Updates, Events, and Publications
CONCISE, EMPATHETIC GUIDE FROM AJITH FERNANDO (M.DIV. ’74) ENCOURAGES MINISTRY LEADS TO REMAIN JOYFUL DESPITE INEVITABLE CHALLENGES
WHEATON, Ill.—Life in ministry is not detached from disappointment. Threats to integrity, harmful expectations from celebrity culture, and the tendency toward loneliness, insecurity, and pain can put a strain on ministry leaders. How can they remain faithful to their work for Christ’s kingdom without letting bitterness seep in?
In Joyful Perseverance: Staying Fresh through the Ups and Downs of Ministry (Crossway, July 2024), veteran ministry leader and author Ajith Fernando encourages ministry leaders to rely on God’s grace to find joy, energy, and the freshness to serve well, despite inevitable disappointments. This book offers practical ways to combat the negative effects of ministry, including:
- embracing God’s joy-giving presence;
- guarding one’s integrity;
- leaning into one’s God-given identity;
- groaning with God;
- settling sin issues through repentance and forgiveness; and
- cultivating friends.
“Over time, I have grown in the conviction that the key to longevity in ministry is constantly experiencing God’s grace and letting grace heal the wounds that come from disappointments and challenges in life and ministry. So this book is mainly about applying grace to our lives and ministries, and avoiding those things that hinder grace,” writes Fernando. “My hope is that this book would help its readers to develop resources to help them continue to persevere joyfully over the long haul in the service God has called them to.”
By adopting a life of thanksgiving, readers will experience abundant joy, resulting in an ongoing passion for ministry.
Timothy C. Tennent, president emeritus and professor of world Christianity at Asbury Theological Seminary, commends, “Joyful Perseverance is a gift that beautifully arises out of Ajith Fernando’s reflections on over forty years of Christian ministry. As it turns out, our ministries are not sustained by career advancements, titles, or platform opportunities. Rather, we persevere through union with Christ who grants us the deeper gifts of grace and gratitude in the midst of times of sorrow and lament. This book is a treasure for those who long for a ministry which is not punctuated by burnout and despair but instead by joyful perseverance in the presence of Christ.”
Author Bio
Ajith Fernando (ThM, Fuller Theological Seminary) is the teaching director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka after serving as the ministry’s national director for thirty-five years. He and his wife, Nelun, are active in a church ministering primarily to the urban poor, and his ministry includes counseling and mentoring younger staff and pastors. He is the author of twenty books published in twenty-four languages. Ajith lives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with his wife, and they have two adult children and four grandchildren.
ATS PROF RUSSELL WEST PUBLISHES A NEW BOOK
The Culturally Conscious Board: Setting the Boardroom Table for Impact by Jennifer M. Jukanovich & Russell W. West
Amazon synopsis:
Bust the status quo of board room administrative tedium and passive participation to contribute to meaningful social transformation and impact in your organization. Authors Jukanovich and West offer changemakers new to the boardroom the mindset and strategies necessary to make a difference in the organizations they lead.
Mission-based, socially responsible, and transformational organizations are needed more today than ever. And the boards that lead them must be in tune with their stakeholder’s culture. But so often they are held back by ineffective decision making and a lack of interpersonal trust.
This book breaks down the key elements of a successful boardroom and how to achieve them. From onboarding diverse talent to establishing trust through accountability, you will have the tools and actionable techniques needed to effectively make a difference in the world with healthier boardroom practices.
For more information, you can view the book’s website at https://www.
POST-GMC GENERAL CONFERENCE GATHERING
“The Global Methodist Church: Dreams & Visions for the First Days” Conference to meet November 12-14 in Wilmore
In Acts 2:17, we are promised dreams and visions in the last days, but here in these ‘first days’ of the Global Methodist Church, we want to gather and share together the dreams and visions that we have for the future of the church.
The “Dreams & Visions for the First Days” Conference offers an opportunity to gather at Asbury’s Wilmore campus after the GMC’s Convening General Conference in Costa Rica to discuss the decisions made at the Convening Conference, meet with leaders at the heart of the conversation, and dream about the future of the Methodist movement. Find out more and register by October 28th at asbury.to/gmcconference. Space is limited.
ATS D.MIN. GRADUATE NAMED ANGLICAN BISHOP
Dr. Akinwande Godwin Odubena, D.Min. ’23, was recently elected Bishop of the Diocese of Ijebu North during the Episcopal Synod of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion. As his brother informed us, “His Consecration as bishop will be held on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 and his Enthronement will be held on Thursday, September 26, 2024. It is the Lord’s doing and it’s marvelous in our eyes.”
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Odubena and praying for him in this new ministry role.
R. MARK MONTGOMERY (D.MIN. ’22) PUBLISHES DISSERTATION-BASED BOOK
Rev. Dr. Montgomery recently published Missional Hope: Unlocking Receptivity in the Narcissistic West based on research he did for his dissertation at Asbury. Below is the excerpt from Amazon.
Ever misplace your keys? You’ve looked everywhere! Despair creeps in. Can you go anywhere without your keys? Then, suddenly…there they are! What a relief…joy!
Get ready for an insightful infusion of hope on mission with Jesus!
Church leaders universally attest to the increased difficulty in attracting unchurched people and leading secularized young adults to Jesus these days. Nearly every pastor and layperson can relate to this bewilderment and frustrations.
Have we misplaced our “kingdom” keys?
Missional Hope is an interesting diagnosis of the narcissism-shame link in Western culture and contributes to the overall discussion regarding effective evangelism and disciple-making during these perplexing times.
Author Mark Montgomery, an experienced church-planting leader, shares insights and best practices from his doctoral research and current involvement in Christian ministry on secular college campuses—a rather unique perspective to engaging resistant populations and generations with the gospel and apprenticing young adults.
This book “offers an accessible easy-to-digest review of the daunting challenges of reaching the shame-injured, shame-averse, and shame-prone masses who avoid anything that smacks of institutional Christianity” (Montgomery).
Your study of this book could very well revolutionize the way you approach evangelism today.
For more information, or to purchase the book, see HERE.
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