6 Ways to Get Involved in Global Missions
God’s command in Matthew is clear: “GO and make disciples of all nations…” But this doesn’t mean every Christian in America should sell their stuff and get on an airplane. Yes, according to the Bible, every believer must “go”—get involved in global missions—but there’s more than one way to do it.
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Go to a Foreign Country to Do Global Missions Abroad
This is the most obvious way to do global missions—being the hands and feet of Jesus in culture different from your own. This means you move as a missionary to a new culture with the explicit purpose of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The goal is that as a result of your faithfulness, people in the new culture will come to know Jesus and in turn share the good news with others.
Although let’s remember what John Piper said, “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate.” So this means your primary focus in the new culture will be to personally worship Jesus and know Him there. And your second focus is to make Him known.
Relevant Bible Verses: Matthew 28:19-20, Romans 10:14
2. Send Missionaries Through Financial Support
You’ve probably seen missionaries present their ministries at your church. Or maybe you’ve had a personal conversation with a missionary about how you can financially support them to continue doing their work.
Yes, the reality is that most foreign missionaries do their work full-time, leaving no opportunity for them to work a paying job. In order for them to continue their full-time ministries, they partner with churches and individuals who provide them with one-time or monthly financial support. Helping missionaries stay on the field is a valuable way to be personally involved in global missions.
Relevant Bible Verses: Philippians 4:17–19, Galatians 6:10
3. Pray for Missionaries on the Field
The Lord hears the prayers of the righteous and has promised to answer requests that are in line with His will (John 9:31, John 14:14). God is rich in mercy and resources and eager to give His children good gifts. He is the Protector, Provider, Healer, Redeemer, and Lord. God is all about global missions and desires that all people should be saved.
We get the exciting task of joining God in what He wants to do around the world through the hard work of fervent prayer.
Relevant Bible Verses: 2 Peter 3:9, Psalm 91
Learn more on how to pray for missionaries
4. Mobilize More Global Missions Workers to Go
Do you love global missions? Do you know people who are just minimally interested or even completely unaware of what God is doing through global missions around the world? Then mobilizing could be for you.
Mobilizing means teaching other Christians about the need for people to reach those who have yet to hear about Jesus. Mobilizing means getting people excited about what God is already doing through His followers and informing them about how they can get involved in the action. Mobilizing is about casting vision and helping people see where they fit in the picture.
Relevant Bible Verses: 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Luke 10:2
5. Welcome People from Other Nations to Your Home Culture
Think about where you shop, where you take your kids to school, your neighbors, your coworkers, and the people you sit next to in coffee shops. Are any of them from foreign countries? If so, you have a valuable opportunity to meet them, welcome them to your country, and initiate a relationship with them.
Most foreigners have few, if any, opportunities to build relationships with people from their host country. To reach out and welcome them means so much to these people. And through your new friendship, you could have open doors to start spiritual conversations and point these internationals to the gospel. If any of them receive Jesus and get discipled, just think of how the gospel will spread internationally as they take the good news back to their homes and families across the globe.
Relevant Bible Verses: Matthew 9:10, Deuteronomy 10:18-19
6. Get Involved in the Ministries of National Believers Around the Globe
This sixth way to get involved in global missions encompasses aspects from the previous five, but changes the “who” in the equation. Typically, Westerners think of global missions and assume a Westerner must be the one doing the evangelizing. But God has redeemed, equipped, and mobilized countless believers all across the globe to do His work. He has raised up a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual body of Christ whom He is using to spread His glory throughout the earth.
You can be as effective (or maybe even more) by partnering with national Christians across the globe to better equip them to reach their own people. Many national partners live in largely unreached and unengaged areas of the world.
They already know the language. They’re already familiar with the culture. They understand the ins and outs of life in ways that would take Westerners years to learn. All of this equips them to reach their own people with the gospel in natural, effective ways.
Get more info on doing global missions through national partners.
So how do you partner with a national believer? First, national partners need prayer for themselves and their ministries. Second, they need resources, funding, and supplies to keep moving.
Ready to dive into global missions? Live Global gives you ways to do global missions in many of the six ways listed above. You get access to national believers across the globe who are already doing ministry in hard-to-reach areas. You get opportunities to pray for them. You find out about financial needs you could help support. And you get to share the news with others, mobilizing the church to live out Matthew 28:19–20.
So, what are you waiting for? Find a project you’re interested in and get to work.
