Edge of the Map

From Revival to Mission (feat. Zach Meerkreebs)

Revival has never been the finish line. Throughout history, moments of spiritual awakening have always pushed the Church outward - toward evangelism, justice, and the nations. Yet today many believers feel uncertain about mission. Some are reacting to broken models from the past. Others simply feel unsure how evangelism fits in a skeptical culture. In this episode, Ron Halp sits down with Zach Meerkreebs to reflect on what they are seeing around the world right now. From growing prayer movements in Europe to a renewed hunger among younger believers to share their faith, this conversation explores a simple but critical truth: encounter with God must eventually lead to mission. Revival is not meant to stop in the prayer room. ---------------------------------------- KEY TAKEAWAYS * Revival and mission have always moved together throughout church history. * Many younger believers are rediscovering a passion for evangelism and global mission. * Encounter with God is meant to propel the Church outward toward the lost. * Every Christian lives with a dual identity: both the object of God’s mission and an agent of God’s mission. * The global Church is increasingly leading global mission - from Brazil to Mongolia to South Korea. * Unity among churches and mission organizations multiplies the reach of the Gospel. * Short-term mission experiences often shape lifelong discipleship and calling. ---------------------------------------- CHAPTER MARKERS 00:00 - The Current Moment in Global Missions Why enthusiasm for missions declined in recent years and why that may be changing. 04:30 - Signs of Spiritual Hunger Around the World Encouraging stories from Europe, Australia, and beyond. 10:30 - Revival and Mission: Two Sides of the Same Coin Why historic awakenings always produced evangelism and social transformation. 18:30 - The Missed Opportunity of Revival Without Commissioning Lessons from recent spiritual movements and the need to mobilize believers. 24:30 - Object and Agent of God’s Mission Understanding the dual identity of every follower of Jesus. 30:00 - The Nations Going to the Nations How the global Church is increasingly leading global mission. 34:30 - Encouragement for Young People Sensing a Call Why action often clarifies calling. 40:00 - Why Mission Experiences Matter How stepping into unfamiliar places shapes lifelong discipleship. 46:00 - A Word to Parents and Grandparents The role of releasing the next generation into God’s mission. Want to learn how GO International is planting the Church where it isn’t - and what that could look like for you? Visit gointernational.org [http://gointernational.org] to give, go, or grow the movement.

From Revival to Mission (feat. Zach Meerkreebs)

Revival has never been the finish line. Throughout history, moments of spiritual awakening have always pushed the Church outward - toward evangelism, justice, and the nations. Yet today many believers feel uncertain about mission. Some are reacting to broken models from the past. Others simply feel unsure how evangelism fits in a skeptical culture. In this episode, Ron Halp sits down with Zach Meerkreebs to reflect on what they are seeing around the world right now. From growing prayer movements in Europe to a renewed hunger among younger believers to share their faith, this conversation explores a simple but critical truth: encounter with God must eventually lead to mission. Revival is not meant to stop in the prayer room. ---------------------------------------- KEY TAKEAWAYS * Revival and mission have always moved together throughout church history. * Many younger believers are rediscovering a passion for evangelism and global mission. * Encounter with God is meant to propel the Church outward toward the lost. * Every Christian lives with a dual identity: both the object of God’s mission and an agent of God’s mission. * The global Church is increasingly leading global mission - from Brazil to Mongolia to South Korea. * Unity among churches and mission organizations multiplies the reach of the Gospel. * Short-term mission experiences often shape lifelong discipleship and calling. ---------------------------------------- CHAPTER MARKERS 00:00 - The Current Moment in Global Missions Why enthusiasm for missions declined in recent years and why that may be changing. 04:30 - Signs of Spiritual Hunger Around the World Encouraging stories from Europe, Australia, and beyond. 10:30 - Revival and Mission: Two Sides of the Same Coin Why historic awakenings always produced evangelism and social transformation. 18:30 - The Missed Opportunity of Revival Without Commissioning Lessons from recent spiritual movements and the need to mobilize believers. 24:30 - Object and Agent of God’s Mission Understanding the dual identity of every follower of Jesus. 30:00 - The Nations Going to the Nations How the global Church is increasingly leading global mission. 34:30 - Encouragement for Young People Sensing a Call Why action often clarifies calling. 40:00 - Why Mission Experiences Matter How stepping into unfamiliar places shapes lifelong discipleship. 46:00 - A Word to Parents and Grandparents The role of releasing the next generation into God’s mission. Want to learn how GO International is planting the Church where it isn’t - and what that could look like for you? Visit gointernational.org [http://gointernational.org] to give, go, or grow the movement.

Funding What God is Doing (feat. Phillip Petrie)

For generations, the funding of missions has followed familiar patterns: churches send missionaries, donors give financially, and organizations coordinate the work. But what if the future of missions requires something more diverse? In this episode, Curtis Elliott sits down with Lexington business leader Philip Petrie to explore how the marketplace can become a meaningful part of global mission.  Drawing from years of entrepreneurship and international engagement, Philip shares how business leaders can think about stewardship, generosity, and the responsibility that comes with resources. Their conversation challenges assumptions about return on investment, control, and the role of business in the Great Commission. The result is a thoughtful exploration of what it means to fund and participate in the mission of God with open hands. ---------------------------------------- KEY TAKEAWAYS * Marketplace leadership can be a genuine calling - not separate from mission but integrated with it. * Kingdom generosity grows when leaders see resources as something entrusted to them, not owned by them. * Relationships often reveal where God is inviting believers to give or participate. * Sustainable mission models increasingly prioritize empowering local leaders. * Marketplace-based mission approaches can create deeper cultural engagement. * Early generosity forms habits that shape long-term stewardship. * The future of missions may include smaller, more contextualized expressions of impact. ---------------------------------------- CHAPTER MARKERS 00:00 — The Question of Funding the Future of Missions Curtis introduces the episode and the importance of kingdom investment. 01:16 — Business Calling and Christian Identity Philip reflects on how entrepreneurship and faith have become integrated in his life. 03:22 — Marketplace Community in Lexington The influence of relationships among Christian business leaders. 04:58 — A Hard Business Decision That Changed Everything Closing company markets to rebuild culture and align the business with kingdom values. 06:54 — How Kingdom Culture Connects to Global Missions Why relationships often reveal where God is calling believers to participate. 10:30 — The Problem with Measuring Kingdom ROI Why obedience matters more than calculating spiritual returns. 13:27 — Stewardship vs Ownership The danger of controlling resources instead of holding them open-handedly. 16:21 — Prayer, Discernment, and Giving Decisions How Philip and his wife approach generosity together. 18:08 — Advice for Young Entrepreneurs Why generosity should begin early, even when resources are limited. 20:26 — The Future of Missions Marketplace engagement, local leadership, and new models of mission impact. ---------------------------------------- Want to learn how GO International is planting the Church where it isn’t - and what that could look like for you? Visit gointernational.org [http://gointernational.org] to give, go, or grow the movement.

Listening to the Global Church (feat. Jay Moon)

Christianity is no longer centered in the West.  The fastest growth is happening in post-colonial contexts across Africa, Asia, and Latin America - places where believers are asking different questions of Scripture and developing theology from within their own realities. In this conversation, Jay Moon reflects on his years among the Bulsa people of Ghana and the moment he realized that a guilt-based presentation of the gospel did not address their deepest fears. That shift reshaped his theology of evangelism. But the conversation doesn’t stop overseas. Jay argues that the emerging worldview in the West is no longer guilt, fear, or shame - but indifference. And if the Church fails to listen carefully, we will continue offering answers to questions no one is asking. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Christianity is growing fastest in post-colonial contexts where Western influence is weakest. * All theology is contextual theology - the question is who gets to ask the questions. * The gospel addresses guilt, but also fear and shame. * Many cultures operate from a fear-power or shame-honor worldview rather than guilt-justice. * The emerging worldview in the West is indifference - a longing for belonging and purpose. * Evangelism begins by listening to the conversation God is already having with people. * Churches and mission agencies must cultivate missional imagination to avoid the “curse of knowledge.” ---------------------------------------- CHAPTER MARKERS  00:00 – Christianity shifting to the Global South 05:30 – Post-colonial theology and local autonomy 12:40 – Secularization and the loss of spiritual imagination 18:15 – A story of spiritual warfare and worldview assumptions 24:20 – Ghana and the Bulsa people: When guilt didn’t resonate 33:10 – Fear, shame, and the power of Christ 41:45 – The rise of indifference in the West 49:30 – Belonging, purpose, and Zacchaeus 56:00 – Missional imagination and kingdom innovation 1:05:00 – The curse of knowledge and Blockbuster vs. Netflix ---------------------------------------- Want to learn how GO International is planting the Church where it isn’t - and what that could look like for you? Visit gointernational.org [http://gointernational.org] to give, go, or grow the movement.

Discipleship on the Frontier (feat. Thane Ury)

For decades, Mongolia was shaped by isolation, communism, and spiritual suppression. Today, the doors are open, and a young generation is responding to the gospel with hunger and joy. In this conversation, Ron Howe and Dr. Thane Urie reflect on why Mongolia matters now. They share firsthand stories of young pastors, first-generation believers, and churches being planted one relationship at a time.  Growth is steady, but the need for discipleship is urgent. This episode challenges Western assumptions about success in missions. It reminds us that the Church is not built through events or personalities, but through long obedience, patient teaching, and walking with local leaders who will carry the work forward. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Missions is not starting something new, but catching up with what God has been doing for centuries * Mongolia’s Church is young, both in age and spiritual formation * Discipleship, not speed, determines long-term fruit * Freedom of religion brings opportunity and new challenges * Local leaders need presence more than programs * One faithful convert at a time can reshape a nation CHAPTER MARKERS * 00:00 – Why Mongolia, Why Now * 08:30 – Catching Up With What God Has Been Doing * 18:45 – Life After Communism * 30:10 – The Urgency of Discipleship * 42:00 – Walking With Local Leaders * 54:30 – What Faithful Growth Really Looks Like Want to learn how GO International is planting the Church where it isn’t - and what that could look like for you? Visit gointernational.org [http://gointernational.org] to give, go, or grow the movement.