“Therefore, GO and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19)

Did you notice something in that verse? Did you notice that we are all called to go? No one is excluded from Jesus’ commission – everyone has the opportunity to join in! But where does that leave you? How can you get involved with the commission and furthering the Gospel?

As you read these helpful ways to get involved, invite the Holy Spirit into the process. Ask Him to speak to you, to tell you how He wants to change the World, and how He wants use you as a world changer.

1. Go into your own neighborhood and just do it.

The first one is obvious. Find the courage, get God’s heart, and GO share the Gospel. Some ways this could look are finding a church group that does evangelism in your city, getting involved with a college group that offers prayer and healing on campus on Friday nights, or even volunteering at a food shelter or soup kitchen! Whether it be finding a group that will motivate you to serve your community, a friend that you can go out with, or if you are able to just find time to do it by yourself, do it. You have skills, time and the ability to impact your city for Christ. All you have to do, is do it!

2. Give financially, prayerfully, practically to missionaries.

If you go to a church, or are a part of any western Christian stream, chances are you know (or can get to know) at least one active missionary. Do your part to get to know them when they are in town, hear what they are doing for the Lord, and learn from their experiences in missions. As you impact missionaries with your love and making them feel supported, they are in turn able to go out and make disciples of nations!

By pouring out to the missionaries you know, you are getting involved and supporting missions.

Here are some creative ways to reach and encourage the missionaries that you know:

• Give and support them financially and consistently. The money you sow directly sows into the Kingdom of God!
• Pray and encourage them monthly. Do the extra mile in making sure that there needs are met, or at least prayed for. Send them encouraging messages, ask them how they are doing and actively pray for them.
• If you are unable to give financially, give to missionaries with the ability and skills that you already have. Make them edifying art. Throw them a fundraiser event. Babysit their children. Fix there car or broken refrigerator. You have skills – think of ways that you can donate your time and skills to bless them!

3. Share your testimony and your relationship with the Lord on your personal social media platforms. Join justice movements that represent Christ!

This way might sound like a bit of a stretch for “missions”, or a bit unnecessary, but honestly, you’d be surprised at the impact you can make by being honest about your relationship with the Lord, and sharing the things that you believe and why you believe in them on your social media platforms.

My challenge to you: Be vulnerable. Open up. Be the light that the World is looking for.

Who knows what could happen when you start the conversation.

There are also amazing organizations that are trying to raise awareness about certain injustice and social movements issues. Do your part in following, sharing and being a part of the honest and real voices that are fueling these justice movements! Some awesome organizations to follow and movements to join are:

• Fight the New Drug is an Christian group fighting and raising awareness against the effects of pornography @fightthenewdrug
• The Call is Lou Engle’s prayer movement to end abortion in America @thecall
• #enditmovement is a social anti-slavery and abolitionist movement that you can participate in #endit #enough @enditmovement
• Carry the Love; A movement brought by the Circuit Riders dedicated to inspire today’s youth and young adult generation to love radically like Jesus

4. Go on a short-term missions trip or outreach.

Short-term mission trips are awesome opportunities for people who are exploring the idea of becoming a missionary. They are inspiring and eye opening, and they can be life-changing for people around the world. However, there is a right way to do a short term trip. Read this blog, for more information on ways to fruitfully and effectively go on a short-term outreach in a way that is edifying and honoring to the local people.

Here are some awesome in-house opportunities and some friends of ours who are offering short-term missions opportunities that will equip you and actually make a difference in individuals lives across nations:

• YWAM Short-Term Trips
• Mission Adventures 
• YWAM Redding’s Bay Outreach Bible Distribution partnership with Ending Bible Poverty Now
• YWAM United Events

5. Donate to an organization that is spreading the Gospel!

There are endless, I mean endless, non-profits and missions organizations that are dedicated to bringing God’s kingdom to Earth – it is just a matter of finding one that you can pour into. Get to know the organizations that are reaching out in your city, in your county, in a topic you care about, or a nation that is on your heart. Follow them and be a part of what they are doing by giving to them financially. They can’t do it without people like you, who are willing to support them.

It is also an awesome way to find “your people”. Get to know the volunteers and advocates of that organization, the people that are stirred into action just like you are about topics you care about.

Sowing into ministries is one of the easiest ways to do your part in completing Great Commission.

6. Do a missions training program.

Fair warning, we are a bit biased about this one. Missions training programs are probably the most effective and life-changing ways to get involved with missions! At YWAM Redding, we offer a program called a Discipleship Training School (DTS). It is a 5 month program that is dedicated to leading students to encounter God, become true revivalists and make God known all over the world.

The best parts about our DTS is that students are able to:

• Be surrounded by a missions oriented community
• Build a stronger relationship with the Lord before they are sent out
• Go on a two month cross-cultural outreach that is dedicated on seeing God move in powerful and fruitful ways in regions like Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia
• Have one on one discipleship and in depth Bible discovery
• Study and learn about topics like compassion, adventure, ministry to muslims, and worship

There are other organization and YWAM locations that offer missions training programs. Find one that is right for you!

Like I mentioned before; pray about it.

Here are some quick activation questions to start a conversation with the Lord about how you should get involved with completing the Great Commission. Have fun discovering and dreaming with the Lord with what you are called to do!

• Jesus, how do you want me to get involved with missions? What have you given me that I can give back to serve you and your children?
• What places are you highlighting to me? What have you put on my heart that I can do something about?
• God, why do you care about missions? Why should I be involved?

Interested in knowing more about our missions training program? We would love to hear from you! Click the button below to connect with us!

The First Step

As students in the School of Islamic Studies, we have hearts to reach the unreached. It requires steps of radical faith in order to successfully reach those who live in the “hardest and darkest” parts of the world. A part of this school is learning to trust God fully and to go where he leads without hesitation. One week of the school, we were commissioned to go out on what we call a faith outreach, just as the disciples did in Luke 9.

“And he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.” (Luke 9:2-6)

Like the disciples, we were sent out in teams with no money, food, or a place to stay. We were instructed to proclaim the Kingdom of God wherever He led us, and to trust the Lord for every provision.

My team headed to Bay Area, with a word of the Lord that we would do three things: love big, have fun, and follow our passions. When God speaks He is always faithful to fulfill. Our journey through faith outreach was filled with just these things.

Loving Extravagantly

On day one, the Lord called us to minister to one of our team member’s family. We were able to reach out to them in a season of hardship. Before this time we knew that we were called to love extravagantly everyone who we met. This specific call of The Lord was fulfilled during this time. We were able to love and champion them in ways that spoke to them in big ways. I even got to teach one of them a worship song on the piano and show her what joy is found in worshiping the Lord. We were able to love them extravagantly.

Later in the week, we were doing evangelism, and we encountered people from all different religions. We talked to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and everything in between. In conversation, we could have argued or felt responsible for proving our beliefs to be true. However, The Lord spoke to us very specifically that love had to be our only motivation. Because we chose to love, we were able to continue ministering through the opposition. At the end of the day, we finally found someone who was hungry for the gospel. We had a fruitful conversation that would not have happened if the Lord did not remind us to love extravagantly and endlessly.

As we ministered, our team walked in incredible unity, and it is because we loved each other well. I realized that loving big should not just mean loving the lost, but loving our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Having Fun

One day during our outreach, the opportunity to go to Six Flags for free was presented to us! With a word of the Lord to have fun, we knew the He was behind it. The day was filled with joy as we rode roller coasters and evangelized to those in the lines with us.

We got to show others that ministry does not have to be boring and routine. We serve a Lord who cares about our smallest desires and loves to see His children laughing and having fun. Doing life with Jesus is a wild ride! (no pun intended). 

God did not only provide our basic necessities, he gave us things to enjoy! One of my favorite moments was getting to eat authentic Syrian food together. God could have just let us eat sandwiches, but I guess He wanted us to taste of His goodness. Literally.

Following Our Passions

We followed our passions during that week wholeheartedly. We are passionate about Houses of Prayer, so we went to one. God used that place to provide for all of our needs! 

I am passionate about relational ministry (and coffee dates), so I got coffee with a girl that I had met. We talked for an hour about the gospel, what I believed and what she believed. We are passionate about mercy ministries, and so we served at a homeless shelter. I am passionate about helping women in human trafficking and prostitution, so we did ministry in the red light district. We are passionate about worship, and so we worshiped on the UC Berkeley campus. We even ran into a piano on the concourse!

The Lord constantly provided ways for us to glorify Him in spreading his Kingdom while pursuing our passions.

God loves to use the passions that are already in our hearts. 

This Week Changed Me

Throughout this week, I gained new confidence in the faithfulness of God. He showed us that every word that he speaks will come into fruition. As I seek Him and his kingdom here on earth, doors will open and provision will come.

He showed me that when we fix our eyes on him, it is possible to walk in perfect unity with other believers and to love each other well. I found that people will not always agree with me, and they might reject the gospel, but that is okay. That does not change its power and it does not change who Jesus is. Jesus showed me that ministry is not boring and burnout is not inevitable! This week was fun, restful, and refreshing.

Going into faith outreach, I was quite nervous, but if I had known then what I know now, I would have been far from fearful. I was scared of the uncertainty: where I would stay and how I would eat. We might have been more comfortable if we had brought money with us “just in case” God did not show up. However, I have realized that when we take a leap of faith and surrender our “plan B”, God always comes through. Now as I continue my walk with The Lord and look towards to long term ministry in unreached nations, I feel certain that when He calls me to do something, He will also equip me. Where God guides, he provides, and I can literally trust Him with my life!

You too can walk in radical faith!

I want to invite you to join us in a Discipleship Training School where you will learn more about what it means to walk boldly and to trust the Lord with your life. If you have done a DTS, join us for the School of Supernatural Frontier Missions and embark on a faith outreach week where you will get to experience the Lord’s faithfulness first hand!