Over two centuries ago five students from Williams College gathered in a field for prayer. A thunderstorm drove them to seek shelter on the lee side of a great haystack. Their prayers for the spread of Christianity through Asia and India led to the launching of the modern mission movement.

In the mid-1800s a young girl accompanied her mother to missionary meetings where she learned the importance of giving and praying for missions. Annie Armstrong became an advocate and supporter of mission efforts throughout the world. Annie led women to unite in mission endeavors that ultimately led to the formation of the Woman's Missionary Union. The legacy of her hands-on ministry to Native Americans and immigrants and her tireless support of missionaries lives on to this day.

Isn't it amazing what God can do when people make themselves available to Him?

My small group has been going through a Bible study called The Church on Fire (Serendipity House). In it the authors present three ways of looking at the human role and responsibility for changing the world. First there's the "God's not really involved in what's going on here, so we have to do it all ourselves" mindset. [Cue the "We Are the World" soundtrack.] We see this in the lives of non-Christians who have an insatiable need to leave their mark on the world. They have great intentions of ridding the world of all its ills, but they have no idea that what the world really needs is a Savior. While their efforts are commendable, without the life-changing message of the gospel the effects of their works are not long lasting.

Then there's the philosophy that "God will take care of everything, so we don't have to do anything." It's easy to lapse into this frame of mind. The images and stories we see and hear on the evening news sometimes can cause us to feel paralyzed by the weight of the situation our world is in. Causing us to say, "It's too much! What could I possibly do to make a difference?" So we allow the "stuff" in our lives to act as an anesthesia-numbing ourselves to the world around us that's looking for hope and answers, but can't find them. It seems we spend more time worrying about watching what's on TiVo and how to increase our 401K than how to impact the lives of those around us.

Which leads us to the third philosophy: "God will act; and an important part of His action will be what He does through us." In the examples above we see what can happen when Christians allow the power of the Holy Spirit to work in their lives-people are impacted by the gospel and the world is changed. Fueled by our own power we can accomplish little to nothing. But by allowing God to work through us, we can be agents of change.

In this issue of On Mission, you'll read inspiring stories of how Southern Baptist missionaries and on mission Christians and churches are changing the world with the power of the gospel. Read about First Baptist Church Beverly Hill's ministry to California's migrant workers in "Feeding Those Who Feed Us" on page 20. In "A Tale of Three Cities" on page 28, you'll discover one of Southern Baptists' greatest strategies for spreading the gospel. "My Brother's Keeper" on page 32 is the story of Rick Brenny, a missionary God is using to bring hope and new life to Louisville's homeless population. And don't miss "On the Road to Rebirth" on page 36 to find out how Southern Baptist volunteers are helping rebuild the city of New Orleans.

Life is short, and what we do with our days here on earth will have eternal implications. God wants us to faithfully act upon the things we know to be true. So, if you're sitting back and waiting for the world to change without taking an active role in God's assignment, we hope this issue will challenge you to be on mission every day. Together we can change the world.

Carol Pipes, editor
cpipes@namb.net