Do you want to be used by God to change the world? There are so many ways to take part in what God is doing around the world. Prayer is the most crucial which is explained more in depth in this article. Here are 7 other ways you can be involved in God’s work.
1. Give to churches, missionaries and ministries working among the unreached
Did you know that most of the money given to missions goes to those working in reached areas? Only about 0.5% actually goes to work in unreached people groups. But that is where most of the need is! Consider supporting a missionary who is living among the unreached (missionaries are usually lacking support). If you don’t know a missionary personally you can give to your church who is supporting missionaries or ministries who send workers to the unreached. There are so many opportunities to help pay for bibles, Bible translation work, or support for national partners.
“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” 2 Chronicles 29:14
2. Go on a short term trip
There are so many ministries who have hundreds of short-term trips throughout the year to almost any country. You can contact ministries like the IMB, East West Ministries International, Beyond and many others to see if there is a short-term trip you can be apart of. Look for ones that work with long-term and national partners there so you can help further the work they are doing. Short-term trips are a great way to share the gospel with many people in a short period of time. This helps locate persons of peace that the long term workers can follow up with!
3. Volunteer with refugees in your city
In most cities there are thousands of refugees from war-torn countries. Most of these countries are majority Muslim like Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and West Africa. Connect with a refugee center in your city to see how you can get involved and help out. They are always in need of donations and people to help deliver furniture. There is also a need to help teach English to refugees. This is a great way to develop relationships with people from unreached people groups and share the gospel with them! You can also invite them to their home (most likely they will invite you to their home first!)
4. Move to an unreached area
There is a huge need of faithful believers committed to learning the language and culture and working with a church-planting team. This also includes training national believers to share the gospel and plant churches among their people. Only 2.7% of missionaries are working among a UPG. There is a massive need for church-planting teams to focus on the UPGs and UUPGs of the world. Start by praying and asking God where He wants you to go and with what ministry. Before moving overseas there will be lots of training for learning a language, living in a different culture, and about church-planting.
5. Invite your neighbor over for dinner
Being intentional with your neighbors is a huge way you can be involved in God’s work! Start conversations and develop relationships with them by inviting them over for dinner. When you take a walk around the neighborhood, pray for your neighbors as you walk by their house. God placed you in that neighborhood for a reason and He will use you to reach those who don’t know Him yet!
6. Share the gospel with your coworker
Your workplace is another crucial area you can glorify God in. You are with your coworkers most of the day and as you get to know them you can start sharing your faith. In conversations, try to bring up God and see how your coworker responds. Invite them to church and pray for them if they are hurting or dealing with a crisis. Use every opportunity to glorify the Lord! He will move powerfully through your efforts. If there are other believers in your workplace, consider starting a prayer group or a Bible study with them before work or during a lunch break. Then invite other coworkers to join!
7. Adopt an unreached people group
You and/or your bible study or church can “adopt” an unreached people group in Indonesia to pray regularly for. Do research about that unreached people group. Where are they located in Indonesia? What are their lives like? Are there any church-planting teams focused on reaching them? What are their specific needs? Visit Joshua Project to see all the unreached people groups in Indonesia and detailed information about each one. You can connect with long term workers among that people group and even plan short term trips to do prayer walks and share the gospel with the people.
There are so many ways you can be involved in God’s work both in your city and across the world! Pray and ask where God is leading you. Be obedient to share about Him with others! We are here on earth as Christ’s ambassadors and God wants to use us to lead others to the kingdom. This is the greatest work we could ever be apart of because we are doing it with the Lord and making an eternal impact!
“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.” Acts 17:26-27
