As missions advocates, isn’t it great when we have the privilege of inviting individuals to find their role in the Great Commission? And yet, we’re not only interested in individuals right? We want to see whole communities shift their corporate culture, find out what God is asking them to do, and engage effectively in fulfilling the great commission. Wow! Yes but, how do we do that? Well, we have found a lot of wisdom in what has been called Community Development principles or Community Transformation principles. And really all these are just best practices for how to enter communities well. How to enter a community in a way where they can hear from God, discover what He’s saying to them, and they can own that vision going forward.
Do first then teach. Am I living out what I’m asking others to do? Because if I’m not I have little to no authority to continue to challenge and invite them to do likewise
So for example, one community development principle goes like this. “Community development starts with me”. So in our case, it would be “Missions mobilization starts with me” This might be the principle I like the least because on a regular basis it confronts me to say am “I doing it first?” Do first then teach. Am I living out what I’m asking others to do? Because if I’m not I have little to no authority to continue to challenge and invite them to do likewise. So as parents we know this, right? The kids will see our life. They will follow our life not just our words. They will follow and emulate what we model and so we have to find ways to regularly, honestly, evaluate ourselves and say “How am I doing?”
Am I doing what I’m asking others to do? We want to see people engaged with fulfilling the Great Commission right, actively. Am I doing it, first? We want to see people pray. Well, am I praying?… specifically for the unreached for unreached people groups? We want to see people give. Well, how am I doing with that? Am I giving generously and in the face of my own need? We want to see people Go. Well, am I going? These are things that we can regularly evaluate to say… it starts with me! Am I living out personally what I am hoping to have the authority to challenge and inspire others to do as well? Missions mobilization begins with me.
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