Many proclaim that everyone in their church is a missionary! Now you and every member in your church can be trained as missionaries. In CABA, we’ve trained over 700 people in a missionary method called No Place Left. NPL is a movement for those who have heard God’s call upon their lives. It’s not a denomination or a doctrine. It’s biblical. Church members in turn, will not only work in the harvest fields, but they will be used of the Lord to pray out other workers into the harvest fields.
Here are four missionary training ideas that we use in NPL.
1. Being sent out is biblical. Luke noted in his gospel that Jesus gathered His disciples together and sent them on a mission. They were to go out two-by-two to help the people before telling them that Jesus was on His way. As Jesus looked out over those who were obediently following Him, He was moved to the point that He gave them a missionary command. These 70 went out to at least 35 towns in their homeland.
2. We are to pray. “And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2 ESV).
Workers in the Harvest. That’s you. That’s me. And that’s people who have yet to be saved.
1. Never stop. Jesus fully completed the work that the Father had given Him to do. His parting commands were recorded for us as a reminder today.
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20 CSB).
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 CSB).
2. Make disciples. The calling and goal of all missionaries is to make disciples. These followers of Jesus then want to be together in a church that constantly reproduces itself. Missionaries want to evangelize, start churches, help members mature, and train church leaders. Whether using confrontational evangelism or ministry projects to convey the gospel relationally, they are both a means to the end of seeing all peoples have a saving relationship with Jesus.
Across Cincinnati we are now conducting No Place Left training in specific churches. Your church is invited! The training begins with Gospel Conversations. The next level training seeks to form teams that can evangelize in a way that forms small groups. And then they help that group take on characteristics of a church. Church members involved in NPL methods keep their membership in their sending church as well as their tithe.
The full NPL training stages require sacrifice, but one that followers of Jesus will find affirming. Church leaders begin the process by recognizing that missionaries already exist in their midst. Their work should be recognized as a significant ministry in their church. The main point is that if every member of your church is a missionary, we now have a way to train and send them! Just let me know when you’d like to schedule a training session for Gospel Conversations.
--Mark Snowden directs the Cincinnati Area Baptist Association
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