Sep 23, 2020 Pastor Dan’s Inspirational Mission Tips Part 1

If you’ve ever worked with Global Evangelist, Pastor Dan Smith, you know he has an energetic passion for sharing Jesus that’s hard to match! Even though, right now, we’re not able to travel and do mission field evangelism, Pastor Dan is still thinking about and planning for the moment he can share the faith in person again. This week, read five of his inspirational mission tips. Then come back next week for five more!

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BUILD THE KINGDOM: You only have one life to liveÑuse it to build up the kingdom of God, to make more friends for God. There’s a saying by Brian MacLaren, Why spend your life hunting field mice when you could be hunting tigers? So many things in life that have an eternal impact as small as a mouse. But sharing Jesus has an impact as large as a tiger. You can go the beach for spring break, or you can go to Mexico and build someone a house, or you can go the Philippines and build a church and hold a crusade that might send hundreds of people to heaven for 1000 years! You choose!

Someday, there will be people in heaven because of what you did to bring new friends to Christ. Mission trips can be hard, no questionÑbut then comes Friday night, seeing 300 people take their stand for Jesus! Sabbath afternoon and the mass baptism, and 100 or 500 or 1,000 get into the pool, and the pastors line up to baptize them. And then you take an hour to take pictures with those new believers who are beginning their Christian life! There’s nothing like it, and it never gets old. 

ADD TO WHAT THEY HAVE: Whether you are building a church, or a school, or a clinic, or doing evangelism, or digging a wellÑwhat you’re giving is more than what our friends in mission field countries already had! All the time, you will see things that they needÑand part of the joy of mission field ministry is having the opportunity and privilege to meet some of those needs for the less fortunate.

EXPERIENCE ANOTHER CULTURE: Become a citizen of the world, curious about people who look different, speak differently, dress differently, worship and believe differently. Learn ten new words a day, wear some of their clothes, eat their food, ask questions about what it’s like to live and grow up in that culture. Don’t complain about the differences in facilitiesÑcelebrate them! And then think about the beauty in every culture and the ways each can come to Jesus. We don’t all have to look, worship or live the same to love and be loved by the same God!

EXPLORE ANOTHER RELIGION: Many of us are Christians because we grew up in Christianity. By doing missions, you can learn other religions and still be a Christian because you choose it. You can have reasons and you can think it through for yourself. Discover what other people believe, watch how people worship, ask questions. Watch a Buddhist ordination, or a Hindu funeral, or a Brahmin bathing in the Ganges. Discuss with the people you meet how what they believe compares with what you believe. Take the opportunity to hammer out your own personal faith! Why do you want to come and share the greatest picture of God there is in Christianity with them? And how can you still learn deep things from them?

GROW SPIRITUALLY: When you’re in the mission field, you’ll be doing good and working hard but you can grow as well. There will be worships in the morning, going to an evangelistic meeting at night, debriefing with the team at the hotel. You might be part of a prayer band, praying in the back room with the speaker and musicians, praying with a patient at the clinic. Our trips often have team building times for community and spiritual retreat as well. Keep a diary, listen to the messages for your own soul, recover your passion for lost people and poor people and sick people. Reconnect with GodÑthere’s no better time to do it!