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 lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
- Matthew 28:18-20
What's new this week
If the pastor has no interest in reaching the lost, the congregation will follow suit. But as a pastor, how do you communicate the needs of the world, and God's Great Commission, to your people? We have put together a page of helps for you, and encouragements. We hope it will be useful to you.
new for you
"Everyone was embarrassed" - a missionary moment"
Cultural misunderstandings were a difficulty in my time among a people group with strong cultural taboos and intense control over the lives of women and girls. When the other Christian healthcare workers and I wanted to talk to the young women about menstrual hygiene, we asked a local lady to gather them and organize the session. Unfortunately, this caused the men of the community to be very suspicious about what we might be telling them! We should have gone through the head man, who could have heard our plans and given permission.
"My sister told me I was wasting my life" - a missionary moment"
I am a trained nurse, but my heart continued to ache for the unreached after going on short-term missions trips in my younger years. After three years of nursing, I felt it was time to go into missionary work. I joined Global Link Afrika in Uganda and began raising support. It was quite a challenge since I was used to making a salary!
My family did not agree with my decision and kept wondering whether I had lost my senses.
30 days of prayer for the Muslim World
From 28 Feb to 30 March, join people from all over the world in praying for our lost friends, family and neighbours. Follow this link to a low-cost booklet available for download to guide you and encourage you.
"One wild black dog" - a missionary moment"
Bayon Famonure shared about God’s provision for the fledgling CAPRO team living in a hostile Muslim area:
“The people planned something we did not know. One day, one wild black dog strayed into our house and stayed. We did not know its origin. We gave him the name, Ginger. The dog stayed long with us. It made the people fear to come near the house; it would chase them off. It was as if the dog could read peoples’ minds. The dog didn’t bite anyone but it protected us. If we were going to the office, even at 2 am in the morning, the dog would escort us and come back.
"Men are the guardians of cultural heritage" - a missionary moment"
There has been an unspoken norm in Samburu that ‘’the gospel is for women and children,” hence little influence at home due to cultural dominance. Men are the guardians of cultural heritage and the stewards of their families’ survival. Their role is to preserve traditions and practices that bond their community to culture. Understanding their influence, we realized that intentional conversations addressing men’s fears of faith and cultural abandonment are crucial for the gospel to flourish, trickling down to women and children.
"The Fork in the Road" - will you go?
SIM is old. Over a hundred years ago, a group of missionaries found themselves at a fork in the road. They went one way, and to this day, there's been much fruit. But many are remembering that fork in the road and are curious where the other way leads. There's an untrodden road that leads to communities where Jesus isn't known. Join the team headed there - watch this amazing 4-minute video to learn about it.
"Our epic fail" - a missionary moment"
Our short-term mission team of 12 people in Liberia was gifted with artistic abilities in music, drama and choreography. We were invited to a church one day and one of us prepared us to minister the song “I will never be the same again.” Our voices harmonized so beautifully and we sang so well, it became one of my highlights for the trip.
Two years later I was part of a smaller mission team of six people to The Gambia. Because of my experience with the previous team, I impressed upon my teammates to make us sing “I will never be the same again” at a church we’d been invited to.
"Three days later the man died" - a missionary moment"
“It was under a tree, on a Saturday, and I came with the book of Jonah translated in the language. We read it to different audiences. I read how Jonah had run away, not willing to go to Nineveh and how God caught up with him leading to his eventual obedience to God’s call. As I was reading, a man said, ‘Is this man reading my language or is he reading it from memory?’ He came close, peeped, drew back and sat down."
From E2e: Learn some language before you get there
Aaron G. Myers from Everywhere to Everywhere has put together an amazingly useful guide to help you think through how to learn a language in the country where you are going to serve - before you get there. He gives tips like listening to local radio stations (which you can do online) and, for the larger language groups, signing up for a learning app. You'll find these suggestions helpful and you will arrive in your ministry location much more ready to interact and begin serious language learning.