Making Missions Personal

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… How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! – Romans 10:15

When we read Bible verses like the one above or hear missionaries speak at our church, we can feel disconnected from the concept of missions because most of us are not “in the mission field” in the way we traditionally think of it. Missions seems like something set apart only for people called to live in foreign countries. But deep down we know we are all called to spread the Gospel in some way. This can be an uncomfortable tension.

Making missions personal has helped me bridge this gap. Realizing it doesn’t have to look a certain way and finding programs that speak to my passions and interests has allowed me to feel engaged and filled, even if I’m not geographically there, while also doing my part to spread the Gospel.

I like to always be involved in both local and global missions in some way. This can be through donations, prayers, and/or volunteering. For example, I support local efforts through my church, including a topic close to my heart: incarceration ministry. For overseas missions I support a ministry led by a dear friend that supports children in poverty through feeding programs, education, and sharing the Gospel. I’m passionate about this one because I know my friend operates with the highest ethics and is focused on impact, and I get to hear directly from her about the work. And together with my husband I support a global ministry focused on sharing the Gospel and building local churches among unreached people groups. We’re both passionate about this one because we were very troubled to hear how many people still haven’t heard the Good News. Every day we’re helping to change this through our efforts with this organization.

Evangelism is the heartbeat of the Christian life, but there are many ways we can go about doing this work. What a privilege to partner with the Lord and others to share His Good News.

Questions for Reflection:

1. What does “go into all the world” look like for you?

2. How can you make missions more personal to increase your own impact?