On a Mission
Growing up, my favorite TV show was “Mission Impossible”. Before the movie series, in the late 60’s and early 70’s it was a weekly series. Jim Phelps and the IMF – the Impossible Mission Force – captured a Columbian drug lord, recovered stolen Russian nuclear weapons, or rescued a captured Israeli general. In sixty minutes (minus the commercials) they saved the world. I wanted to be part of that mission! In our best moments we long for a cause greater than self, greater than things that fade away. We want a life that counts. Life includes a lot of ordinary but deep inside we need something that transcends the ordinary and lasts for eternity. Great news! You have a mission of eternal importance.
What is your mission? We each have a specific role but ultimately we all have the same, singular purpose. That mission involves your family and ministry, your skills and passions, your vocation and the nations. It all counts. A careful reading of Scripture reveals the purpose that ties all of life together: “Declare His glory among all nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.” (Psalm 96:3) God’s heart beats for His glory and blessing to reach all peoples and so should ours. The Great Commission – make disciples of all nations – is our greatest mission and we all have a part in it whether we ever leave home or not.
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The key to success for the IMF was strategic deployment: sending the right people with the right resources to the right places. Half the world still has not heard the Gospel. What is the best use of our limited resources and personnel? How will we make the greatest impact? These are important questions. Here are a few ways to find the answers:
Ø Attend the West Michigan Missions Forum on March 28. This event, for anyone interested in missions, includes an international keynote speaker, 20 workshops, and 40 resource exhibitors. (See the WMCN event calendar.) www.globalimpactservices.org/forum
Ø Utilize the resources of Global Impact Services (based in Grand Rapids): church missions Manual, consulting, strategic planning, missionary debriefing, and presentations. www.globalimpactservices.org
Ø Take the Perspectives course: the best missions training class available. Add your name to the contact list for future classes in West Michigan. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.perspectives.org
Ø Visit these websites:
o www.6ways2reach.org Six practical, effective ways to reach the nations
o www.prayercast.com Inspiring videos on prayer for the nations
o www.joshuaproject.net Information on the world’s unreached people groups
o www.thenations.us Great collection of mission resources
This mission may not become your vocation or involve most of your time. Even the IMF team needed time to refresh, to care for other things, to recover from one mission and prepare for the next. But when the call came, they laid everything else aside for the cause at hand. These are exciting days for world evangelism and you have a strategic role to play. Start by identifying your gifts, talents, and interests. How can you use them to reach the nations here or abroad? Take the next step! This is your mission – will you choose to accept it?
