|
“And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20
These words were not just for the disciples but for all Christ’s followers. These words are not just for overseas missionaries but to all who want to obey Christ’s commands. Every one of us has a role to play in taking the gospel to the nations. Missions is a team effort played out by the body of Christ. For every goer, there must be someone sending them, funding them, praying for them as Paul illustrates in Romans 10:15. We are the body of Christ, gifted in many different areas, pray and ask the Lord how he has blessed you and what role he is calling you to play. Below are just a handful of ways that you can get involved. If we all do our part, we can see this task completed!
Send! Every mission agency has an office. They need administrators, counselors, secretaries, tech support, recruiting, etc. These people provide the vital support that is needed for missionaries to get overseas and do their job. Get involved in a local church, get on the missions committee, and help prepare and send missionaries to the field.
Mobilize! We need to get the word out! Many Christians are not aware of the huge task that remains in reaching the unreached. It is a mobilizers job to educate and inform the body of Christ on what God is doing in the world and how they need to get involved. Mobilizers help people get involved in all of these areas, especially praying and giving to frontier missions.
Pray! Prayer is the catalyst for God moving. The best way to impact the world is to pray fervently. There are many resources to guide you in prayer. Prayer is a way for people not called to go to be intimately involved in what God is doing throughout the world. Many of these unreached areas are trapped in spiritual darkness and need prayer warriors to battle for them and break these strongholds.
Go! The harvest is plenty but the workers are few! Missionaries are needed on the front lines to spread God’s glory and call people into relationship with Him. There are many places in our world that still do not have a gospel witness or even the gospel in their own language. Ask the Lord if he could use you in one of these unreached areas.
Give! God calls his people to give sacrificially and to do it cheerfully! Missionaries and agencies need funding so they can focus on ministry not finances. As the body of Christ we can be a part of seeing the unreached peoples come to know Christ through giving to agencies and missionaries that are focused on these areas. Think about where your money is going, and make sure it is reaching the areas that need it the most!
Welcome! We currently live in a global society. People are traveling longer distances more frequently. This means that people living in societies closed to the gospel are now coming to your home town for business/school. This is such an opportunity to share the gospel with someone who doesn’t have a chance to hear it in their own home. Welcome these visitors into your home, befriend them, learn about their culture, and share yours with them. These new disciples will be the best evangelist when they return to their own culture.
Care! Missionaries are people not super-heroes. They need to hear that people are concerned for themselves, their family, and ministry. Caring for missionaries may include sending a note of thanks, care package, cooking a meal, offering well needed supplies (computers, car, temporary housing), or just letting them know of your prayers. This is needed for missionaries on the field as well as those preparing to go, back on furlough or retired.
See! Participate in short-term trips that may involve scouting an area, helping with relief work, refreshing missionaries on the field. Your short-term trip will be a benefit to the kingdom by supporting the full-term work in the area, and then also enables you to gain more vision for what God is doing oversees. You can then be an advocate for the team there, and the church that may be forming to your home congregation.
Research! The world is constantly changing. Researchers are needed to study culture, societies, statistics, strategies, etc. This information will help agencies and field missionaries do the best they can. There are many agencies that focus on these areas of research, and could use you!
Live! Begin NOW to live in a strategic manner. Change your mindset to reflect the kingdom of God instead of the kingdom of the earth. Gain eternal values and base decisions on what would be most strategic for the kingdom. Think about where you spend your resources (time, money, energy). In what ways can you strategically cut back to release more resources for the kingdom of God. These resources can be a part of completing the task Right Now.
Grow! Stay involved in the missions enterprise. Read more about culture, missionary biographies, and strategy. Develop resources to further your knowledge. Become acquainted with different styles of worship. Immerse yourself in another culture and begin to see the beauty of God in his diverse creation. Gain insight into missions and use it to enable you in the other ways to be involved.
Train! Study missiology or use the overseas experience you have and train those going to the field, welcomers here, or mobilizers. Teach people about effective strategic partnerships between behind-the-scene workers (most of us) and those on the frontlines. Use your expertise (whatever the field) to eqiup and enable those participating to have a wider set of skills.
Connect! Learn about the focuses of different sending agencies, training facilities, books, resources and people. As you come across people wanting to be networked, share your about those you know and connect people to fulfill His purposes.
And so much more! What ever gift God has blessed you with whether it be material or a talent, there is a need for it in missions. As believers we should offer all that we have to His service, remember, It was God who gave them to us to bless others.
If you are interested in any of these areas, we would love to help you get connected. Please fill out the contact form at the bottom of the join the team page and we will contact you soon.
Click here to discover ways to build your world vision
Click here for a comprehensive list of mission scriptures
|
|
|
|
|
 |