F.M.Waves Spring 2009

Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world

~Virgil A. Kraft

Spring means lots of travel for me and lots of work for Louise. Teaching Christian History and Church Planting in “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement” (offered all over the USA) has me away for half of most weeks January through May. I am one of the most sought-after Perspectives instructors because of our Mongolia story and being one of the authors of the textbook, so my dance card fills quickly. Back in McKinleyville, Louise not only keeps hearth and home together, but works at a fever-pitch on her art to keep me stocked with the greeting cards that sell so well at classes. Check them out at: OrganicGreeting.com. Amazingly, amid all the chaos, everything gets done and our family seems to be doing better than ever. There is a God and He loves us!

It is funny how the teaching opportunities line themselves up. Fall seems to be all foreign travel and spring is mostly domestic. I taught in Columbia, Taiwan, British Columbia, Jamaica, Lebanon, and Texas (well, they think it’s a country!) during fall. Check out the photo albums. Just one story from Lebanon: I had the intense privilege of baptizing an Iranian girl, a Muslim follower of Jesus, in the Mediterranean. She had received numerous visitations in dreams from Isa (Jesus’ name in Arabic) and He discipled her. He appeared to her family as well. The entire family has followed her into the kingdom, and sent her to Lebanon for training. What an amazing God we work with!

Kid news

Molly is living with my parents in Atascadero and attending Cuesta College’s culinary school.

Melody and Luke are moving to Sacramento for work. Melody is already working there and Luke is interning with Caltrans, coordinating Perspectives, and finishing up school here. We will miss them.

Alice turned 18 today (March 1, 2009). She is looking for a car to attend college in San Luis Obispo.

Peter is navigating early adolescence with humor and . . . well, like Peter!

In His loving hands, Brian Hogan

Books that have me really excited!

A Deadly Misunderstanding: A Congressman's Quest to Bridge the Muslim-Christian Divide
Absolutely world-view shattering book! Every page a revelation. This will change our world!

The Shack
If you haven't read it yet, give up your resistance. I know that everyone keeps saying that you have to read this, and that's annoying --- but this time you really do!

So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore
Welcome to real life in the Father's family. You always thought that this was what the deal was, but never found it in the organization. Welcome to the organism!

The Starfish and the Spider
How leaderless networks totally rock!

FINISHED!

I finally finished reading my book into a microphone ---- which means the entire audiobook is now available. You can download it from my podcast or buy a CD from me.

from:
A Holy Discontent’s Weblog
Thoughts of a rebel by nature, stolen by the Gospel
http://aholydiscontent.wordpress.com/


“There’s a Sheep in my Bathtub”
•November 22, 2008 • 2 Comments

I’m in the middle of a great book right now…check it out…

“There’s a Sheep in my Bathtub” - Birth of a Mongolian Church Planting Movement - by Brian Hogan

I met Brian about a year and a half ago in Dallas, Tx. He took my wife and I to lunch, and insisted I read the book, “The Shack”. So, he bought the book for me right there on the spot! He told me about this book he was writing about his time in Mongolia as a missionary with his family. I shrugged it off, and we exchanged emails. I bought his book a few weeks ago after he posted a Facebook comment about a discounted price. =) A week later he had a layover in Vegas, and we spent a few hours together. This man is brilliant. I’m halfway through the book, and it is incredible. Not only is it full of amazing stories of life overseas, but it fleshes out basic “Church Planting Movement” principles. Brian takes all of the things I just read about in David Garrison’s book, and shares how they naturally played out in Mongolia as they pursued equipping believers to make disciples. Brian was discipled by George Patterson, who wrote a foreword for this book. Read it. You can click on the book title above to go directly to amazon.com to read reviews, or buy it if you’d like. If you do, let me know what you think.

Six More Chapters

I just managed to record and post Chapters 25-30 on the AudioBook podcast.

Chapter 24 of Sheep book now on Pod-o-matic

http://hogan1040.podomatic.com/

Fall 2008 F.M. Waves (Hogan News)

The Book: There’s a Sheep in my Bathtub
Wow! The response has been astounding! The whole first printing (3300) sold out and now we’re shipping a perfected, corrected and refined Second Printing. Please check the 39 Customer Reviews (most Five Stars!) on Amazon.com to see what folks are seeing in this story! If you prefer listening to reading you can hear me read my book.
Asteroidea Books, our publishing company, just printed its second title: “Keys to Church Planting Movements, the Adventures of Stephanas” by K. Sutter. I have a number in stock so Email if you want to buy either or both books. Oh, if you want copies to give away we would be happy to discount 50% any order of five or more. Email info@AsteroideaBooks.com to get this deal.

Out of Africa
Peter Magnus traveled with dad to Southern Africa this summer. The month-long trip began with a week in the Johannesburg, South Africa area, where we stayed with Kingdom People house church leaders, experienced Boer culture and the car safari of a lifetime at Pilanesberg Game Park, as well as wonderful fellowship with the believers.
Next we flew north to Mozambique. We “couchsurfed” a wonderful British couple in Maputo, the capital, then continued on north to a Yao encampment called Itepela, a remote tribal village mostly comprised of mud, and home to one of our teams as well. The Yao are an unreached Muslim group who centuries ago were the region’s slave traders. We spent one week training church planters in a School of Frontier Mission in the village, and then another week continuing the same training on the shore of Lake Niassa. When I taught on baptism, several students indicated that they had not yet been baptized. We held a baptism and communion service in the lake without delay!
Then it was east to the island of Madagascar . . . it didn’t begin well though. We took the longest and least comfortable bus ride of our lives to get from Antanananarivo, the capital and largest city, to Tamatave, the coastal town where I was teaching church planters. After we arrived it was great. The sound of the nearby breakers provided an auditory backdrop to a very special place and people. The ministry in Mozambique is cutting edge missions. YWAM starts medical clinics in remote villages and plant churches as they train workers for the clinics. Our personal highlight was a trip Peter and I took all by ourselves in a borrowed car. We went to a zoo-park that had lemurs everywhere. They would come and sit on us begging for bananas. We also hiked to a secluded waterfall and went swimming.
Be sure to check out our pictures (albums: South Africa, Madagascar, and Mozambique) of this incredible journey! Peter’s journal is available upon request – just email me. Space doesn’t permit me to share much here about my first visits to Cartagena, Columbia and Taipei, Taiwan but check out those albums also.
Fledglings
Molly and Jonathan Leatherwood are no longer pursuing a “special relationship”. Molly is moving south to live with her grandparents in Atascadero and attend culinary school. Jon is moving from Humboldt County to Texas with his twin David to work with Living Water, International - a well drilling mission organization. We have enjoyed having all of them around for awhile, anyway.
Melody and Luke have become coordinators for the course Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. They want to mobilize their generation for the unreached. The coordinating team has planned a Humboldt County Perspectives class for Spring 2009. We have a terrific bunch of speakers lined up by Brian at the Perspectives National Conference several months ago in Dallas.
Peter and Alice are both doing great in school (thanks, God!). Alice is working hard at a restaurant and cheerleading, while Peter is enthusiastic about electronic gaming and his band of friends.
The Church Planting Coaches ministry: Kevin and Laura Sutter are in India now about a third of the year, leaving us to man the main office. We just overhauled and updated the ministry website www.cpcoaches.com – be sure to click it! Our other major project has been a complete DVD Church Planting Seminar that takes our whole training and makes it available to places we can’t go. If you are interested in Keys to Church planting Movements: the DVD Seminar let me know. Meanwhile, check out this skit (2parts) from the seminar I posted on YouTube: Lighten the Package.
Parting thought . . .
Recent events seem to have a lot of folks starting to panic. We can all relate to that temptation. I have been taking a great deal of comfort and peace from the knowledge that my citizenship is in heaven. No matter who wins next month, I am staying under Current Management. It is also great to know that our provision is not tied to this nation’s (or world’s) economy – bull or bear – but to my Dad’s rich generosity and loving care. Sure there with be tribulations – but be of good cheer! – He’s overcome this world and its systems. Don’t worry. Be happy. You are loved!
In His loving hands, Brian Hogan