speaker: Larry Walker from ACMC
I took about 3 pages of notes. That's a lot for me since I don't typically bother with notes.
As a speaker he was acceptable to good. But the material covered was great.
We talked about pioneers in missions. William Carey, Cameron Townsend, Dondal Mcgavren, Ralph Winter, Luis Bush.
Then the second half was "strategy" where we found that:
95% of American churches income is spent on themselves
4.5% is spent on existing missions efforts
.5% is spent on new missions enterprises
that more than 1/2 the world's population is still "unreached".
The difference between America and other countries is they are unchurched, not unreached.
(America has access to the Gospel, many people groups do not)
Many missiologists feel that the time of America being the largest country of missions origin is gone.
Christendom is moving south.
Interestingly though America has a unique position in the global economy where other countries want us to come with skills that help them be competitive in the new world of "globalism", and thus it is easier for Americans to get access as professionals than as missionaries.
All of that strategy is interesting.... it points to today.. now.. being an exciting era for missions growth, for reaching the unreached.
BUt the most important revelations came to me during the break when I was talking with Mr. Walker.
-I need to stop thinking of the country's borders as it's boundaries. Think people groups, not borders. If you reach a people group with the Gospel, they aren't going to spread that to another people group in the same country. They have language and culture borders. In India, if you win one caste the Gospel won't spread to the caste above or below... so suddenly your boundaries become more constricted and these days you really don't go out after a country, but focus on a people group.
-The Bible shows us that God has a movement, and He doesn't need to use America to get it done. Instead of thinking "how can God use me" perhaps I should think "God is doing something and I want to be involved instead of sitting on the sidelines."
Suddenly that thought, changed me. In my head I think things like
-maybe this isn't the right place to go
-maybe this isn't the right job to do
-God can't possibly use someone like me
-I am not worthy to be considered part of the family that these great pioneers began.
-what is the best possible use of my skills for God?
and these days I'm thinking more:
-it doesn't matter what I do, or where I go, God is doing something and I want to be involved.
that calms the spirit of all anxieties. I know God has put on my heart to go to PNG and to work in computers. I know it's not exactly a front-line job, it's not exactly a pioneering position, and I won't be called upon daily to share the Gospel or risk my life... but that doesn't matter.
I'll be a very very small part of what God is doing, and if that's where He wants me, that's where I should be.
The significance to be found is not in how well I perform, what stature the job is, what country I go to. The significance rests solely on who God is and what He is doing.
