Tides of Opportunity

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Tides of Opportunity

Missiological Experiences and Engagement in Global Migration

Sadiri Joy Tira, Damples Dulcero-Baclagon, and Lorajoy Tira-Dimangondayao

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Publication Date: May 21, 2024

Hope and Hospitality for Migrating People

Never have so many people left their homes and migrated to other parts of the world as we’ve seen in recent years. This phenomenon creates as many opportunities as challenges. We are witnessing a massive increase in urbanization, pluralization, multiculturalism, and interfaith dialogue. What are the implications for the church as it tries to reach the nations?

Tides of Opportunity brings together experts from diverse backgrounds to consider the practical significance of this mass migration. The reasons for these population movements are as varied as the people. Sadiri Joy Tira explores several causes, like military conflict, economic hardship, and natural disasters. The contributors not only explain such trends but suggest possible ways to engage with diaspora neighbors. Through case studies, this volume also examines lesser-known dynamics, such as sex trafficking and the movement of immigrants to rural areas.

This book challenges us to find more creative and integrated mission strategies for effectively reaching out to the various “peoples on the move” with the gospel. Missiologists, strategists, academics, and church leaders must prepare students and local congregations to embrace this new reality. How will you respond to the tides of opportunity?

Endorsements

This volume is a veritable smorgasbord of stories, statistics, and Scripture about global diasporas today. It beautifully overlays these elements into a stunning picture of the current state of human migration. This is essential reading for anyone hoping to glean valuable insights into the move of God in his beloved people and what this means for our world’s immediate future.

Allen Yeh, DPhilProfessor of Intercultural Studies and Missiology, Biola University
Global migration and the growth of diaspora communities in and from every continent are among the most visible and urgent missional challenges to the global church—including the church within some of those very diasporas. So a book of this scale and diversity is a most valuable contribution to our missional thinking, strategy, and engagement in what God is doing in the midst of these phenomena.

Rev. Christopher J. H. Wright, PhDGlobal Ambassador, Langham Partnership, Chief Architect of the Cape Town 2010 Commitment Call to Action, Lausanne Movement
The diaspora studies in recent decades have garnered increasing interest among evangelicals worldwide due to the extensive migration of people. This migration has attracted the interest of Christian mission thinkers and practitioners alike, who have been exploring various venues for engaging these displaced people worldwide. Dr. Sadiri Joy Tira and his team have been relentlessly attempting to produce valuable resources to enable the global church to engage with the diaspora people missionally and ministerially.

Tides of Opportunity: Missiological Experiences and Engagement in Global Migration, is one such valuable resource that certainly has the potential to help us understand the importance of taking diaspora missiology seriously. This book draws stories, experiences, insights, and implications from the writings of those with significant exposure and experience with the diaspora people from around the world. Insights from this book are bound to compel the traditional mission academicians and practitioners to think afresh about mission and ministry among people on the move. This book is a significant contribution to understanding and practicing diaspora missiology.

Atul Y. Aghamkar, PhDDirector, National Center for Urban Transformation, Former Professor and Head of the Department of Missiology, South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies, Bangalore, India
This fine collection of essays brings together a rich compendium of studies and resources for anyone wishing to understand and engage with contemporary trends and practical approaches to mission in the multiplicity of emerging diaspora communities around the world. The field is rapidly changing, and the movement of peoples in our complex, global mosaic challenges us to pray, think, reflect, and respond practically to the opportunities this movement presents for all who take seriously our Lord’s mandate to “make disciples of all nations.” Dr. Sadiri Joy Tira and his colleagues have blessed us with a great gift, a snapshot of how God is at work, and how we are called to participate in the mission of God today.

Richard Harvey, PhD All Nations Christian College, UK Senior Researcher, Jews for Jesus
The collective experience and wisdom that shaped Tides of Opportunity represents the best of evangelical diaspora missiology. A hallmark of the scholarship that shapes this volume is its determination to resource diaspora ministries and the many women and men who serve people on the move in the name of Christ. I am delighted to commend this new volume from the team of authors and editors, led by Dr. Sadiri Joy Tira, who have yet again crafted a remarkable resource.

Rev. Darrell JacksonAssociate Professor, Whitley College, University of Divinity, Melbourne
Books of this nature tend to look only backward at the past contributions of missiological giants. But the robust collection here seems to agree that a bold forward march into the future of global mission is needed. The readers of this volume, Tides of Opportunity: Missiological Experiences and Engagement in Global Migration, will enjoy the occasional glance over the shoulders of the giants to discern their thoughts about missions and migration. But, again and again, we find our heroes waving us on forward—urging us to keep blazing the trail ahead until the kingdom fully comes.

Rev. Hon. Cody LoranceCo-CEO, Endiro Coffee Trade Representative of His Excellency the President of Uganda Honorary Consul for the Republic of Uganda in the USA
Tides of Opportunity takes the sustained effort to develop diaspora missiology one giant step forward by arguing that challenging migration and devastating human displacements are God’s purposeful design to fulfill his mission. Reading this book can be a powerful spiritual experience as the authors urge mission academics and practitioners to take a divine perspective on the Tides of human movements.

Julie C. Ma, PhD Professor of Mission and Intercultural Studies, Oral Roberts University
Global migration opens for us big opportunities for missions. It is a necessity for us to study these migrations and learn how we can respond and engage with them biblically and humanely. Great movements of people show us that the Lord is bringing people out of countries where the gospel is hard to access. Tides of Opportunity: Missiological Experiences and Engagement in Global Migration offers us a variety of experiences learned firsthand by brilliant and godly authors and will be a great tool for mission leaders, churches, and Christian individuals. Let us learn from them! May we learn to embrace the opportunity to be used by God to minister to these migrants. Let us passionately treat the migrants as our mission field.

Timothy K. Park, PhDSenior Professor of Asian Missions, Fuller Theological Seminary