WORLD CHRISTIAN TO MOBILIZER
How to mobilize others to accept God’s invitation and command to become World Christians
One time in college, I made a big batch of chili. I love chili. It was wintertime and it was the perfect weather to whip up a big warm pot of something yummy, but there was so much chili. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I ate it twice a day for a week. Then, I had to freeze the rest because my stomach couldn’t handle one more bowl of meat soup!
The crazy part of this story is that I had roommates. Three perfectly hungry, beef-eating roommates who would have eaten the chili if I’d offered it to them. It’s not that I didn’t want them to have it, I just didn’t think about giving them any.
If I had shared the chili with my roommates, the goal of finishing it would have been accomplished much faster and it would have been fun to share the experience with them. The problem was that I assumed that they saw what I had and if they wanted some, they would have asked for it. What I didn’t realize is that instead, they were waiting for me to share it with them.
As World Christians, we should think about sharing our passion for missions with those who don’t have it. It’s not that we don’t want our friends to be a part of God’s mission for the world, but we don’t always think about including them in it. We assume that if they want to join in, they will ask about it. It would be amazing if you went overseas as a missionary or were a sacrificial sender from wherever you are. Instead of just going and sending as a World Christian, get others to join you in God’s global mission!
Don’t let them wait or be ignorant of the needs of the world. Invite them in and share with them; be a “Mobilizer.”
The simplest way to define a Mobilizer is: a person who takes something that they are excited about and gets other people excited about it as well. We do this naturally every day. Maybe you’ve mobilized others towards your favorite movie, sports team, or restaurant. Whatever you mobilize others towards, it’s generally something you enjoy and want others to enjoy too.
We can be mobilizers for something that is eternally impacting: God’s global mission. Mobilizers in this sense are World Christians who take it one step further by telling others how to get involved as well. All Christians are commanded to play a part in taking the gospel to the ends of the earth; not just those who seem to naturally get excited about it. We need to help other Christians become World Christians so they can then be Mobilizers too!
There is often a misconception that there are “normal” Christians and then there are some Christians who receive a special “call” to be international missionaries. Many believe (maybe subconsciously) that if you don’t experience a special call or are passionate about missions, then you are not supposed to be a part of God’s mission for the world. This is false.
All are commanded to join God in his mission to all nations because all of us are sent (Matthew 28:18-20; John 20:21). Maybe you already know this information, but you struggle to know how to share this with your friends and family. Here are 5 simple steps you can take to go from a World Christian to a Mobilizer:
5 STEPS TO BECOMING A MOBILIZER:
Pray Before Sharing
This is a critical step! Before sharing and inviting others into God’s global mission, pray for God to work in their hearts and prepare them to respond in saying “yes” to his command and invitation. Also, pray for your own heart to be in a place of humility and excitement, not pride for their lack of vision or understanding.
Share the World Vision Illustration
The World Vision Illustration is a reproducible tool to help give you the language to explain God’s global mission and equip others to take steps toward being a World Christian. You can simply share with someone in just 10 minutes to help mobilize them. Watch a video on how to share it here!
Do an Xplore Study
The Center for Missions Mobilization (CMM) has created a seven-part study that takes a deeper dive into the biblical basis for missions, the spiritual state of our world, and different ways to be a part of God’s work to fulfill His mission. Download the PDF version of this study for free here!
Invite Others In
If you’re already taking steps to be a part of God’s global mission, bring your friends with you. Invite them to go with you while befriending international students. Recruit them to go on a short-term trip with you this summer. If you’re support raising, take the opportunity to share about God’s global mission when you ask others for support. Take people with you to those early morning world prayer meetings (maybe bring them some coffee too). Whatever you’re doing, bring them with you. This is a part of discipleship and a way to naturally mobilize others.
Pray After Sharing
This may seem redundant but despite everything we do, God is ultimately the one who changes hearts. Each of these ideas should be book-ended on either side with earnest prayer (Matthew 9:37).
After you have gotten your friends, family, and other Christians involved—celebrate! Remember, if the goal is to take the gospel to all nations, then it can’t stop here. If your newly World Christian friend began sharing with their Christian friends about God’s global mission, they could become a Mobilizer themselves; therefore, the mission could be accomplished much faster!
This type of Mobilization has a multiplication effect and it will make a huge impact for God’s international kingdom. Similar to how we can make disciples who make disciples, we can make Mobilizers who make Mobilizers. This diagram illustrates this idea of multiplication visually:
Just as enormous pots of chili are eaten more efficiently with many roommates, so Jesus’ commission to make the gospel known amongst all peoples is more quickly and easily accomplished with many Mobilizers. So don’t just go—go and tell! Bring others with you into God’s amazing task that he has given all believers to help him accomplish.
By Kate Sego
Kate has served The Traveling Team as one of our travelers since Fall 2021. She graduated from the University of Arkansas. She has a is to bring about the obedience of faith among all the nations.
