- “Here is a tragic fact: Only about one out of a hundred ‘missionary decisions’ results in actual career mission service. Why? Mainly because parents, friends, even pastors rarely encourage anyone to follow through on that kind of a decision. But what if that number could double to two out of a hundred? The effect would be explosive!” –Ralph Winter, cited at “The Key to World Evangelization”
- “Anyone who can help 100 missionaries to the field is more important than one missionary on the field. In fact, mission mobilization activity is more crucial than field missionary activity.” –Ralph Winter, ibid.
Is anyone doing this?
How do we find more strategic senders?
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Here’s an answer to the: “Is anyone doing this?” question.
I’ve been telling stories my whole life. When I was five, God called me into missions. As a kid, I wondered what the Lord would have me do as a missionary when I I grew up. I had the opportunity to go on two short term mission trips as a teenager. Both confirmed God’s calling on my life. But they didn’t answer the “what” question!
At church, I was responsible for the youth group newsletter. I made videos for friends and family. At home, I spent hours writing stories. One summer, I got all my friends involved in a short film project. But all that was just as a hobby, nothing serious…or so I thought.
God brought my desire for missions and my love of media together when I applied for missionary service with SIM. Through the application process, I found a personnel request for a videographer. At the time I said, “You can do that as a missionary!?” I always had the impression that missionaries were either preachers, nurses, school teachers or orphan workers. Of all the missionaries I spoke to growing up, never once had the idea of media missions ever been brought up. And in none of the churches that I ever visited did I see good promotional tools for missions.
Now at SIM, I am using my storytelling and video making skills to further the kingdom of Christ. Every project I work on enables a missionary to serve in another culture, or raises support for ministry.
I challenged a woman from church who had signed on to go for part summer to Rwnada [she's a teacher] She wanted to back out to be with her new [first] boyfriend. Told her to forget him [for a bit] and go. Aggressively challenged her to go. She did. Now married to that guy, they’re in serious planning to go to a difficult country for a year of ministry next year.