Practical Next Steps

Ways to Go

WAYS TO GO 

On May 25, 1961, John F. Kennedy addressed the United States Congress on "Urgent National Needs" and declared:  

I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade [1960s] is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish... [And] in a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the Moon—if we make this judgment affirmatively, it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there. 

On July 16th, 1969 Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy. Nearly a decade had disappeared between the day Kennedy made his declaration to the determined hour of launch. One can only imagine the many interruptions to travel plans that spanned nearly a decade of work. However, the task demanded constantly pushing the envelope. There were workers to be trained, tests to be run, strategies to stage, money to be allocated, losses to learn from, creativity to be fostered, and pivots to enact.  

Along the journey there were 100’s of ways to make impact in the mission. The space race was the culmination of over 25 billion dollars, the skills and dedication of nearly 300,000 technicians, and the solemn but certainly risk filled pledge of a president. A faint echo compared to Jesus’ pledge and the labor of the church over the pages of history. 

And yet, for all that impact and effort, one thing remained. In the end, the mission still demanded that three men climb aboard the space shuttle and ‘Go!’ No previous activity would substitute for this necessity. The waiting was over! This moon-landing mission required that men ‘go!’ No substitute could mitigate this demand. This reality was unmistakable among all who understood the task. 

We too have been addressed on “Urgent Eternal Needs,” by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Himself, Jesus Christ. Jesus declared, “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations!” (Matthew 28:19).   

101) Go Overseas. At the end of the day, we want to challenge you to go. Go for a summer and pray about a lifetime. If we want to see the world reached, we need people to go.  

Greg and Sarah* were your average college students (*names changed for security purposes). They attended a well-known university and worked towards solid degrees like every other student. But something rocked their world and changed their plans.  

They attended a summer training program where they learned about God’s mission to reach the world, unreached peoples, praying for the nations, and welcoming international students. God used this summer to further grow their heart for God’s mission, and to knit their own hearts closer together.   

Greg and Sarah ended up getting married, and once they graduated, they desired to serve in a ministry that strategically welcomed international students on their campus. They did not see this as a long-term plan, but it was a time for development because they desired to see if the Lord would have them go. After serving with this ministry for a year, they connected with a mission agency that they wanted to go with, but knew they needed more development, and a healthy local church to be sent long-term. They worked as mobilizers for this organization for three years with their sights set on going long-term to the Muslim world.  

After years of being patient, and getting the appropriate training, Greg and Sarah took a vision trip overseas to Central Asia, to see where the Lord would have them serve. They came back from this trip, and prayerfully decided on where the Lord would have them. 

Today, they are in the final stages of preparation to go long-term to central Asia. Their goal is to faithfully serve overseas, among unreached people, for as long as the Lord will allow them.  

Listen to what Sarah said about the journey: [getting quote] 

When Greg and Sarah began growing their heart for the world, they did not know where they would end up long term, but they knew they wanted to take obedient steps of faith, out of their love for God, every step along the way. What would it look like for you to take a step of faith this year or this summer? 

We recognize that you may not know how to go. A great place to start is MissionAgency.org. Let The Traveling Team help you find a good fit! 

 

Go Make Disciples

Someone had to board the shuttle to step onto the moon, and someone will have to board a plane to step into the unreached. The journey will be long.  It will likely demand from you, that which you never expected. It may require a long-term address change.  You can be certain that you will be personally changed!  If not you, then who? And remember you don’t go alone... You could change two words of the John F. Kennedy quote to read,   

“But in a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the nations—if we make this judgment affirmatively, it will be the entire church. For all must work to put him there.”   

25 Ways to Mobilize

25 Ways to Mobilize

A mobilizer is someone who has a passion for the world and a passion to pass it on. Mobilization is coming alongside the work of God in someone’s life to transform their heart towards the things of God’s heart. If we desire to finish the Great Commission and see Jesus worshipped among every tribe, tongue, people, and nation, then mobilization must happen.

25 Ways to Welcome

25 Ways to Welcome

God has graciously and sovereignly brought the nations to us and we have the privilege and opportunity to impact the world without ever hopping on an airplane. From sharing meals together to driving them to or from the airport, there are countless ways to welcome international students. We can show the love of Jesus through simple acts that can lead to an eternal impact.

25 Ways to Give

25 Ways to Give

Jesus shares the secret of mastering money: Be generous with it and you will not lack. “Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure, you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). As God gives to us, we are to then turn and give to others. Your level of generosity toward others is the level of generosity God will have toward you. This principle does not make sense in our economy. In God’s economy, it makes perfect sense. The question is do we believe Him?

25 Ways to Pray

25 Ways to Pray

When considering ways to be involved in the Great Commission, prayer would rarely be the first thing on the list unfortunately. When prayer is mentioned as a mission’s strategy there is a good chance, we just threw it on there because we knew it was the correct “Bible” answer. In our go-go-go, results-based culture, prayer can feel like a waste of time. Why pray when you can be out there sharing the gospel? Why pray when there are people to be discipled, or churches to plant? Why pray when there are seemingly much more “effective” actions to give our time to?

Giving Sacrificially in College

Giving Sacrificially in College

Sacrificial giving does not have to begin once you have a ‘real job.’ Consider building the habit of giving into your life now!

10 Ways to Be Missional With Your Holidays

10 Ways to Be Missional With Your Holidays

During a season that is meant to bring glory to God and allow Christians to give back to others through service and generosity, why not also be intentional to be missional? Here are ten fun, easy ways to live missionally during the holiday season and during your winter break!

From Stained Glass to 10/40

I’ll never forget Missions Conference my freshman year of college.  Several hundred college students gathered in a church as the speaker exposed us to the millions of people around the world without access to the gospel and the Biblical command to do something about it.  That weekend totally rocked my world, and I rushed home in disbelief to look up the verses shared just to make sure he wasn’t making it all up.  When everything was verified, I knew that I had to share what I had learned with those around me.

When our whole perspective changes and we start living missionally, it’s natural to want to bring others along with us in making a difference in the world.  Our home churches are a great community to begin mobilizing others.  In fact, one of the church's main functions is to multiply among all nations.  However, some of our efforts to mobilize our churches can actually have the opposite effect: we end up turning people away from missions instead of towards involvement.  So how can we mobilize our churches well?

1. KEEP IT SIMPLE

After learning about God’s heart for the nations, it can be easy to want to dump every single point or idea that you have learned all at once on your church family.  Remember that you were once in the shoes of others in your community, and mobilization is normally a process.  Take it one big idea at a time, and simplify what you want to share.  A practical way to make sure you’re not oversharing is to ask a family member or friend to go over your outline with you and be honest about the content you have planned.  If you’re looking for some simple resources, check out this video of how to share the World Christian Illustration or this article  containing the Biblical Basis of Missions.

2. DON’T CRITICIZE

A common knee-jerk reaction to realizing our responsibility in missions is to ask questions like “Why isn’t my church intentional about this?” or, “Why didn’t they teach me these things growing up?” .  Don’t forget that many of these people have helped raise you and held you in the nursery from a very early age, and they deserve respect no matter where they are in their World Christian perspective.  Instead of criticizing your church, find the positive things that they are already doing.  Look for missionaries that they already support, outreach programs in the community, or Biblical truths that they teach, and begin from there.  Encourage the progress that is already happening, and ask and trust the Holy Spirit to convict the hearts of the leaders and members of the congregation in specific ways as you share the new things you are learning.

3. FIND AN INFLUENTIAL ALLY

This is an important action step for integrating change into any community.  Look for individuals in your church who already share a similar vision or passion for missions and team up with them.  Pay close attention to the leaders of your church—your pastor, missions committee, elders board, or influential members in the congregation—and look for people living missionally.  When you find them, be intentional about making time with them to share your heart for the unreached.  Ask for their advice about mobilizing your church, and brainstorm together how you can make change happen over time.  This will be super encouraging!  Once again, be careful that this does not turn into a complaining session about your church’s weaknesses, but instead a time for dreaming about what could happen in the future.

4. PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH

This is the most exciting part of mobilizing your church!  Before making lots of suggestions, ask questions to see what the needs of the church are.  If given the chance to share, here are a few possibilities of opportunities to grow within the church:

  • Lead others through MomentumYes study. A free online video study that is easy to lead for anyone.

  • Organize a group of church members to enroll in a Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class or go through a missions Bible study in small group studies.

  • Schedule a missions conference: invite The Traveling Team to facilitate a Missions Revolution, or a church missionary to share about their work.

  • Organize a World Prayer Group using some of these resources:

  • Share a monthly “Missions Moment” in church announcements highlighting specific missionaries or organizations and their work around the world.

These are just a few of many ideas to get the ball rolling in your home church.  The responsibility of mobilizing your church is now in your hands.  How cool would it be to see your friends and family gain a heart for the unreached and the ripple effect they could have in eternity?  Imagine the global impact your church could make as the congregation begins engaging with the unreached by going and sending!

By Sara Bauer

What does God's heart for the world have to do with my money?

What does God's heart for the world  have to do with my money?

Although the Bible has a lot to say about money and how we handle it, the most foundational truth is this: all money is God’s and should therefore be used for His purposes. 

Deciding Where to Give

Deciding Where to Give

So you want to be a sender?  Great.  But how do you decide where to give?  Here are a few guidelines for choosing where your money goes.