The first way to be involved in missions is by sharing the need with others! If no one shares the need, no one will go! How will people know to give money to missions or to send people out if they are not informed of the need? It is because of people who are passionate about raising awareness that people choose to devote their life to reaching the lost. 

There are so many ways to raise awareness of the need for missions. If you have a heart and passion for communicating God’s heart for the world, ask to speak at your church or youth group! Start a blog or social media page. Film a video. Host a “missions night” and invite people over. The possibilities are endless.

Global Frontier Missions released a great video to educate the public about the remaining task and the need for missions. It is an awesome resource to share with your circle of influence!

Check it out HERE:

If you love speaking to groups of people, have a social media presence, or have passion to see other people grasp God’s heart for the lost and inform them of the task remaining, raise awareness for missions!

Another area to serve in missions is through giving. Teamwork in missions is especially key in this area. People who have committed their life to be overseas are funded by people who have chosen to partner with them in their work! However, if no one gives, how will they go? Similarly, if no one goes, who will they give to?

Our ministry here at YWAM Redding stands because of generous people who have chosen to partner with our vision. Each of our staff is able to remain here with us because of the same reason. These aspects of missions go hand in hand!

One of the most important aspects of missions is the prayer and intercession that fuels the work missionaries do.

Jesus says in Matthew 9:38 “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Paul also asks for prayer from the Church at Ephesus while he is preaching the Gospel in prison in Rome: “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel..” (Ephesians 6:19)

Paul asked for prayer because He knew that it was essential to the work that he was doing. This principle should stand for all of us!

Another way we work together in missions is through mobilization.

I love this quote from Fred Markert:

“Mobilization is the process of envisioning and educating God’s people about His strategic plans for the world, and it is the means of keeping them involved and moving forward until they find their specific place and role in world evangelization.”

This is something that YWAM Redding is passionate about. It is the heart of our Discipleship Training School– to train up revivalists to be sent out to the unreached. We are passionate about seeing people step into their God-given calling, which is why we are sending out two long-term teams this year!

Lastly, all of these aspects of missions would have no point if there were not people willing to go. Jesus’ final words before he ascended to heaven was a commission to do this!

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

The first step to share your faith is to understand why it is that we share it. So, why do we share the gospel? We don’t share the gospel to prove a point or to be right. We don’t do it to get brownie points in heaven or to prove we are spiritual. However, we do share the gospel with people because we love them. Why? Because Jesus loves them, and we are partners with Him! This is key. We never want to communicate fear or anger; instead, we want to communicate love. This means we must ask God for his heart for the lost.

His love for them compelled him to lay down his life in order to bring them home. The Word says in John 15:13, “greater love has no one than this- that someone lay down his life for his friends.” We must understand the love God has shown us and those around us, and when we do, it becomes the cry of our heart that others would know it too. It isn’t that we want to shove a religion down people’s throats, it’s that our lives have been radically changed, and we know it is possible for others to experience this, too.

There are so many people we encounter on a day to day basis; how do we know who to share our faith with? Often God will “highlight” people to us. In other words, He will put it on our hearts to go talk to someone. He might give us a specific word to talk to a specific person. However, this isn’t necessary. As our base director, Jachin, always says, “You don’t need a Word of the Lord to share the gospel.”

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.‘” Mark 16:15

Jesus tells us to preach the gospel to all creation and to every nation. If you find yourself wondering if you should share your faith with someone, the answer is YES. We don’t need to wait on a word of the Lord to share the gospel when there is already a mandate in His Word! Who do you share with? Anyone and everyone!

Now that we have addressed why you share your faith and who we share with, let’s discuss how. The thought of starting a conversation about your faith with a stranger may sound intimidating, so take a look at these 4 ways to share your faith with anyone. 

Rejection will happen as you share your faith- and that is okay! People rejected Jesus his entire life. Jesus tells the disciples in John 15, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”

He told the disciples how to deal with rejection in Luke 11:8-11:
“When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’”

Remember: Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers and principalities in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). There is a fight in the spiritual over people’s souls. Remember that if no one was under the influence of satan, they would be a follower of Jesus. Partnering with Jesus means experiencing the rejection and hurt he experienced, but when we fear only God and not man, it cannot hurt you. Your flesh is crucified. You cannot kill a dead man! Matthew 10:28 says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” At the end of the day, it is ALL WORTH IT for the one who chooses to follow Jesus. We continue to share the gospel, because Jesus pursues the one lost sheep. There will be people who don’t want Jesus, but there will also be people who do. Don’t let fear of rejection keep you from the beauty and reward of showing someone the love of God. Go out, boldly proclaim the gospel to all, and watch God show up and change people’s lives.

So many of us have asked, or are asking, these questions as we navigate the waters of adult life. Maybe you’re about to graduate high school and are feeling nervous about your next steps. Maybe you’re a bit older and even have some college/ work experience but are feeling disappointed and dissatisfied. No matter what situation you’re in, we’re here to say that it’s ok, and that there is so much reason to have hope for the future.

So many in this generation are struggling with anxiety and depression. Much of it stemming from insecurity in identity and in life direction. I know this because this was my struggle, this was the struggle of many of my peers, and this is the struggle of many young adults that I speak to.

I’ve noticed that christian (and even non christian) culture can, at times, elevate the idea of “calling” to the point where many have come to view it as a lofty, elusive thing that doesn’t quite reconcile with normal career expectations. It seems more teens are stepping into adult life feeling a bit clumsy and confused about life in general. This confusion makes no exception to people who are navigating this and what it means to follow Jesus. I believe clarity will come when we demystify this idea of “calling” and bring the focus back where it truly belongs.

“We often think of calling as this mysterious, enigmatic idea. I know lots of people who are waiting around for a calling from God to come in the form of a dream or a vision or a crazy prophet who walks up to them on the sidewalk with fire in his eyes and a word from God – God become a rock-climbing instructor.” ¹

What we all really want is to experience the fullness of life. Being able to do the things that we are passionate about, the things that make us come alive, to feel fulfilled and content are all certainly aspects of that.

The truth is that all of life, every aspect and facet, flows from God. Learning how to recognize God’s voice and discover not only who He is, but who He’s made you to be, is the greatest step you can take toward discovering your calling or purpose in life. A life lived in intimacy with our heavenly Father is the definition of a fulfilled life. It is literally the most fundamental thing you were created for. When you discover your “calling” based in that relationship with God, you’ll see it’s less about what you do and more about who you are.

Discovering your calling is much more about discovering God’s desire in creating you than anything else. Psalm 139:13 says, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” You were designed by God for a purpose, and until you discover God, you’ll struggle to discover what that purpose is.

Your birth was the answer to a need on the earth. Think of how each part of God’s creation is endowed with irrevocable purpose. Plants that are not only beautiful but are used to nourish the creatures who eat them. The smallest animals that help uphold the delicate balance of an ecosystem. Why would your life have any less weight in the wellbeing of this world? Are you not of more worth to God than the lilies of the field? (Matthew 6:25-43)

So, who better to show you who you were made to be and what role you were purposed to fill, then the one who purposed you from the start? And what better place to uncover all of this than in intimate, close relationship with Him. 

The best place to start in discovering your call is in relationship with your Creator.

When this relationship with Jesus becomes our foundation, we always discover what makes us come alive. And His voice and lovingkindness gives us the peace that we can follow Him, one step at a time, and see His purposes for our lives come to fruition.

One of my favorite teachers, Steve Backlund, says, any area of your life that is not dripping with hope is under the influence of a lie. Do you feel anxious and uncertain about your future? Ask the Lord, “What lies am I believing about who you are (your nature or your goodness) and what lies am I believing about myself (who you made me to be)?”

When we are walking in true understanding of who He is and who He says that we are, we will walk in the empowering freedom that allows us to pursue our passions and discover our gifts.

“If we fight the image of God in us – even if we succeed in the short run – it will come back to eat us alive.” ¹

It can be easy to dislike parts of our personalities. We can wish we were more outgoing, more straight forward, more creative, more whatever. But to accept who we are and who we are not will bring us peace.

You bear the image of Christ in a way that no one else does. He created you just as you are, once again, to fulfill a specific need in the world around you. When you step in to fill this need, it will bless the people around you, and make you come alive.

“We need to learn to embrace our potential and our limitations. Because both of them are signposts, pointing us forward into God’s calling on our life… I’ve learned what I’m good at, and I’ve learned what I’m bad at. And the more I embrace both, the freer I become.” ¹

The more we discover and accept and love and embrace who we are, the less we’ll feel lost in a sea of endless options. How else are you supposed to narrow down what to say yes to unless you also know what to say no to? Your energy and your thoughts and your time will be forever split until you pick something, try it out, and see how it goes. And if you fail, that’s ok because you’re not locked in that thing forever, and you’ve been brought one step closer to finding what you’re truly made for.

Don’t allow worry of making a mistake stop you from moving forward! In the journey of life, there may even be times when we take a job just to have a job. When we have those seasons (of mistakes or making due) it’s ok – God has given us the ability to, in Him, thrive in every circumstance and situation. When He is our source and we are aware that He is always with us, the dullest of tasks can be life giving and fruitful because we’re doing them with Him! But we also live in the awareness that if something’s not good yet, it’s not the end. God is on the move to make all things filled with His glory and His life. (Even when it doesn’t look exactly how we first expected).

Giving yourself time to figure out what you’re good at and what makes you come alive – who God designed you to be – is one of the kindest things you can do for yourself. It’s much harder to change careers if you’ve spent thousands of dollars on an education, even one that you suddenly don’t want to use. (If you have found yourself there, or end up there, kudos for taking the leap of faith! I believe it will be worth it if you’re following the leading of Jesus).

Taking a gap year does not set you behind your peers. You may actually advance farther in your career more quickly than some of your peers who jumped straight into college, because you’ve given yourself time to discover what gifts and passions God has given you.

“It takes time to figure out our gifting. And then years to develop it. Most of us don’t really know when we’re young. So experiment.” ¹

If you decide to take a gap year (or two), don’t do it in a vacuum. I mean, don’t do it alone. Surround yourself with people who inspire you, who will encourage you and give you honest, helpful feedback as you try different things. Do it in a place that will allow your relationship with God to take the front seat. You’ll find that you discover your giftings much faster when the Holy Spirit is the one directing you. You’ll find your passions as you partner with God in prayer for the things that are on His heart. Do it in a place where you can discover who GOD is and how to have relationship with him.

When I decided to drop out of college to pursue God and missions, the Lord lead me to a DTS. There I discovered intimate relationship with Jesus like I had never known. Fears and anxieties melted away in His love, and as I joined staff, I found lots of opportunities to discover what I’m passionate about. And I learned how to do it all for the Kingdom of God!

God moves in unique ways in all our lives, maybe he’s calling you straight to college, maybe to an internship, maybe to a DTS or another discipleship course. Whatever it is, make it your goal to do it with God. His presence will give you direction and peace and quiet those lies of fear and doubt. Take the step. There are good things ahead!

¹ Quotes from Garden City by John Mark Comer