On mission Christians have had "upward" experiences with God in which they awaken to their personal responsibilities to share Christ with the people around them. That upward awakening leads to inward adjustments where they discover how God has uniquely created them to share Christ and how their gifts can help remove the barriers that tend to hinder the people around them from hearing the gospel message. When Christians discover their personal styles for sharing Christ, it activates and motivates them, giving them opportunities to share Christ more and more frequently. As a result, they become passionate advocates who want to help others find their styles for personal evangelism and who long to see a growing army of on mission Christians and churches who are sharing Christ and cooperating in helping others to do so.
Welcome to On Mission magazine and thanks for taking time to get acquainted with us. We want to be an encouragement and a resource as you introduce people in your life to Jesus Christ. Our title--On Mission--describes a lifestyle that creates opportunities to share Christ, follows up on those opportunities and looks for ways to help others do the same.
Clockwise, from bottom: Missy Greenoe, Mike Ebert, Nate Adams, Gibbs Frazeur, Paul Obregon, Joe Conway, Carolyn Curtis, Sean Taylor
The logo within our logo (a blue and gold compass with a cross) belongs to our publisher, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention. NAMB's mission is to partner with local Southern Baptist churches and Christians to reach the United States and Canada for Christ. Your offerings help us place full-time missionaries and new churches in areas on our continent where they are most needed. But, as Christians, our responsibility to spread the gospel is not over when we drop money into an offering plate. We cannot hope to reach all those who need Christ unless a growing army of Christians becomes involved in sharing Christ through both personal and organized efforts.
On Mission's theme verse--Acts 20:24--records the words of the apostle Paul: "I reckon my own life to be worth nothing to me; I only want to complete my mission and finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do, which is to declare the Good News about the grace of God." (Good News Bible)
We may not each be specifically called to full-time, vocational mission work, but every Christian has a personal mission to lead others to Christ. That's where On Mission magazine wants to help. In each issue we will strive to bring you articles that explore how each of us can be more intentional and more effective as we talk to others about Christ. You'll also meet other Christians who will share exciting ways they are reaching others. In addition, we'll point you toward some of the best available resources to keep you focused and equipped for impacting your Jerusalem--and your world--for Christ.
Don't expect us to have all the answers. In fact, we're hoping that you will pass along to us at On Mission lessons you have learned while talking to others about Jesus. We will feature success stories. But we also commit to sharing our disappointments, and we hope you will feel the freedom to share your failures, fears and shortcomings as well.
Let's admit it: most of us know that sharing Christ is our responsibility, but we're not always the best at living up to it. This magazine won't fulfill that responsibility for you, but we will strive to create informative and encouraging articles that will help prepare your heart and make you better equipped for sharing Christ. Pass On Mission along to a friend, and please tell us how we can serve you even better.
Michael D. Ebertmebert@namb.net