Next Steps

The deepest passion of God’s heart is to redeem people from every nation.  The heartbeat of His Bride is mission.  God is assembling His team to reach every tribe, every people group, every nation.

God has called all of us to be a part of His team.  Some of the team members are senders.  God has given them the role of fighting the spiritual war through prayer and partnership with those who go.

Some of the team members are called to go – to leave their homes and to carry God’s love and hope to another culture.  God will plant His Church through them in a new culture.  Many opportunities are available:  for two weeks, a few months, or a lifetime; for administrators, mechanics, or church planters; for teenagers, college students, second career people, or retirees.

What role does God have for you?  God leads us a step at a time, often confirming His direction after we have stepped out in faith.  Here’s how to get started:

STEP 1

Become involved in sending.  God has called all of us to be senders.

1. Pray daily for a specific missionary.
2. Write to your missionaries or make regular telephone calls to them.
3. Begin supporting a missionary.  Many find that three day’s wages per year is a good starting point.

STEP 2

Reach out to the people around you.

Each day we come into contact with people who need to know about the eternal difference Christ can make in their lives.  Ask God who He has prepared you to reach.  Look for those you’ll be able to see again.  Pray for them, asking God to open doors.  Then initate a conversation.  Reach out with friendship.  Share what God has done in your life.  See what God does through you!

STEP 3

Take concrete steps to investigate whether God has equipped you for cross-cultural ministry.

1. Talk to your pastor about your interest in cross-cultural ministry.  Get your church involved in how God is leading you.
2. Meet with another person and regularly pray that God will show you whether you are to go.
3. Participate in a short-term ministry.  GO teams and internships provide opportunities for you to get cross-cultural training while doing strategic ministry.
4. Learn as much as you can about missions.  Our website, www.gbim.org, is a great place to start.  We can suggest other resources.

STEP 4

Evaluate yourself to see if you are developing these qualities and abilities.

• Spiritual life and worldview – evidence of genuine spiritual life, communicates an understanding of spiritual identity, perception of spiritual realities, practices disciplines in light of these realities and knows how to respond to them
• Life balance – currently have healthy relationships, growing self understanding and awareness, personal security in Christ, growing ability to organize and prioritize relationships, family, finances, work, and ministry so you can sustain personal vitality and influence in the spheres of family and ministry
• Teamwork – self motivation, relational ability, appreciation of diversity and spiritual gifting under recognized leadership, organization of work and time, sound financial management, evidence of conflict resolution and restoration of relationship.
• Contact-making / evangelism – demonstrate an evangelistic lifestyle using culturally-appropriate forms of contact-making and evangelism
• Discipleship / spiritual reproduction – demonstrating spiritual disciplines and reproduction in others (who will reproduce in others)
• Understand and live the essence of church – commitment to the church, growing ability to differentiate between the essence and expression of the church, with participation in a local spiritual family; developing skills critical to creating and fostering new spiritual families
• Handling Scripture – growth in knowledge, application and teaching of the Bible in culturally-appropriate ways
• Cultural competence – flexibility, sensitivity to people and surroundings, delineate the differences between the beliefs, values & behaviors of the sending and receiving culture, able to change cultural patterns

Don’t be overwhelmed. If you don’t see yourself as excelling in all these qualities, don’t assume you’re disqualified.  We are not looking for perfect people, but for those who are growing and have sufficient strength in Christ to continue to grow without their family and support network around them.  Use this list as a basis for setting some personal goals.

STEP 5

As God continues to lead, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at Encompass World Partners. He’ll listen to what God is doing in your life and help you investigate which of the many options may be best for you and your circumstances.  We’ll work with you and your church to confirm God's leading and enable you to move into the ministry role right for you.

Questions? About your role?  About how to take steps in your situation?  About where to focus your energies? We’d be glad to spend time with you as you seek God’s leading.  Together, let’s express God’s passion for the nations in our actions! Contact us.