Five Things You Can Do Right Here, Right Now

Missionary work can feel like something that happens far away, to other people. But there’s real, meaningful missions work to do right now — in your college, your church, your home.

Pray. Prepare. Provide. Propagate. Propel.

The Body

“And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.”

— 1 Corinthians 12:21

Where do missionaries actually come from? These are normal, ordinary questions for a healthy, thriving Body of believers to be asking:

  • Who passes on the vision to people who might become missionaries, and disciples them for it?
  • Who sends them, and pays for their transportation, housing, and ministry resources?
  • Who cares for them and their children over a lifetime of ministry, and prays for them?
  • Who creates a culture of sending missionaries within a local church?
  • Who supports the churches that get planted once the work is done? (Romans 15:23; Acts 15:36, 16:4-5)

Christ’s command is to teach people to obey everything He commanded (Matthew 28:20) — building long-term relationships, giving people access to God’s word so they can grow and teach others in turn. Doing that as an outsider, somewhere people have no other access to the Gospel, means doing together what none of us can do alone (Romans 10:13-17).

Practice What You’ll Need Later

Practicing evangelism now, right where you are, builds things you’ll need on the field later:

  • Experience — you won’t suddenly be skilled overseas at something you’ve never practiced at home.
  • Knowledge — a good way to find out what you don’t know is to try explaining what you do know.
  • A clear message — can you say plainly what people need to know to be saved?
  • Heart transformation — sharing the Gospel with people around you cultivates a heart for people you haven’t met yet, and grows your dependence on the Holy Spirit rather than your own persuasiveness.
  • People skills — learning to ask questions, listen, and have the conversation at all.

Practical Steps You Can Take Now

  • Adopt an unreached, unengaged people group. Pray for God to raise up laborers to go. Learn what it would take to establish a thriving church there.
  • Pray for people who will go as missionaries to the least-reached people groups.
  • Pray for churches who will intentionally prepare and send people.
  • Organize prayer groups among students, small groups, or your church around one unreached people group.
  • Educate your friends and church about the people who have no one to tell them about Jesus.
  • Show missionary videos to children, classmates, and churches to increase awareness.
  • Read missionary biographies to see how others have approached the Great Commission and what God did through their steps of faith.

(The only step you can take by faith is the next one.)