One of the major shifts in the last few decades is the decentralized nature of international mission engagement. Large centralized denominational boards are no longer the hub for international missions as the world has become flat. So the local church is now the central hub for international mission engagement. As a result the central focus of this book is on equipping the local church. If you are a leader of your international missions committee, a short-term mission leader, a mission catalyst, or a part of any of those teams this book is for you. It seeks to equip international missions committees, team leaders, mission pastors, directors of mission, or mission team leaders to engage effectively through long-term partnerships. This book lays out a theological framework for missions and seeks to connect that to a practical and devotional resource for teams and churches.
Author Biography:
John Hage is the Associate for Missions at Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant, SC. John earned his B.A. in political science with a minor in Spanish at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. John has studied in Quito, Ecuador as well as Salamanca, Spain. John had done mission work in Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Kenya and Brazil as well as in New Orleans, Indianapolis, Durham and Charleston. After college John attended Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ earning his M.Div. in the spring of 2005. During seminary John was under care of the session of First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington, NC. During his time in seminary John spent a summer studying at a seminary in Fortaleza, Brazil and working with a Presbyterian church there. During John's second year he was married to Anna Evenhouse. Prior to his call to Mt. Pleasant John had been a Lake Fellow at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is a two year residency program where John led worship, preached, taught, and participated in four rotations focusing on missions, pastoral care, adult education, and evangelism. While John has enjoyed all these areas of ministry he and his wife have always had a passion for missions. During his tenure at Second Presbyterian church John began an alternative spring break mission trip for families in the church. He and his wife especially felt a call to reach out to the Hispanic community in Indianapolis. John's most recent call to Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church has been a great opportunity. This church of over three thousand members has a great history and future with missions. Most recently the session has approved a decision to become a missional church. He is working with MPPC to deepen the existing partnerships they have in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Kenya. In local missions John is working to help achieve MPPC's goal of transforming Mt. Pleasant into a Christ-like community. This is an exciting time in the history of MPPC and John is looking forward to being a part of how God is working in this community. John's loves traveling with his wife Anna and kids Eliza, Jack, Pearl, and Tessa. He likes sports, running, speaking Spanish, and playing with their dog Cede.
