“Well, I’m Not a Missions Person”
Being someone who has been deeply involved in missions in a variety of ways since I was a freshman in high school, I end up in conversations with people about missions on a very regular basis. People will ask me for my advice, ask me random questions about the world, and tell me their thoughts about a slew of topics that are at least loosely related to missions. One of the many things I hear regularly is something along the lines of, “Well, I’m not a missions person.”
If this is something you have said or thought, I have some news for you: if you are a Christian, you are (or should be) a missions person. But maybe we need to define what a missions person is before we go any further. Many people think that “missions person” and “missionary” (or someone who wants to be a missionary) are synonymous. But a better synonym to “missions person” is “global Christian.” And there is a bit of redundancy in the phrase “global Christian.” You see, to be a follower of Christ is to follow his teachings and to become more like him. We cannot do that without being globally minded. Just do a search in the Bible for things like “all peoples,” “all nations,” “all the families of the earth,” or “the whole earth.” God’s promise to Abram is being fulfilled through his children:
Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1–3, ESV)
But this does not mean that all of the children of Abraham will go overseas to carry this blessing of the gospel. There are so many ways to be involved in the work of spreading the Good News to all nations while remaining at home. Here’s a list to get you started:
Pray for missionaries and ask the Lord of the Harvest to send workers to the unreached.
Give to the work of global missions. Sending message bearers has many costs and your gifts—be they large or small—helps to accomplish this task.
Welcome those who have come from other nations to your neighborhoods and cities. Whether your church gets involved with helping international students find their way in their new temporary homes or you offer ESL classes at your church, there are plenty of opportunities in our melting pot country to reach the nations living next door.
Become a Congregational Missions Advocate. If you are a member of an RPCNA congregation and your congregation doesn’t already have one (ask your session if you’re not sure) offer to serve in this capacity as a liaison and champion for missions in your home congregation.
Volunteer your gifts and skills for the kingdom. RP Global Missions often needs assistance with a great number of things that may not be obviously related to missions. Whether you have skills/training as a lawyer, psychologist/counselor, envelop stuffer, fundraiser, doctor/nurse, web developer, graphic designer, UX designer, administrator, editor, or a whole slew of other categories we may be able to use your help.
Add missions into your homeschool and Sabbath school curriculums. There are a lot of great resources out there for incorporating learning about God’s global movement in your homeschool
So, now, instead of saying you aren’t a missions person, consider how you are a missions person and how else you can serve in God’s global mission from the place he has called you to be.