By Susie Rain
SOUTHEAST ASIA (BP) — Who are mission-minded people? How do they see the world? While they could be found in your church, place of work or coaching Little League, what do mission-minded people do differently?
International Mission Board missionaries from around the world helped compile a list of 13 things that make up a mission-minded person:
1. They want to meet someone who does not follow Jesus Christ. Mission-minded people follow Jesus’ plan in Luke 10 to go work “His harvest.” They actively seek out non-believers for conversations and friendship.
2. They continually look for creative ways to share the Gospel. Mission-minded people find intentional ways to share so that people understand. It is not a “canned presentation” but relative to that person/group. They do the abnormal, irrational, counter-intuitive, and take risks all in an effort to share Christ.
3. They have a different worldview. They think more about the world, culture and languages than they do about the tiny place where they live. They understand that the Gospel is not just for them but for all people. They are committed to getting it to the rest of the world.
4. They hear the voice of God and are obedient. Mission-minded people hear the voice of God and obey when He tells them to go across the street, to another town, state or country to share about His redeeming love.
5. They pray a lot! Praying is a direct link to God. They believe that God will do greater things than we can ever imagine; and they pray for it to happen.
6. They make disciples. They constantly ask themselves if what they are doing will result in disciples. If the strategy is only for people to hear, then the Gospel will not spread. Mission-minded people know the importance of discipleship.
7. They meet human needs while sharing the Gospel. Mission-minded people believe it doesn’t matter how many wells a person digs or how many orphans they feed if they are not following Christ’s mandate to take the Gospel to those who have not heard. They contend that if a person is not sharing Jesus, they are wasting time and money.
8. They believe that being mission-minded is not a “task.” It’s a lifestyle. They live out missions in their everyday life. From the moment they wake up until they go to bed, they impact the world around them.
9. They are relational. They are willing to leave their own “bubble” to make relationships with those considered the “least of these.” They have an awareness of the people around them and look for ways to build a relationship that will lead to sharing Christ and discipleship.
10. They go! It doesn’t matter where God tells them to go — Timbuktu or Kalamazoo — they grow where God plants them. And, they are willing to move on when He says, “Go!”
11. They see people with a future. When they look at an unreached people group, they see potential “brothers and sisters” in Christ. They see that eternity and joy are available for everyone and are excited to share it.
12. They send! They know that we are responsible for ALL people groups hearing the Gospel. They follow the example from the book of Acts to “send” out other mission-minded people. They support them in any way possible.
13. They understand “the task” is not done. Mission-minded people know that once they have reached their family and friends with Christ, they are not done. There are still billions in the world that have not proclaimed Jesus’ name.
Susie Rain is a missionary writer for the IMB. She lives in Southeast Asia and works with an unreached people group.
Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com).
Baptist Press (BP) is the official news service of the Southern Baptist Convention and provides news to the 42 state Baptist papers. BP reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists’ concerns nationally and globally.
