Evangelism & Missions

It's easy to assume that missionaries are only those who go to foreign lands preaching the Gospel of Christ to people who've never heard it. Christ's command to "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations" (Matt. 28:19) at first even seems to support this romanticized picture. The words "go" and "all the nations" immediately put us in a "somewhere other than here" attitude. It seems easier to get excited about witnessing for Christ when we imagine going to a place where nobody knows us.

While some people end up going to other countries, most of us stay at home, in our own, much smaller world. And that's OK. When Christ first sent the apostles to all the nations, Christianity was unique to a country only slightly bigger than the state of New Jersey. Today, Christianity can be found in nearly every corner of the globe, part of that due to foreign missions, of course; but much of it due to everyday Christians trying to live their everyday lives like Jesus.

Evangelism is less romantic than we'd like it to be. It requires not just talking about Jesus, but living like Him and treating other people the way He did. And it's not just aimed at strangers; it's a lot harder to tell your best friend or your grandma the truth of Christianity, but that's who most of us usually have to tell. Evangelism isn't a point system in which the person with the most converts wins (Christ has all the converts anyway), it's a holistic approach to faith that aims for the transformation of culture itself. This means the spread of the Gospel and Gospel principles through every avenue at our disposal, whether outright preaching of the Word, political involvement, science and art, or any other means available. It is the spread of the kingdom in the hearts and minds of people, as well as in the very fabric of human society.

Christ compared the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed, saying that it began small but would eventually grow until birds came and landed in its branches (Matt. 13:31-32). Although the task of disciple-making is arduous and often seems entirely unproductive, Christ said, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28:18). These are hopeful words, not in the sense of "I hope that happens," but in the sense of something definite we have to look forward to and remind ourselves of. Christ will not rest until all He has appointed are drawn into His fold. As His Church, to whom He gave the command to make disciples of all nations, we shouldn't either.

"For as the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."
Isaiah 55:10,11
Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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17 Items found Print
Active Filters: 8th grade (Ages 13-14), Used Books & Materials
Alphabet Makers
by Hyatt Moore
from Wycliffe Bible Translators
for 8th-Adult
in History of Books & Language (Location: HISV-BOOK)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Created to Flourish
from HOPE International
for 7th-12th grade
in Evangelism & Missions (Location: XAP-EVA)
$1.80 (1 in stock)
Dayuma
by Ethel Emily Wallis
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$14.99 $7.50 (2 in stock)
Doctor in Buckskin
by T. D. Allen
from Harper & Brothers
for 8th-Adult
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
It's a Jungle Out There!
Rani Adventures #1
by Ron Snell
from Hannibal Books
for 4th-8th Grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Living on the Devil's Doorstep
International Adventures
by Floyd McClung
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
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Lords of the Earth
by Don Richardson
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
Man With the Bird on His Head
by Abbe Anderson, John Rush
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$7.50 (2 in stock)
Mecca
by Desmond Stewart
from Newsweek Books
for 8th-Adult
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Mosque
by David Macaulay
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Praying through the 100 Gateway Cities of the 10/40 Window
2nd edition from YWAM Publishing
for 4th-Adult
in Prayer (Location: XCL-PRAY)
$9.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
Princess Adelina
by Julie Sutter
from Vision Forum
Historical fiction / Irish missions for 7th-10th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Taking the High Places
International Adventures
by Jemimah Wright, Terry Snow
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$14.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Tales of Persia
by William Miller
from P&R Publishing
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in History of Missions (Location: XCH-MIS)
$11.99 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Tommorow You Die
International Adventures
by Reona Peterson Joly
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$7.50 (2 in stock)
Window on the World
by Daphne Spraggett, Jill Johnstone
from InterVarsity Press
for 2nd-8th grade
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Window on the World
by Daphne Spraggett, Jill Johnstone
Revised Edition from InterVarsity Press
for 2nd-8th grade
in Devotions for Kids (Location: BIB-DEV)
$30.00 $18.00 (1 in stock)