Using Research Method to Discover Fruitful Practices in Other Blocs

Can the methods of the Fruitful Practice Research group in studying work among Muslims be used among other religious blocs? This was the question that sent members of the research group to present their methods and results at the October 2009 meeting of the International Society for Frontier Missiology (ISFM).

The Fruitful Practice Research presentations (audio and slides) are available to download on our Publications page. “Stewards of Experience,” a related article by Torkko, Adams, and Adams, was published in International Journal of Frontier Missions (26:4).

From a review of the 2009 ISFM conference in Mission Frontiers*
“The International Society for Frontier Missiology, inspired by Dudley Woodberry’s book From Seed to Fruit, addressed ‘Best Practices in Frontier Missions.’ While we continue to hear about breakthroughs in the Muslim world (the focus of Woodberry’s book), some workers in the Hindu and Buddhist worlds express a quiet discouragement or even despair. ‘Pray for us. We are not seeing the same kind of breakthroughs we are hearing about among Muslims,’ remarked a veteran missionary with Hindus.

“Could it be that fruitful practices in Muslim contexts could effectively transfer to other spheres of mission? At the ISFM conference Steve Saint led the first night by addressing issues in his new DVD series, Missions Dilemma: Is There a Better Way to Do Missions? The Fruitful Practices task force then explained the journey of their discoveries, including the importance of ‘knowledge stewardship.’ Malcolm Hunter shared best practices in ministry to nomads, and Robert Priest helped ISFM participants think constructively to bring together short-term and frontier mission objectives.”

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*Stone, Rob. “Getting the Word Out: A Review of September Conferences in North America.” Mission Frontiers, November-December 2009: 26-27.
Presentations to the International Society of Frontier Missiology
These PDF portfolios (accessible through Adobe Reader), provide syncronized audio and slide show of the three presentations introducing fruitful practice research and the concept of knowledge stewardship. These were presented at International Society for Frontier Missiology on “Best Practices in Frontier Missions” in October 2009, Orlando, Florida.