A Life in Exile

We know from Scripture that sharing with churches is a crucial part of our mission work. At the end of their first missionary journey, Luke tells us this about Barnabas and Paul:

They sailed back to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them and that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. And they spent a considerable time with the disciples. (Acts 14:26-28 CSB)

Reporting to the church everything God has done can seem an overwhelming task, but it is possible. Here are a few tips I’ve learned from twenty years of sharing with churches.

Don’t make things up.

I get it. Those first few years on the field can seem to hold a lackluster amount of stories to share, when you’re trying to motivate a complacent church congregation to support missions. After all, you spent most of that time just trying to survive and learn a new language. Maybe you were sick much of that term, struggled with homesickness, or questioned your call.

It’s alright to be honest in sharing how the “adventure” of missions was harder than you thought. Kids in our churches need to hear that—not to deter them from future mission service, but to let them know that what God calls us to is not always easy or glamorous. It can be really, really hard.

So, while your story might be about the hard stuff, it should still have the purpose of showing people what God did in the midst of that. He shows up in our struggles, helps us to laugh at our language mistakes, and teaches us that the Bible is true—in our weakness, he is made strong—and he carries us through, despite ourselves.

Don’t try to gloss over a hard season of service with someone else’s “success” story. Be you. Be real. And glorify God by sharing how he uses cracked pots.

One story can be the story.

Whether your last term saw countless people coming to Christ or one person who heard the gospel and is still seeking, it’s important not to overwhelm your audience with too many stories. Pick one or two and let those be the examples of what God is doing in your area of service. Sometimes the discipleship and growth of one person is the most powerful way to show that God is raising up a new generation of leaders among your people group. If revival is breaking out, then yes, by all means, share that great news, while knowing that even if one person has been changed for Christ, the impact of that decision can be of just as great a consequence.

Sometimes we only have five minutes to share with a church or individual. Be able to share the good news of what God is doing with that one story. Don’t be afraid to use it over and over again. Each group or person needs to hear it, and it may impact one person differently than another.

Tie the stories together with spiritual truth.

What you share with churches and Christian supporters may be a principle you’ve learned during this last season of service, or it may be a message he’s given you specifically for the Western Church. Take time to seek his guidance on how the lives changed or your personal growth during this time has brought to life spiritual principles from Scripture. It might be a lesson about suffering or sacrifice. Perhaps it’s about taking risks for the sake of the gospel or calling out the church for their apathy toward the lost. The message you share this time may be completely different after your next season of service, and that’s okay. God is always teaching us new things of himself and his work in this world: the church needs to hear a fresh word from you, knowing that he can use your experience in another area of service to shake their thinking and complacency.

Above all, as you share what God is doing and teaching you, leave room for the Holy Spirit to speak into the hearts of those listening. What does he want to do in their lives as a result of what they’re hearing from you today? Be ready for him to do his work in the lives of those you speak to on his behalf. Whether you see a response on this side of heaven or not, be ready to press on in service and keep returning to share all that God has done—to his glory.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Mission Monday post, click HERE, or check out these other posts on sharing your story: This is My Story, Writing Home, Who Will Pray?, and Antioch Stories.