About 1.3 million seafarers work away from home for months or years at a time. The vision for a thriving church on board every seafaring vessel is a 21st-century missionary vision that addresses the plight of those easily overlooked and vulnerable workers of today's global marketplace.
How does one start a church on board a ship? Is it possible for such a church to survive? How can churches on shore support churches on the sea? Martin Otto addresses these and many other practical questions in this book, drawing on his personal experience over many years in seamen's missions.
Table of Contents:
| Chapter | Title | Page |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finally – A Church for Seafarers! | 1 |
| 2 | The Image Problem – What Seamen’s Mission Is All About | 5 |
| 3 | New Challenges – New Ideas | 9 |
| 4 | What History Reveals about Churches for Seafarers on Ship and on Shore | 15 |
| 5 | Existing Churches on Ships | 19 |
| 6 | Living Church on the OM Ships | 36 |
| 7 | Seafarers are Longing for a Church | 40 |
| 8 | Seafarers who are Disappointed and Hiding from Church | 46 |
| 9 | The Social Aspect of Church on Board | 49 |
| 10 | Guidelines for Planting a Church on Board | 52 |
| 11 | Examples of Church Planting from Ports around the World | 55 |
| 12 | What Seafarers Think about a Church on their Ship | 76 |
| 13 | Starting, Growing and Multiplying Churches on Board | 82 |
| 14 | Difficulties in Planting Churches and Keeping them Alive | 93 |
| 15 | Opportunities and Challenges | 100 |
| 16 | A New Vision for Both Seafarers and Missionaries | 111 |
| Appendix: | Defining "Church" | 115 |
Resources from: Seamen's Christian Friend Society
Author: Martin Otto
About The Author: Martin Otto has been in full-time ministry since 1987 reaching out seafarers with the Gospel. He and his wife, Monica, are based in Hamburg, one of the largest ports in the world, where he works in association with the Seamen's Christian Friend Society.
Website: www.scfs.org
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