4 Simple Ways to Support Mission 

12th December 2024

Christmas is really great a season of mission for many reasons!
Those who might not usually think about Jesus or step into a church find themselves wrapped up in the story of His birth!
The sight of the stable is never that far away, and in among some of the weirder Christmas Carol traditions, ("Good King Wensleydale did what now?") there's some pretty lofty theology on the airwaves too: "Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the Incarnate Deity..." 

It's a great opportunity for us to explain why 2,000 years on the baby in the manger brings good news of great joy for all the people!

So in the midst of that, what can we do to support the mission of Jesus to the world?

I want to suggest there are (at least) 4 simple ways we can offer our support:

01.///Send Up

 

"But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

MATTHEW 9.36-38

Jesus saw the need of the people, He saw the opportunity that lay before Him, and He said: "Therefore... pray!" Before He sends His disciples on mission, His very first port of call for us is prayer!

Prayer aligns us with the heart of the Father who desires that "none should perish..." 
Prayer engages us in the spiritual battle that rages over peoples hearts and lives...
Prayer equips us, through the intimacy of our relationship with God, to speak about Him with genuineness, honesty and the reality of personal experience!

So we pray!

Here's a short clip from a podcast I did with the leaders of a new mission initiative: Everyone, Everywhere. Author and pastor, Chrissy Remsburg, shares about the power of praying for those who don't yet know Jesus!
 

So can I call us, in this season of activity, to the duty and privilege of prayer?
- Pray for the preparation for the groups, events and activities!
- Pray for the practicalities - for the weather, the equipment, the admin, all the behind-the-scenes-but-essential-stuff!
- Pray for the people involved in leading and serving, for their energy, health, passion and vision!
- Pray for the people coming that they might be impacted by the grace and love of Jesus!

02.///Speak Up

 

A personal invitation is so powerful!
Jesus did it:

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

MATT 11.28
 

“If anyone is thirsty, let them come to Me and drink..."

JOHN 7.37
 

"If anyone has ear to hear, let them hear!"

LUKE 8:8, 14:35, REV 2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22, 13:9!

‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full!"

LUKE 14.23

A simple invitation can have surprising results - this is another short clip from our Led By Love podcast series, where Sian Rees shares about the simple invitation to be prayed for:
 

So, can I call us to speak up and rediscover the power of an invitation?

You can do this in numerous ways:
- Face to face
- Via text/email
- Send someone a link to a digital poster
- Write it in a Christmas card/letter/note
- Push a postcard through the letterbox of a neighbour/friend
- Stick a postcard up on a noticeboard in work or at a local cafe/shop
- Share a link/event on social media - even liking or commenting on something attracts attention towards it

And we invite people because as Nathan Sadler, head of Alpha Wales, said in a recent podcast: "The Holy Spirit doesn't need much persuasion to move..." Check out a short clip here:

03.///Step Up

 
Put simply: events, groups and activities don't just happen - it takes the involvement of people willing to serve the King and the Kingdom!

Peter writes to the church:

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.
If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides,
so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen!"

1 PETER 4.10-11

I made a video for the South Wales Baptist Association about a tiny church in Penrhys called: Llanfair Uniting Church. Despite their lack of people, funding or resources, the way they punch well above their weight in terms of serving their community is absolutely inspiring!

Sharon Rees, the Education and Mission Worker who runs so much of what they do, shared this beautiful insight:

Sometimes, for reasons beyond our control, we can't always help out in the ways that we would like to. But being involved can sometimes mean supporting the administration of a group, activity or event, or simply but phoning or texting with messages of encouragement, or assurances to pray. Trust me when I say that those little things really do make an exponential difference to the task!

The enemy works hard to keep Christian workers feeling discouraged, isolated, fruitless and ready to throw in the towel - but standing alongside one another in love, relationship and prayer drowns out his lies and has fortified many a servant to keep going - including myself!

04.///Show Up

"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up the habit of meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another daily - and all the more as you see the Day approaching!"

HEBREWS 10.24-25

The writer to the Hebrews calls us to "spur one another on" and to daily "encourage one another" and one way that we can do that is by simply showing up. Time and time again I've seen leaders and volunteers hugely encouraged and inspired simply by knowing people were making plans to attend! And sadly, I've also witnessed (and experienced) the opposite. Let's spur one another, and encourage each other by keeping the habit of meeting together whenever possible!

Of course, showing up means more than just being an extra body in the room... It's possible to be physically present somewhere but emotionally detatched or spiritual unengaged. Showing up ready and willing to welcome others, share with others, serve others and pray with others makes what we are called to do a true picture of "Body Ministry." (1 Co 12.27-28) 

And, as we draw near to God - He draws near to us. 

I loved this thought from Terry Wardle, who joined us for our Habitat Podcast series, here's a clip of him talking about the power of the presence of God:

So let's send up prayers
Speak up with our invitations
Step up in our service
and Show up to support and encourage what the Lord is doing among us!


 

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