Have you ever thought, “I could never be a missionary,” or, “I’m not cut out for missions. That’s for ‘those people'”? More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples of all nations. What you may not realize is that this command—the Great Commission—applies to every Christian.
It’s not a suggestion or an idea. It looks different for every believer, but the bottom line is our Creator calls us to take the gospel to the ends of the Earth.
God has a role for all of us—even you. You are uniquely wired by God to live a life on mission—to have an eternal impact on people’s lives. This is what extraordinary purpose looks like.
Missions Through East-West
East-West was started by our founder, John Maisel, with the heart for getting the gospel to people who have never heard. Along with that came the opportunity to explore how to not only reach people with the gospel message but also establish churches in areas where they don’t yet exist.
Our vision statement begins with “The vision of East-West is to glorify God,” which is core to everything we do. We focus on multiplying followers of Jesus in the spiritually darkest areas of the world.
The unreached represents a people group in which 2% or less of the population would consider themselves to be followers of Jesus. Today, there are about 17,400 people groups around the world, with about 7,400 considered unreached.
Most unreached people groups live in the 10/40 Window—the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. However, these people groups are moving globally, creating opportunities for missions work even in our own communities.
Missions is For Everyone
Everyone’s role looks different, and that’s actually great. Your role should look different than others’, and that’s the beauty of the Body of Christ.
The Lord equips each of us with unique talents and gifts. It’s our responsibility as followers of Jesus to embrace these gifts and offer them back to Him.
Fear and lack of awareness often prevent people from engaging in missions. The enemy uses these tools to keep us from giving the Lord our yes and fulfilling the Great Commission.
But the Lord has a part for every person to play. It doesn’t matter what the end objective is—what matters is how we respond in faithful obedience today.
Taking Your First Steps in Missions
The greatest opportunity is to come before the Lord with open hands and ask what He has for you today. Every believer is on a journey, and the Lord wants to meet each person exactly where they are.
It may not be that someone signs up for a mission trip tomorrow, but maybe you sign up to learn more about missions in general. Small steps of obedience in faith allow the Lord to take us exactly where He wants us to go.
Have you given God your yes?
In the first episode of the Even You podcast, East-West President Kristen Shuler explains why missions isn’t just for “those people.” Continue reading for highlights from her interview, or watch the video below to see the full episode.
The Even You Podcast
On the Even You podcast, we want to empower ordinary people to say, “Yes!” to extraordinary purpose. Hear how everyday believers are using their gifts to have an eternal impact on people’s lives around the world. Learn more, share, and listen to the podcast now!
