Book review: Scatter, by Andrew Scott
Title: SCATTER (Go therefore, and take your job with you)
Author: Andrew Scott, President and CEO of Operation Mobilisation USA
Published: Moody Publishers
Year: 2016
This book is a call to arms for our times. For that alone, it is worth reading.
Andrew Scott looks at two of the driving contexts of today's mission: the increased opportunities afforded by globalisation and the marketplace, and the increased comfort and aversion to risk of the Western Christian.
He's in a better position than most to assess the situation: as CEO of Operation Mobilisation US, Andrew sees God at work around the world. He conveys this through a series of snapshots; stories from around the world of why we must take action.
The book is primarily written as a motivation to those who have been blessed with wonderful experience and skill in the workplace, but have never seen the opportunity to use that in God's mission to all nations. Andrew prays that this will be the first generation to scatter on purpose, being the Daniels of our day.
There is a particularly interesting addendum addressed to church and mission agency leads looking at potential changes in models of mission. It picks up on one or two issues that it would have been good to see addressed: the implicit individualism (I go, with my individual skills and calling), and the tendency to deprioritise appropriate training. The latter is sometimes called the amateurising of mission work.
Whilst I would heartily applaud the notion that anyone who is walking with God could be a mission worker, I would raise a concern at the lack of consideration of training and support for those crossing barriers. This itself could be the subject of a book; the balance between reduced training/support, increased risk (of burnout, sin, misunderstandings, ineffectiveness), but the opportunity to see MANY more going with a passion to share Christ.
Well-written, understandable to those without a seminary education or missiology background, this book is on our recommended list for those in the workplace just starting to hear God's call to cross barriers.
Four stars.