especially Canet, whose character tries to courageously lead his men despite his fears—and his longing to be home with his pregnant wife.

But the film’s key character is Palmer, the Scottish priest. Gary Lewis brings a quiet strength and calmness to the role—just the traits you’d want from a spiritual leader on the front lines.

Palmer is at the heart of the film’s most powerful scene when he leads a Christmas Eve mass for all of the gathered men—French, Scottish, German. After Anna sings “Ave Maria,” Palmer begins the mass in Latin, and the camera pans across the soldiers’ solemn faces as they respond in the ancient tongue.

Afterward, Palmer asks Gordon, the Scottish lieutenant, what he put in his report to HQ regarding the day’s remarkable events. Gordon replies, deadpan, “I wrote, ’24th of December, 1914. No hostilities from the German side tonight.'”

Palmer, a twinkle in his eye, pauses a moment to take in the magnitude of that understatement, then says, “Well that’s the truth. Tonight, these men were drawn to that altar like it was a fire in the middle of winter. Even those who aren’t devout came to warm themselves, maybe just to be together, maybe just to forget about the war.”

Gordon replies, “The war won’t forget us.” Indeed, hostilities resumed right after Christmas. Men who had shared cigarettes, chocolate and cognac—and laughter and tears—began shooting at each other again. Four years later, the war ended with 8.5 million dead, and almost thrice that many wounded.

And it would be years before the Christmas Truce would be remembered as an event to celebrate. Generals on all sides were outraged. Many who had taken part in the truce were taken off the front lines, reassigned, or even court-martialed. Many were called cowards for fraternizing with the enemy.

After the truce, Palmer is shown tending to the wounded behind the lines. His bishop arrives to tell Palmer he’s being sent back to his parish in Scotland. Palmer replies: “I belong with those who are in pain and have lost the faith. I belong here.” The bishop says that when Palmer had requested permission to be with the boys from his parish on the front lines, “I personally vouched for you. But then, I heard what had happened, I prayed for you”—indicating his indignation that Palmer had consorted with the enemy.

Palmer, taken aback, says, “I sincerely believe that our Lord Jesus Christ came to me in what was the most important Mass of my life. I tried to be true to his trust, and carry his message to all, whoever they may be.”

What follows is an interesting exchange—loaded with theological implications—between Palmer and the bishop. We won’t give away the substance of it here, but it’s worth paying close attention. After that exchange, the bishop stalks off to address “the soldiers who are replacing those who went astray with you. May our Lord Jesus Christ guide your steps back to the straight and narrow path.” Palmer retorts, “Is that truly the path of our Lord?”

Writer/director Carion might ask the same question, noting that he often thought about “the soldiers who courageously fraternized. At the time, they were considered cowards. For me, they were neither heroes nor cowards. They were merely men who accomplished something incredibly human.”

Incredibly human? Perhaps. But not without a touch of the incredibly divine.

Talk About It

Discussion starters

1. Do you find this story believable? Why or why not? Do you think it could happen today, in modern warfare, perhaps even in Iraq? Why or why not?
2. Do you think the men from these armies hated each other while they were fighting? Did they simply stop hating during the truce? Many called them “cowards” for fraternizing with the enemy. What do you think?
3. Talk about places where you saw God “show up” in this film. What parts of the movie do you think could only be attributed to divine intervention?
4. When the dead soldiers are buried on Christmas Day, the Scottish lieutenant says it’s fitting that the burials would occur on the same day Christ was born. What did he mean? Do you agree?
5. In the bishop’s sermon to the replacement soldiers at the end of the film, he called it a “crusade, a holy war,” saying the Germans are not “children of God” and even calling for the killing of all Germans. What do you think? Discuss.
6. Were the Germans soldiers themselves “evil”? After all, they were invading non-hostile countries and killing innocent civilians. If the soldiers weren’t evil, then who, if anyone, was? Is it evil to kill someone who invades your country, in self-defense? Why or why not?
7. What do you think happened to Palmer, the Scottish priest, after this story ended?

The Family Corner

For parents to consider

Joyeux Noel is rated PG-13 for war violence and a brief scene of sexuality/nudity. The violence is not very graphic, compared to most contemporary war movies. There are a few relatively tame curse words. The brief scene (less than a minute) of sexuality/nudity shows a couple making love, and includes a very brief glimpse of a woman’s bare breast, mostly hidden in shadow.

Photos © Copyright Sony Pictures Classics

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

What Other Critics Are Saying

compiled by Jeffrey Overstreetfrom Film Forum, 03/23/06

Joyeux Noël, a French film written and directed by Christian Carion, was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the recent Academy Awards. The movie brings to life the astonishing story of a Christmas Eve truce struck between armies in World War I.

Mainstream critics are mostly positive, although a few that feel compelled to lob grenades.

Bruce Willis is one of our more unpredictable leading men, and bless him for it. At times he’s a guns-blazing action hero, at other times he’s a world-weary serious actor, and then there are those times when he’s a would-be funny-man who’s a little too heavy on the smirk. The variety of his output extends to his choice of projects, which range from preordained blockbusters to small, risky independent flicks, with more conventional genre pics in-between. This unpredictability can give his films a certain suspense, apart from their content; you never entirely know whether the film he has picked will be worth his time and ours, and for every praiseworthy The Sixth Sense, there is a disappointing Hostage.

At first glance, 16 Blocks might look like one of his lesser efforts. It’s a potboiler in which Willis plays an aging New York City detective named Jack Mosley who reluctantly agrees to take a witness named Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) from the police station to the courthouse, but then discovers that a number of dirty cops—including his former partner—are determined to prevent the witness from getting there. Like the title says, there are only 16 blocks between the station and the courthouse, and Mosley has nearly two hours to get his witness there; but the streets and alleys are swarming with obstacles, and you can easily imagine screenwriter Richard Wenk (writer-director of Just the Ticket) sitting at his desk and brainstorming ways to drag the chase out to the very last minute, while throwing in the occasional escape hatch for our protagonists. As the story unfolds, each plot twist feels like the sort of thing that would happen only in a movie, because that’s exactly what it is.

However, just as it can be fun to watch a talented musician fiddle with an old standard, it can be entertaining to watch talented actors settle into a familiar mode of storytelling. Willis does fire his gun a fair bit, but his character this time is less an action hero and more of a jaded, grizzled cynic who gives the impression that he can’t wait to die; he drinks too much and walks around with a bad leg, and at one point he declares, “Life is too long.” However, something stirs in Mosley’s soul when he and Bunker are thrown off-course by a couple of hit men, and a handful of his colleagues show up to take the witness off his hands—by framing the witness and planning his death. You can sense that Mosley is used to looking the other way when his friends do something wrong, but this time, he stands up to them—and it may be that no one is as shocked by this turn of events as Mosley himself.

The scene is made all the more interesting because the leader of the dirty cops and Mosley’s ex-partner, Frank Nugent, is played by Willis’s Twelve Monkeys co-star David Morse, who plays his character not as an outright villain, but as a genuinely personable kind of guy who has, unfortunately, convinced himself that certain evil deeds can and must be committed. There is genuine humor, and even a hint of warmth, in moments like the one where, in a pause between shoot-outs, Nugent tells Mosley that he was aiming for Bunker, “if that makes you feel better.” Lines like that also keep you guessing: does Nugent truly still feel some sort of affection for his former partner, or is he only saying so to make Mosley surrender, after which he might exact some sort of revenge against him? Thanks to Morse’s subtle, even ambiguous, interpretation of the character, it’s impossible to say for sure.

That’s just one of many admirable things about 16 Blocks. Another is the film’s reluctance to indulge in the sort of vengeful bloodletting that is so common to stories of this sort, partly because Mosley is too aware of his own spiritual sickness to claim the moral high ground. Yes, he shoots a few people, but he almost always aims to wound, not kill, and where possible, he takes his former colleagues out of the equation merely by handcuffing them to a post or wall; this is not the sort of action movie where we measure how close we are to the end by the number of villains who are still alive. This restraint is all the more admirable because the film is directed by Richard Donner, who helmed all four Lethal Weapons.

What’s also striking about the movie is the relationship between Mosley and Bunker, whose non-stop talkativeness is annoying at first, but it does open up opportunities for the two men to discuss their different takes on life. Bunker is a career criminal who wants to change his ways—and open a bakery, of all things—whereas Mosley doesn’t believe that people can change. But the longer Mosley sticks his neck out for Bunker, the more we see that Mosley really is changing in small but significant ways. What’s more, Bunker sees “signs” in everything, and while none are particularly magnificent—and a few, like the old man who opens a door for them while explicitly saying he never opens his door, could be written off as screenwriting devices—they do add just a hint of Providence to the proceedings.

Admittedly, the movie does fall back on some tired old tropes, some of which—like when Mosley takes a bus hostage—feel like they could have been entire movies unto themselves, rather than brief and possibly underdeveloped episodes lasting only several minutes. The story has been cobbled together from familiar elements; however, it does manage to arrange these elements in ways that are occasionally surprising, and in ways that accord quite nicely with Christian ideas about sin, repentance and redemption. Indeed, late in the story there is even an explicit, if non-religious, reference to salvation. At one point, Mosley tells Bunker that he’s not a good man—and this is true. But in its own modest way, 16 Blocks affirms that goodness is something that even bad men can, and should, aspire to.

Talk About It

Discussion starters

1. Jack Mosley says he is “not a good guy.” Do you agree? Is anybody in this story “good”? If they are not “good” at first, do they become “good” by the end? How does this fit with biblical ideas about sin and repentance?
2. Fairly early on—but after he has turned against his colleagues—Mosley says, “Days change, seasons change, people don’t change.” Why do you think he says this, at this point in the story? Has he “changed” already? Does he still need to “change” some more?
3. When Mosley says the dirty cops have crossed the line, Nugent replies, “There’s no lines! There’s getting it done and not getting it done.” Do you think Mosley has crossed any lines? Why do you think he put his foot down at this particular line? Can you go back, after you’ve crossed a line?
4. Do you look for “signs” in the world, like Bunker does? How do you look for them? What do you think a “sign” is? Note the scene where one person says to another, “I was supposed to meet you. That was the sign. You saved my life.” Is the salvation he’s referring to spiritual, physical, or a bit of both? Do you think statements like these point to God in any way? Is redemption possible without God in the picture?

The Family Corner

For parents to consider

16 Blocks is rated PG-13 for violence, intense sequences of action, and some strong language, including about half-a-dozen four-letter words. The violence is relatively restrained—especially from the director who brought us the bloody Lethal Weapon films.

Photos © Copyright Warner Brothers

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

What Other Critics Are Saying

compiled by Jeffrey Overstreetfrom Film Forum, 03/09/06

In 16 Blocks, Bruce Willis is a burned-out cop who accepts a simple assignment—transport a prisoner from Point A to Point B—and discovers that this will be the toughest job of his career. Mos Def plays the crook, who happens to know something valuable to a court case, and whose life is in jeopardy while he’s out in the open. When the cop realizes that his colleagues want to kill this man so they can protect the reputation of some crooked officers, he springs into action in order to make sure justice is done.

At first glance, it appears to be just a run-of-the-mill action thriller. And Richard Donner’s recent films haven’t been cause for celebration. But in his better days, Donner provided us with compelling entertainment like Superman, Lethal Weapon, and Ladyhawke.

Is 16 Blocks just another action movie? Or is it a return to Donner’s strengths?

Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service) says it’s the best of the recent films about “dirty cops.” He praises “the winning teamwork of stars Bruce Willis and Mos Def. In their accomplished hands, 16 Blocks … still remains wildly far-fetched, but if you’re willing to suspend disbelief, it’s surprisingly diverting.”

Marcus Yoars (Plugged In) calls it “a surprisingly intelligent film that, unlike most of its genre contemporaries—especially the standard Willis project—relies more on situational intensity than fast-paced action and loud explosions.” He is surprised by the theme of redemption, but says the film is tainted by “just enough garbage to make it difficult (or impossible) for discerning moviegoers to get from point A to point B.”

Willis is winning some admiring reviews in the mainstream press.

THE PROTOTYPICAL EVANGELICAL? Historians David Bebbington, Mark Noll, and George Rawlyk have identified four characteristic marks of “evangelicalism”: a stress on conversion, a focus on Christ’s redeeming work as the core of biblical Christianity, an acknowledgment of the Bible as the supreme authority, and an energetic and personal approach to social engagement and evangelism. According to Paul Lim, the life and ministry of Richard Baxter reveal all four of these qualities. Read more about this remarkable man.

On July 28, 1875, the town of Kidderminster in the English Midlands witnessed a rare moment of Christian unity. After over 200 years of deep Protestant divisions, clergy from all denominations came together for the unveiling and dedication of the statue of a Puritan preacher.

The inscription at the base of the statue read, “Between the years 1641 and 1660 this town was the scene of the labors of Richard Baxter, renowned equally for his Christian learning and his pastoral fidelity. In a stormy and divided age he advocated unity and comprehension, pointing the way to everlasting rest.”

Baxter himself would have been pleased by the ecumenical spirit of the event. Refusing to be boxed into any party or sect, he called himself a “mere Christian”—a phrase that would influence C. S. Lewis centuries later—and spent his life trying to persuade his fellow Protestants to reconcile their doctrinal and political differences and work together towards holiness. “In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity” was his motto.

By age 44, he was the most famous clergyman in England, known for completely transforming the town of Kidderminster and fostering cooperation between clergy. By his death in 1691 he had written over 130 books selling more copies than any other English writer of the time. This voluminous outpouring of pastoral and theological commentary earned him the nickname “scribbling Dick.” Preaching and writing to awaken dulled consciences, comfort the afflicted, and point people to the rest found only in Christ, he was a hero for many Puritans.

When George Whitefield visited Kidderminster 50 years after Baxter’s death, he commented, “I was greatly refreshed to find what a sweet savour of good Mr. Baxter’s doctrine, works and discipline remained unto this day.” And the legacy continues. Baxter’s bestseller The Saints’ Everlasting Rest is a classic in devotional literature. His autobiography remains one of the most trusted historical sources for understanding the religious and political culture of 17th-century England. His handbook for pastoral ministry, The Reformed Pastor, influenced preachers like Charles and John Wesley and Charles Haddon Spurgeon—who had his wife read it aloud on Sunday evenings to “quicken my sluggish heart.”

A Shropshire lad

Richard Baxter was born on November 12, 1616, the only child of a landowner in Shropshire, England. His hometown of Rowton was spiritually sleepy and in need of what Patrick Collinson calls “a hotter sort of Protestants.” The 80-year-old pastor never preached. Baxter was confirmed at age 15 without ever being asked to recite the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, or the Ten Commandments. Already winds of discontent were stirring that would provide the stormy religious background to the English Civil War. James I had just decreed that popular games could be played on Sundays, and Baxter recalled how after church the sounds of uproarious dancing around a maypole and the loud music of the tabor and pipe outside the window disrupted the family’s devotions.

“Many times my mind was inclined to be among them,” he wrote, “and sometimes I broke loose from conscience and joined with them; and the more I did it the more I was inclined to it. But when I heard them call my father Puritan it did much to cure me and alienate me from them; for I considered that my father’s exercise of reading the Scripture was better than theirs, and would surely be better thought on by all men at the last; and I considered what it was for that he and others were thus derided.”

Richard Baxter, Sr., had been converted through reading the Bible and tried to pass his love for Scripture on to his son. When the young Baxter realized that it was for practices such as “reading Scripture” when the rest of the town “were dancing on the Lord’s Day” that people like his father were reviled, he became convinced that “godly people were the best, and those that despised them and lived in sin and pleasure were a malignant, unhappy sort of people.”

As a teenager he read several Puritan devotional books that opened his eyes to the love of God and taught him how to live by faith in Christ. Though his formal education was poor and he was persuaded not to attend university, he acquired a massive amount of learning through his own reading. “And the use that God made of Books, above Ministers, to the benefit of my Soul, made me somewhat excessively in love with good Books”—an apt comment for someone whose personal library numbered 1,400 volumes by the time he died, an impressive collection that included first editions of many Latin and Greek Fathers, as well as medieval Scholastics and Jesuit theologies.

The true meaning of reformation

Already beset by the illnesses that would plague him for the rest of his life, Baxter decided to make the best of what he thought was his short time left on earth. He was ordained at age 23, and after a short stint as a schoolmaster and a year as pastoral assistant in Bridgnorth, Baxter accepted a call to be “lecturer” in the parish of St. Mary’s in the small weaving town of Kidderminster.

Shortly after Baxter arrived in Kidderminster, the English Civil War erupted, and he spent five years as a chaplain in Oliver Cromwell’s army, hoping to bring a voice of moderation into the struggle. But he was troubled by what he saw. Like his fellow Puritans, Baxter believed that the church in England was in desperate need of reform in order to make it more like Calvin’s Geneva, which the Scottish reformer John Knox called “the most perfect school of Christ that ever was on the earth since the days of the Apostles.” But he could not agree with those who would tear apart the unity of the church by separating from it, or who ignored the fact that reformed faith also meant holiness of life.

When he returned to Kidderminster in 1647—this time as vicar—he brought a new understanding of reformation, later expressed in The Reformed Pastor: “Alas! Can we think that the reformation is wrought, when we cast out a few ceremonies, and changed some vestures, and gestures, and forms! Oh no, sirs! It is the converting and saving of souls that is our business. That is the chiefest part of reformation, that doth most good, and tendeth most to the salvation of the people.”

Conversion is the key

The Reformed Pastor, published in 1656, was the culmination of Baxter’s thinking about the ministerial role and the product of an enormously successful ministry in Kidderminster. Baxter believed that a true church was not composed of a mostly absent bishop and thousands of parishioners who preferred to pursue trivial pleasures rather than following the “plain man’s pathway to heaven.” Nor was it made up of a “society of friends” like the Quakers, who eliminated the office of pastor. A true church was both a hospital and a school, and healing and learning could only come through truth rightly taught and embodied. In that regard, the pastor, both as a role model for others and also as a shepherd and teacher, was absolutely crucial.

The pastor must be “awakened” and reformed himself—thoroughly converted, humble, and obedient—before he could awaken others. The goal of preaching was to exalt Christ by confirming, convicting, and comforting the faithful and by converting the rest. Baxter urged his fellow pastors to preach “with clear demonstrations of love to their souls, and make them feel through the whole, that you aim at nothing but their salvation,” so that “the increase of the purity and the unity of his churches” could be manifested.

Baxter himself preached twice a week, for an hour on Sunday and another hour on Thursday, and his preaching was characterized by enormous energy and urgency. “What!” he wrote, “Speak coldly for God and for men’s salvation! … such a work as preaching … should be done with all our might, that the people can feel us preach when they hear us.”

The personal touch

But preaching was not enough—a more hands-on strategy was needed to awaken sleeping souls. As a pastor, Baxter believed that conversion could happen at any age, and that the most effective way of finding out whether a person needed to be converted was not by public preaching but by private conversation. He would spend an hour with each family, using the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments to instruct each person and gauge his or her spiritual condition. Every Monday and Thursday Baxter would start at one end of town, his assistant would start at the other, and together they managed to interview 15 or 16 families a week—a total of 800 families (the whole parish) each year.

Baxter discovered that some people learned more in an hour’s conversation than in ten years of preaching. He became convinced that personal instruction, or catechizing, was essential to insure the salvation of parishioners and thus the reformation of the parish. It also helped people better understand his sermons and enabled him to know who was ready to take the sacraments and where loving discipline was needed.

As a result of Baxter’s one-on-one catechizing, he got to know his parishioners so well that he adapted his pastoral care to their widely varying spiritual states and needs. Rather than simply dividing people into “godly” and “ungodly,” he claimed that there were 12 different categories of people in his parish—including those who merely conformed to the externals of church membership, those who desired to live godly lives but did not yet understand the fundamentals of faith, those with skeptical tendencies, those who rebelled against their pastor, and those whose wrong-headed theology was leading them into lawlessness.

Thanks to his intimate knowledge of his flock, most of Kidderminster’s 2,000 adult inhabitants were converted under Baxter’s ministry, and this town formerly infamous for its ignorance and debauchery became a model Christian community.

His program for reform and unity did not stop with Kidderminster. From his weekly fellowship with neighboring clergy grew the Worcestershire Association, an interdenominational alliance of Anglican, Presbyterians, Congregationalist, and Baptist ministers dedicated to Baxter’s ideals of evangelistic preaching and catechizing families. The fervor spread to other counties as well.

Baxter also wrote 47 books during his Kidderminster years, including a compilation of his sermons titled A Call to the Unconverted. It sold over 30,000 copies in its first printing, went through 23 editions before 1700, and was translated into French, Swedish, German, and Dutch—as well as into Algonquian by John Eliot, the pioneer missionary to the Native Americans whose ministry Baxter praised highly.

Richard Baxter was soon a role model for Puritan pastors everywhere.

A wider parish

After the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Baxter emerged as the leader among conservative Puritans and with them was ejected from his pulpit (see p. 38). But for Baxter this was an opportunity to embrace all of England as his “parish,” since by then he was one of the most sought-after writers of the day. Living in or near London, he published another 87 books, ranging from a defense of nonconformity to pleas for church unity, from a highly complex systematic theology to a huge compendium of Christian ethics. He was one of the first Protestants to produce a paraphrase of the New Testament, which aimed for “plainness and brevity” and included both doctrinal notes for younger scholars and ministers and practical notes for use at the “family altar.”

Because books had played a key role in his own Christian growth, he promoted the kind of reading that instructs and nurtures. He donated a number of books to the fledgling Harvard College, although in a letter to a colleague, Baxter wrote that he would rather his books be “carried on peddler’s backpacks” than kept in “learned men’s libraries.” He knew that while the poor were the very ones who could reap the most spiritual benefit from his writings, they could not afford the cost of books. So he arranged with his publisher that he would receive every tenth copy printed in lieu of royalties—copies he then distributed free. He also spent a good portion of his income buying Bibles for the poor.

Heavenly minded for earthly good

Despite his success as a pastor, a writer, and a leader, Baxter’s life was not without its share of afflictions and setbacks. Ironically, his personality was not as suited to peacemaking as his convictions were. The same passion and straight-talking honesty that made him such an effective pastor often ended up causing insult and division in other spheres. A teacher by nature, Baxter could never seem to take off his schoolmaster’s hat when relating to his peers. His long speeches before the bishops at the Savoy Conference—a failed attempt to revise the Prayer Book according to Puritan standards—only served to bore his listeners.

His lifelong striving for a peaceful middle ground meant that he was often misunderstood by people at both ends of the spectrum. He endured two prison sentences and caught flak from some Puritans for advocating “occasional conformity”—attending weekly service at the local Anglican church and sometimes celebrating the Eucharist, sometimes not. He also fumbled theologically by coming up with his own doctrine of justification which he believed avoided the extremes of Calvinism and Arminianism. His contemporaries observed, however, that it came dangerously close to “justification by works.” For his high-church persecutors, he was too Puritan. For some of his fellow nonconformists, he was not Puritan enough.

Frequently believing himself at death’s door because of his many illnesses, Baxter overcame disappointing circ*mstances by meditating on the heavenly reality to come. In The Saints’ Everlasting Rest, he showed how reflecting upon the “excellency and certainty” of heaven could anchor and shape one’s earthly sojourn. One particular paragraph from his Dying Thoughts on Philippians 1:23 captures Baxter’s philosophy:

My Lord, I have nothing to do in this World, but to seek and serve thee; I have nothing to do with a Heart and its affections, but to breathe after thee. I have nothing to do with my Tongue and Pen, but to speak to thee, and for thee, and to publish thy Glory and thy Will. What have I to do with all my Reputation, and Interest in my Friends, but to increase thy Church, and propagate thy holy Truth and Service? What have I to do with my remaining Time, even these last and languishing hours, but to look up unto thee, and wait for thy Grace, and thy Salvation?

Baxter lived until age 76, considerably longer than he had expected. He died December 8, 1691, two years after the Act of Toleration put an end to persecution and guaranteed freedom of worship for Puritans. The huge funeral procession, attended by people of all ranks and including Anglicans as well as nonconformists, foreshadowed another ecumenical gathering nearly 200 years later at the unveiling of the Baxter statue in Kidderminster.

But such public accolades would not have been to Baxter’s taste. In his funeral sermon, William Bates recalled the famous Puritan leader’s characteristic humility: When a friend was “comforting him with the remembrance of the good many had received by his preaching and Writings, he said, I was but a Pen in God’s hand, and what praise is due to a Pen?“

Paul C. H. Lim is associate professor of historical and systematic theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

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Related Elsewhere:

More Christian history, including a list of events that occurred this week in the church’s past, is available at ChristianHistory.net. Subscriptions to the quarterly print magazine Christian History & Biography are also available.

Previous Christian History Corners include:

Physicians of the Soul | J. I. Packer discusses the English Puritans, their quest for holiness, and why they are still worth remembering. (Feb. 24, 2006)

Blessing the Church with its History | Douglas Sweeney argues for an evangelical movement that welcomes diversity and repents of its blind spots. (Feb. 10, 2006)

Erasmus’s Revolutionary ‘Study Bible’ | The spiritual father of so many English Reformers died at the hands of the church he refused to leave. (Jan. 13, 2006)

Campus Ministry Cambridge Style | The roots of InterVarsity and other evangelical college clubs (Jan. 6, 2006)

Dorothy Sayers: “The Dogma Is the Drama” | An interview with Barbara Reynolds. (Dec. 16, 2005)

Sharing Stories from the Heart | The lessons of history are fair game for use today. (Dec. 9, 2005)

Eat, Drink, and Relax | Think the Pilgrims would frown on today’s football-tossing, turkey-gobbling Thanksgiving festivities? Maybe not. (Nov. 18, 2005)