The end of the semester marks the time of celebration and relaxation. With several months’ worth of hard work behind, students kick back, enjoy the time off, and take it easy. Times of rest should not be neglected and is well deserved, but between one semester and the next is a good time to cultivate important habits and continue to grow. For those called to missions, this is especially a time you can use to cultivate missional living. Here are a few ideas from the Bevin Center Staff to help you leverage your winter break for missions.
1. Choose an Unreached People Group to Learn about and Pray for
“The history of missions is the history of answered prayer.” – Samuel Zwemer
Though you can’t go overseas right now due to COVID restrictions, you can still play a key part in missions. One of the most effective ways to leverage your winter break is to adopt and pray for an unreached people group. Over 7,000 unreached people groups remain in the world. The term unreached means they have little or no access to the gospel. Over 3,000 of these unreached people groups (UPGs) are considered unreached and unengaged- have no known active church planting efforts among them. This winter break, consider recruiting friends or family to join you in researching and praying for one of these unreached people groups.
What to Pray:
- Pray that God would send missionaries to these people. (Matthew 9:37)
- Pray that God would soften their hearts. (Ezekiel 36:26)
- Research that people group and pray for their specific needs.
List of 100 largest Unreached people groups
Prayer Resources
- https://www.imb.org/pray/
- https://www.namb.net/pray/
- https://www.operationworld.org
- https://joshuaproject.net/pray/unreachedoftheday
2. Share the Gospel with Unbelieving Friends and Family
For those of us traveling home for the holidays and breaks, we may spend a lot of time around family and friends who do not know or believe the Gospel. Christ has commanded his followers to share the Good News with those around them (Matthew 28:16-20). Those who are looking to serve on the mission field one day must learn how to share the Gospel with those around them and must do it often. What better place to start than with those who are closest to you?
Here are a few resources on how to share the Gospel with your family and friends.
- https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/sharing-the-gospel-with-the-people-who-changed-your-diaper/
- https://www.cru.org/us/en/blog/share-the-gospel/evangelism/how-to-talk-to-family.html
- https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-evangelize-professing-believers
3. Learn a New Skill
Useful and interesting skills can provide work opportunities in countries that are closed to the gospel. Interesting skills or hobbies can also be used to meet people and share the gospel.
Helpful Skills include:
- Woodworking
- Sewing
- Basic Mechanics
- Become TEFL Certified
4. Read a Missionary Biography
You are probably thinking, I already read thousands of pages this semester and I finally have a break. Why would I read a missionary biography? We are not called to run this race alone. Missionary Biographies help you learn from faithful yet ordinary men and women that have gone before us. Here are five reasons you should read a missionary biography this winter break.
- To see the Lord’s continued faithfulness throughout the generations.
- To see how Missionaries trusted the Lord through extreme hardship.
- To be exposed to different peoples and places around the world.
- To be spurred on to suffer for righteousness’ sake.
- To gain a broadened perspective on God’s kingdom work.
Suggested Missionary Biographies:
- To the Golden Shore: The Life Of Adoniram Judson by Courtney Anderson
- Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
- Bill Wallace of China by Jesse C. Fletcher
5. Support Missionaries
Encouraging and praying for missionaries currently on the mission field is crucial. This is especially important during the holidays as missionaries are far from loved ones and the comforts of home.
Ways to support missionaries:
- Text or email and ask how you can pray for missionaries, their family, and their ministry.
- Schedule a Zoom call to catch up and encourage those serving
- Send a care package and encouraging notes.
- Give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering through the International Mission Board. LMCO directly supports IMB missionaries and their work.
- (When contacting missionaries, be sure to follow their security protocols and avoid putting them at risk)