How can I encourage a church member who is considering mission?
Have you ever thought about encouraging someone at your church to consider serving God in another part of the world? You may know someone – or multiple people – who you believe have the character, conviction, and competency to serve God across cultures for the long term.
In this article you’ll find two reasons why helping your congregation members to consider mission is a great opportunity for your church, and four ways in which you can be encouraging them right now.
Mission is a privilege
It is an amazing privilege for a missionary to be sent by their church to serve the Lord in a different part of the world. Not only do they get the blessing of being supported through the prayer and financial generosity of your church, they also receive support from the entire CMS Fellowship.
It is also a privilege for your church to be able to send missionaries to serve in this way. Your congregation members will be encouraged to know the part they are playing in global mission through sending people from their own church to share Jesus across cultures.
Mission is strategic
Sending home-grown missionaries is strategic, both for your church and for those they will serve in mission. Missionaries are generally able to make an impact on many more people than they otherwise could on their own, through training and discipling local believers who go on to train others.
Mission is also strategic for your church. Sending out home-grown missionaries is a wonderful way to help your church members lift their eyes to God’s local and global mission. It also provides a chance for your church to fill ministry and service gaps that your missionaries left in their absence.
How to encourage someone who is considering mission
Do you have someone in mind who you want to encourage as they consider mission? Use the list below for four steps they can take right now.
1. Broaden your ministry skills
Help them to consider what ministries they are currently involved in, and how they can broaden these skills over the next few years. Note that they will need some formal theological training before becoming a missionary with CMS or another organisation. This is usually at least one year of Bible college.
2. Grow your daily walk with God
Invite them to deepen their relationship with God through daily prayer and Bible reading. If regular devotion is not a habit before they become missionaries, it won’t be a habit once they are on location.
3. Develop your cross-cultural awareness
Encourage them to be curious about other cultures and to spend time with people who are different to them. One significant way they can grow their heart for cross-cultural ministry is to begin praying for a CMS missionary in the region they are interested in or who is involved in the kind of ministry they want to do.
4. Ask others about your suitability for mission
Help them to work out their suitability for mission in conversation with people who know them (like you!). This is a great time for them to get to know their gifts, abilities, and limitations before beginning to serve on mission.
Who can you tap on the shoulder?
All of our missionaries have needed people to tap them on the shoulder and invite them to consider how they could prepare to serve in God’s global mission. Could you encourage someone who you think has the character, competency, and conviction to serve the Lord in another part of the world?
To chat to CMS about becoming a missionary, please contact Margie Gillham at mgillham@cms.org.au.
