How to get involved in Christian Missions: the Ultimate Guide
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20(NIV)
The desire to be part of Christian missions is getting stronger each day. But the problem is you don’t know how to go about it. You want to walk in obedience, but you don’t know where to start.
Well, though most of us know that Jesus gave us the great commission to go into the word and spread the gospel very few of us do it. Why is that? It is because most of us have been made to believe that there is only one way to do missions.
In this guide we will look at how to get involved in Christian missions. You will get to know the different ways that you can do missions and choose a system that fits perfectly with what God has laid in your heart. But before we go into that, we need to know what Christian mission is all about and why it is essential.
Table of Contents
How to Get Involved in Church Missions / What is Missions?
Jesus gave his disciples a mandate to go into the world and spread the gospel. This mandate has also been given to us too. Spreading the gospel to different parts of the world is not for specific people. It is not for preachers or evangelists only. All of us are commanded to do it. (Mark 16:15)
Christian missions is the assignment given to the children of God to go into the world and spread the gospel. It involves sending individuals or a group of people to the world to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You need to know Jesus on a personal level before you can tell others about him. Missions should flow out of the fullness of knowing who Jesus is and what he has done for you and others.
Missions may involve other activities like charity, hospital work, or education but the main reason for doing these activities is to share the gospel.
Why Getting Involved in Christian Missions is important
For Darlene and we attended the International School of Evangelism in Michigan. We took a two-year program where we studied the bible 8 Hours a day, then usually we had 2-3 hours of homework every night – just to keep up. It was a great time in our lives. We had very little money, but young faith confidence, we had moved there, trusting God to provide. He did, we ate a lot of beans and gravy bread, but it was a life-changing two years.
To Graduated from the program, you needed to participate in their mission trips. They wanted us to experience two places. A Place that would be cold and not very receptive to God’s Word, and then in contrast to that a mission place that was very receptive to his word.
From that single mission trip led a path for Darlene and I that we never could forget, led to a life of many mission trips. We were able to help God establish churches in Africa and South America. It buried it deep in our hearts, so our whole lives we did what we could to lead, finance, manage Mission teams. It Greatly benefited our lives and the lives of all our children.
It benefitted the churches that we worshiped with many of their members joining us on missions. This also helps spread the spirit of evangelism, in the local congregations.
It is a Command
The first reason why we need to get involved in missions is that we have been commanded by Jesus to do so. Yes, this command was given directly to the apostles, but it is also for us today. God gave up his only son so that we don’t perish. It is only by spreading the good news that people will get to know the truth and be set free from the kingdom of darkness. (Matthew 28:19)
Jesus left Heaven to come to the earth. The ultimate mission. The mission of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. To go to their creation and make themselves known. (John 1: 1-8)
They did not do it by force but simply preaching the truth of our creation. Our Actual Nature, and our eventual home if we develop into what they hope and created us for.
The Bible says faith comes by hearing, meaning it is only by sharing what Jesus has done for us that others can know the truth and believe that Jesus is the son of God.
It Glorifies God
Spreading the gospel brings glory to our heavenly Father. When people give their lives to Jesus, God gets all the glory. (John 15:8)
Establish God’s kingdom on Earth
God has given us dominion over the earth through his son Jesus Christ, and he expects us to establish his kingdom on earth. One of the ways that we get to do that is by doing Christian missions. Spreading the message of the kingdom and letting people know that there is more to life than what they see in the physical enables the kingdom of God to be established in different parts of the world.
God Will Reward You
It could be that you have seen how people have suffered because of mission work. Seeing what missionaries go through has discouraged you from getting involved in Christian missions. Yes, spreading the gospel to different parts of the world is not easy.
The apostles were flogged, killed and rejected because of carrying out the great commission. But that did not stop them from obeying Jesus. Despite what they went through, they still went ahead and spread the gospel. They knew that the suffering of this world was only temporary, and God was going to reward them. (Acts 5: 40-41)
If you have been hesitating to do mission work, yet God has called you into that ministry, please go ahead and follow what God is telling you. Your Father has great plans in store for you. You may not be rewarded in this world, but God is faithful, he will reward you at the end of time.
How to Get Involved in Church Missions
Let us be honest, most of us think that getting involved in missions means going to another country or some remote village to spread the gospel. But the truth is, there’s no one way to engage in Christian missions. You can be involved directly or indirectly.
Here is how to get involved in Christian missions:
Start in your Neighborhood
Do you know that you can start doing mission work in your neighborhood? Yes, there are people around your neighborhood who don’t know Jesus that you can share the word with. We often neglect our neighbors who are unbelievers but before you think about people in other cities and nations start with those who are close to you.
Use Social Media
Today, Christians have no excuse for not spreading the gospel. Technology has made it easy for us to talk about Jesus and the great sacrifice he made for humanity at the cross. You can spread the gospel right in the comfort of your home.
Instead of using social media for things that are not healthy or of eternal value, post the word of God and testimonies on your wall. Never know who will be transformed by what you share.
Go to Different Parts of the World
God gives some people the grace to travel to different parts of the world to spread the gospel. If that is you, then you can talk to your pastor to help you find Christian organizations that spread the gospel for God’s glory. You can ask your friends or find these organizations online if your church doesn’t have such a program.
Be careful when choosing which organization you are going to get involved in. Some organizations have been involved in different scandals. They may look pretty on paper, but that does not necessarily mean that they are walking in obedience. (Matthew 10:6)
Give Financial Support Missionaries
Honestly, not all of us can travel around the world. We have different ministries, and that means that some of us need to spread the gospel where God has planted us that is in our offices, marketplace, or industry. If you want to get involved in missions but you cannot do it directly consider giving financial support to missionaries that you know.
It was amazing during the ministry of Jesus there were a group of ladies that helped. Scholars think they help also providing finances for the work.
You might be able physically to go but you can be instrumentl in the spreading of his word from things you can do at home. These are some of the Things you can help with
- Finances – Plane Tickets
- Finances – Food Housing – Abroad
- Finances – Continuing a families Medical
- Finances – Help lay back for a Missionaries retirement
- Medical Supplies – Many Missions have a Medical aspect
- Bibles –
- Teaching Supplies
- Crafts for VBS anbd the Children
- Shots – Traveling the group needs to get Travel Vaccinations / Malaria Meds – This can get to $300+ per missionary
- Church Building Materials – Many times materiuals purchased locally can help if you are involved in Building
- Tents – Outdoor Formats – for outdoor campaigns
- Techinically – speakers, projectors, microphones
- Bible Correspondence Courses
- Travel Suitcases – usually 2 per person – $$$ to ship them most airlines now chargeing per suitcase – Approx $40 each
- Video / Classes / CDs / DVDs
- Communications – Linking the Mission work back to your Home Congregation
- Hold Fundraising Campaigns
- Recruitment Events
There are a lot of challenges these people go through, and giving them financial support can make a difference in the way they spread the word of God.
Pray for Missionaries
Prayer changes things. It changes the hearts of people and opens up doors for the Holy Spirit to prepare the hearts of people so that they can receive the word of God. Going to a place to spread the word of God without the moving of the Holy Spirit is pointless.
In the book of Acts, we see the Holy Spirit prevented Paul from going to certain places to spread the word of God. But why is that when God wants people to get saved? It is because the people in those places were not prepared to receive the word of God. Even if Paul and his companions went to such places, he would not make any harvest. (Acts 16:6)
I once studied the Power of Prayer for several years. It is amazing as you research it that how many of the great movements when God’s Presence gained much territory in the world. were preseceeded by great times of Prayer.
Some of the greatest evangelist that have walked the earth, their ministries were amazing, but many of them when you research find thet the roots were established in Prayer.
Evangelism by Prayer
Let me leave this nugget. There may be some where that god’s word is needed greatly
It may be because of your praying for this to happen, that you are the root cause in God’s word being established there, by God Answering Your Prayer. People are reached, people are saved, people are healed, the broken are mended, satans realm retreated – From the Power of Your Closet
Praying for the hearts of people is important as it enables the Holy Spirit to work on their hearts before and after they receive the gospel. Not just that but some of the places that missionaries go to are too hostile they need protection from God to fulfill the mandate God has laid out in their hearts. As you pray for missionaries, remember to ask God to give them endurance so that they can be able to withstand the challenges that they will face along the way.
Plowing the Fields with Prayer – Before the Seed is Planted
Prayer Letters
Some missionaries always send prayer requests to churches so that they can be prayed for. Find out if there are any prayer letters that missionaries have sent to your church. Find out the prayer request they have made and pray over them.
See, you don’t have to feel bad because you cannot give or go to the mission field. Praying for people who are already in the mission field is also part of doing mission work. Find out how God wants you to get involved in the mission work and then follow what he tells you to do. If God tells you to spend time in prayer, make it a point to pray for missionaries from time to time.
Partner with Other Churches in Other Countries
Has God laid out a specific country in your mind but has not opened up doors for you to go and do missionary work there? Well, aside from praying for them, how about you partner with a church there? You can help them to spread the gospel to the locals in that place without going to live there.
Advancement in technology has made it easy for us to connect with people in different parts of the world. You can partner with people in different places without leaving your country. Ask God to show you which churches to partner within that country so that you don’t make a mistake. When you get a revelation, reach out and see how you can partner with them.
One of the things that Darlene and I did, was that before we led any teams into a Mission Field. We would research other missionaries that have been involved in that area. We would schedule to be a part of their team. Working with and in submission to them. We did this so we could learn the ropes to a certain area. Things you can do, things you cant. Who is receptive. Where it stays who to partner with. These exploratory trips then would lay the groundwork for trips in the future.
In the letters of Paul, we see him encouraging partnerships. We can emulate the church of Philippians and also do the same. (Philippians 1:3-5)
Take Part in Short-Term Mission Trips
It may seem like nothing, but short-term mission trips can make a big difference in the lives of other people. Many people believe that doing missionary work means going to live in a place for a long time, but that is not always the case.
You can visit a country for one or two weeks and make a great harvest there for the kingdom of God. Find out if your church has organized any short term missionary trips that you can get involved in.
Offer Support of Bible Printing
Another great way that we can get involved in missionary work is by making contributions to different charity organizations that print Bibles. These Bibles are often given to children in different schools across the nations, left in hotels, and given to people in prisons.
Bibles can also be printed in the language of the country that you are going to work toward helping. Shipping is always challenging. But with Planning we have found the cheapest way to ship heavy weight is by Boat. You need to have aperson to be able to receive it for you. Our Local Minister would pick it up and take it to the congregation whetre Our team was to show up in the future
Several times we shipped 55 gallon Barrels full of Bibles, and songbooks. We also sent several large crates. We had a member in our congregation that managed a shipping dock We took the materials there and packed the crates – from there to truck – to boat. One trip we sent a water pump system, pumps, pressure tank and piping. We ran Fresh water to the village our church was in.
Some people have shared testimonies of how they were on the verge of committing suicide in hotel rooms. But for some reason, their attention was drawn to the Bible on the table. And through that Bible, they got to give their lives to Christ. The Bibles that we see in hotel rooms may not be of help to us because we already have our own Bibles, but they will make a difference in other people’s lives. So you can spread the gospel to different nations by simply donating part of your money to organizations that print free Bibles.
We do not know in God’s Wisdom and power how he can take our simplest acts of service and give them mighty spiritual applications.
Conclusion
Every child of God is supposed to fulfill the great commission that Jesus left us with. To go to the world and spread the good news. Spreading the gospel to the world is not for special people. We all need to get involved. But since we cannot all go to different countries to spread the gospel, we can decide to engage in missions indirectly.
You can help missionaries by giving them financial support, praying for their needs, and the souls they are going to preach to. You can also get involved directly by going for short mission trips, spreading the word to your neighbors, or going to live in a new country that God has laid out in your heart.
There is no one way to engage in missions, so don’t feel condemned just because you cannot go with your friends to another country to do mission work. God has gifted us differently, and there are different ways we can engage in missionary work. Ask God for wisdom so that you can know how to do mission work and then act accordingly.
