Window on the World
Authentic, 2007. 220 pages. $16.99

One of the more worn-out books in our family library is Window on the World. For the past two years, we have read a few pages on Monday mornings to help our four young children (ages 3-9) and ourselves! It helps us think and pray less provincially and more globally.

This book must be the result of a massive labour of love, compiling as it does information from missionaries around the world. It is packed with perks such as,

• colourful pictures of over 100 of the most unreached peoples of the world,
• fascinating facts and helpful summaries of a country or region's history,
• maps,
• and lots of details about how to pray for these lost nations, for persecuted believers, and for the cause of the gospel in that location.

And all this is usually framed around a simple story of an imaginary child-evangelist sharing Christ with another child of that respective people group. What a great tool for raising up future missionaries in our homes! 

Unintentionally, Window on the World is also a tool for training children and parents in discernment. This book unfortunately doesn't escape some of the typical trends toward theological shallowness in missions today. So my wife and I will do a bit of "editing on our feet," as we use its guidelines for prayer. For example, expect a few too many references to Jesus as our "special friend" rather than as Lord and King, and an overemphasis on the results of the gospel (internal peace) rather than the content of the gospel (forgiveness of sin).

Still, I know of no other tool that compares with Window on the World for teaching kids and parents to pray together with God's heart for the nations.

Tim Cantrell is the pastor of Antioch Bible Church in Johannesburg, South Africa.

• July/August 2009 eJournal Editor's Note