Every Christian a World Christian, Part Two

Again, the main habits of a World Christian are:

1. Going
2. Praying
3. Sending
4. Welcoming
5. Mobilizing

We have already looked at Going, Praying and Sending. Today, we will tackle Welcoming and Mobilizing.
Welcoming“Would you mind buying me a study Bible for Christmas…that way I can read and understand?” -Saudi Arabian Student to my father-in-law in his kitchen

America is hosting the largest number of internationals of any country and thus, the world is at our doorstep! More than 650,000 international students and scholars are studying here from 188 countries of the world. What a perfect opportunity to extend God's grace and love to the world, and you don't even have to leave home! The Welcomer gets his name from the idea that he welcomes those from other countries to his country.

The foreigner is close to the Lord's heart. More than forty times in the Old Testament alone we are commanded to care for the foreigner in our land,

"The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God" (Lev 19:34).

"He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt" (Deut 10:18-20).

God reminds the Israelites of their past exile in Egypt so that they will be motivated to love the foreigners in their midst, for they once were foreigners. Similarly, we should be reminded of our past, how we were foreigners to God, yet he had mercy on us. Now it’s our turn to have mercy on the foreigners in our midst with the hope of introducing them to the God who created them and who loves them.

Sadly, as available as ministry to international students is to college students, it is sorely overlooked. Did you know that 80% of the internationals on your campus will never be invited into an American home? With high hopes they come to study, but soon realize that the hospitality they are used to in their home countries is just as foreign to the United States as they are. So they live in their isolated community with fellow internationals and eventually return to their homeland. I wonder what they tell their friends about this renowned “Christian nation.”

Anyone can be a Welcomer. All it takes is a little time, energy and a willingness to say hello to a stranger. There is no reason that Christians on campus shouldn't have 2-3 new international friends each semester. As we wander the aisles of Target and pass an international, why not reach out and say “hello”? Can you imagine how the opportunities would increase and the gospel would spread if that were a reality? At the college where I worked, there were 80 students from Saudi Arabia who hung out in their corner of the Student Center. I can remember the first time I took two guys from my Bible study to meet and get to know them. After a few weeks of just saying hello and making ourselves available we became part of the group. We shared the Gospel with about 10 of them during the next year. It’s amazing to think of the hardship I would face should I go to Saudi Arabia and try to do the same thing! Yet here we have complete freedom to share with otherwise unreached people!

The one who welcomes is willing to serve internationals and reach out to them in the hopes that Christ will be glorified. They will see how easy it is to get involved and soon they will be loving internationals and this strategic ministry.

Mobilizing“The business of the recruiting officer may not blazon the pages of history but it wins battles.” - Thomas Richards, 1906

A mobilizer is a normal, everyday Christian who walks with God, yet has a global perspective and stays on the home front to rouse others to action. Anyone who has a vision for the world has at one time been mobilized. Whether someone asked them to go on a short-term trip, invited them to a missions conference, took them to a Bible study on the topic or introduced them to a missionary, somehow they were recruited. In a nutshell, a mobilizer is a recruiter. Mobilizers are out looking for others to enlist in God's agenda with their entire lives. Their focus is on Christians who are unaware of God's global plan and they consistently seek to raise the missions awareness in creative ways, whether it is in a small group or large group setting. Like Habakkuk, they "Write down the vision and make it plain on tablets so that the one who reads it may run" (Hab. 2:2).

Claude Hickman, executive director of The Traveling Team, makes an incredible observation when he says, "Every Christian a World Christian and every World Christian a mobilizer." Think about the awesome potential in that statement. Every Christian would be orchestrating his life around God's heart for the world and fulfilling the Great Commission while at the same time passing on that vision to the new believers and next generation. Unbelievable!

Whether it is just the right missions book or a short video, magazine, agency, prayer profile, or something else, you need to be able to show others resources. I can remember when I was in college gathering my own collection of tools. I labeled a manila folder "Mobilization Resources." Now it fills two filing cabinets! Part of being equipped with resources is being a networker. You will need to know what God is doing and who He is doing it with. I challenge anyone trying to cultivate their mobilization skills to help others collect and learn how to use the resources and material available in missions. As they are collecting and learning this material they are building a confidence that will enable them to teach others.

Every great mobilizer thinks in terms of three areas: motivation, information, and attention. With motivation the key is sharing the missions theme of the Bible and be able to telling your own story in a powerful and concise way. Whether through magazines, books, websites or statistics of the reached versus the unreached, the mobilizer is informed. Beyond motivation and information, mobilizers are also able to give attention. This is bringing the key ingredient of follow up and accountability so that those who enter the pipeline stay in the pipeline.

The mobilizer is key in raising up laborers. It takes a burning heart for the world, yet a willingness to stay at home and recruit others to go. Every World Christian has been mobilized and every World Christian can mobilize others!

So what does this mean?

In the end it is about balance. Take a look at these five habits and ask these questions: What habits can I major in while in this season of life and which should I minor in? What habits are my strongest? Which are my weakest? What are some practical applications I can make regarding each habit to build them into my life? Just like a wheel must be well rounded to work effectively, so the World Christian must carefully watch to see how well-rounded they are. If the Church is to truly reach the world, it will take the enlistment of all believers to be engaged in going, praying, welcoming, sending and mobilizing.

Adapted from thetravelingteam.org.  Please complete the follow-up questions on the next page.

Follow-Up Questions

1. List below the ways you have been a Welcomer, and Mobilizer in the past.

Welcomer

Mobilizer

WELCOMER QUESTIONS

1.       Who do you know who is an international in your community or at your school? List as many people as possible.

2.       How can you be intentional about getting to know two of the internationals you listed above? Write out two different ways to befriend them and establish a relationship with them.

MOBILIZER QUESTIONS

1.       How are you a mobilizer right now?

2.       How could your daily conversations with your friends and family be giving a challenge for others to go on mission?

3.       In what area of mobilization (motivation, information, attention) are you strong?

4.       In what area of mobilization do you think you are weak? How could you work on your weak area(s)?

5.       How will you be a mobilizer in the coming months? List three specific actions you will take to mobilize others for mission.