Mobilization - Training for UMHB

Matt Prine

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Mobilization Session for UMHB Missions Teams

Introduction:

Matt Prine, Global Engagement Coordinator for WorldVenture

I wish that I could be with you in person, but because of this nasty little COVID-19, we will have to settle for digital connection.

I don’t know what you are feeling during all of this quarantine stuff, but I want to encourage you with this… The LORD is still in control, and He will use this to bring Himself Glory. There is this little passage in , where we read: “Before Him (the Lord) went pestilence and plague followed at his heels. He stood and measured the earth; He looked and shook the nations.” just a few verses later, we read “you marched through the earth in fury, you threshed the nations in anger.” but this is where it takes a turn for us - v. 13 “you went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed.”Disease, plague, pestilence, natural disaster, tragedy… He WILL use it all to bring salvation to people. I don’t know where all of you are headed this summer for your trips, but know this… There will be people there who will be more receptive to hearing the gospel BECAUSE of the coronavirus. This is what brings redemption to an otherwise awful situation. Economies devastated, families torn apart by death, disease causing world wide panic…Hearts prepared and open to hear the truth of God’s Word and willing to step into life and out of Death because of what Jesus did on the cross.

I don’t know what you are feeling during all of this quarantine stuff, but I want to encourage you with this…

The LORD is still in control, and He will use this to bring Himself Glory.

There is this little passage in , where we read: “Before Him (the Lord) went pestilence and plague followed at his heels. He stood and measured the earth; He looked and shook the nations.” just a few verses later, we read “you marched through the earth in fury, you threshed the nations in anger.” but this is where it takes a turn for us - v. 13 “you went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed.”

Disease, plague, pestilence, natural disaster, tragedy…

He WILL use it all to bring salvation to people.

I don’t know where all of you are headed this summer for your trips, but know this…

There will be people there who will be more receptive to hearing the gospel BECAUSE of the coronavirus.

This is what brings redemption to an otherwise awful situation.

Economies devastated, families torn apart by death, disease causing world wide panic…

Hearts prepared and open to hear the truth of God’s Word and willing to step into life and out of Death because of what Jesus did on the cross.

My Brief history

Started following Christ the summer before my last year in college

Quickly started seminary and then was called to serve as the college pastor for a church outside of Houston, where I served for 5 years.

In 2010, I was called to serve as the associate pastor at a little church plant in Richmond, TX where I served for 7.5 years.

In 2018, I transitioned onto staff with WorldVenture full time, and I also still serve as a pastor at my church in Bryan, TX.

Who is WorldVenture???

Est 1943

60+ countries

500+ field workers on the ground right now (70 or so in the pipeline)

Creative, incarnational, outside of the box ministry geared towards making disciples and seeing churches planted.

in my role, I get to work with people just like you who are exploring God’s call on their life.

I help them figure out if the Lord has indeed called them to go

If that calling is now or later

And then I help them take the next step towards that plan.

If you want to know more about us, you can visit us online at worldventure.com or you can reach out to Tiffany Horton and she can put you in touch with me.

My first “real” mission trip...

was in 2009, when I was asked to lead a group of my college students to Mozambique, Africa, to engage in relational discipleship with 16-22 year old students.

We were hosting an “English Camp” where we were planning on using Chronological Bible Storying to teach English - but more importantly - to share God’s great story with each of these students.

I had only been on these little work trips to a border town in Mexico, so this idea of incarnation ministry was foreign to me. When my missions pastor was unpacking the details of the trip, the part that I latched onto was the “excursion” that we would have at the end of the trip. We would be traveling to Krueger National Park in South Africa where we would spend two days on safari.

I had only been on these little work trips to a border town in Mexico, so this idea of incarnation ministry was foreign to me.

When my missions pastor was unpacking the details of the trip, the part that I latched onto was the “excursion” that we would have at the end of the trip.

We would be traveling to Krueger National Park in South Africa where we would spend two days on safari.

My promotion for that trip was that people would be able to see things like lions and elephants. I didn’t understand that seeing wild animals would pale in comparison to seeing students who had never heard the name of Jesus before, have their lives transformed by the power of the gospel.

To my shame, the way that I promoted the trip was that people would be able to see things like lions and elephants.

I didn’t understand that seeing wild animals would pale in comparison to seeing students who had never heard the name of Jesus before, have their lives transformed by the power of the gospel.

We witnessed people get freed from demonic possession and false religion. We saw young men who were headed for a life of crime get radically changed.

The trip was incredible!!

We witnessed people get freed from demonic possession and false religion.

We saw young men who were headed for a life of crime get radically changed.

We saw people who were called into full time ministry

There was a prayer movement birthed out of this gathering where a group of our students started going to hospitals to pray over sick people.

They were even dubbed the People of Prayer and were called by the hospital staff to pray, because people were getting healed.

It was truly remarkable stuff!

I tell people that a part of my heart came to life in a little dingy town in Mozambique. The Lord woke something up inside of me that I didn’t know was sleeping. I would never be the same.

I like to say that a part of my heart came to life in a little dingy town in Mozambique, Africa.

The Lord woke something up inside of me and I would never be the same.

When the end of the trip came around, and it was time to leave all of our new friends, I wasn’t as excited as I thought I would be to do this safari.

When the week with the students started coming to a close, and it was time to leave all of our new friends, I wasn’t as excited as I thought I would be to do this safari.

I wanted to keep hanging out with these new brothers and sisters in Christ - playing uno and phase ten… sharing our lives and the love of the Lord that we had felt.

When I got back home, I knew that things had to be different.

I wanted my life to be about pointing others to what God is doing globally, not just in my own backyard. I wanted others to see and consider their role in the Great Commission - which may be to go way out of their comfort zone. I wanted to be a part in their journey of impacting the Nations with the name of Jesus.

I wanted my life to be about pointing others to what God is doing globally, not just in my own backyard.

I wanted others to see and consider their role in the Great Commission - which may be to go way out of their comfort zone.

I wanted to be a part in their journey of impacting the Nations with the name of Jesus.

From that day forward, one of my favorite things to do was to take people on short term trips with me.

One of my favorite things to do…

From that day forward, one of my favorite things to do was to take people on short term trips with me.

I loved getting to watch the Lord completely rewire people right in front of me. It was as if they were seeing life in a completely new way - and I knew that they would never be the same.

What I didn’t know then, was that I was unintentionally engaging in what we call mobilization.

Theme of the Day: Mobilization

For our purposes today, I want to talk to you about the idea of Mobilization.

I will be addressing four key questions:

1. What is mobilization?

2. Why is Mobilization important?

3. What role do I have in mobilization?

4. How do I mobilize others intentionally?

What is mobilization?

1. What is mobilization?

The Center for Mission Mobilization describes a mobilizer as someone who empowers others with global vision, passion, and strategy, helping them to get personally connected to finding their most strategic role in the Great Commission. Basically, the idea is that when you have come to this understanding of what the Lord is doing in the world, you need to take that understanding and pass it along to others. Whether we know it or not, we have all served as a mobilizer of sorts - although not always for God’s redemptive plan for the world. I want you to think back to a time that you saw a movie that really gripped you. The story was exciting and engaging. Perhaps you were emotionally moved by what you were seeing. What did you do??? You told everyone they needed to go see that movie. Whenever your friends would bring it up, you would excitedly begin recounting your favorite parts - explaining how it made you feel or think. As a missions mobilizer, your job is to help others begin to embrace a passion like yours for God’s plan to save people from every tribe nation and tongue.

The idea is that when you have come to this understanding of what the Lord is doing in the world, you need to take that understanding and pass it along to others.

Whether we know it or not, we have all served as a mobilizer of sorts - although not always for God’s redemptive plan for the world.

Most of us have been mobilizers for our favorite restaurant…

You had their fajitas and it became THE place.

Whenever you had an option to pick where you were going for dinner, that was the place

You would tell others - if you want some good fajitas, you have to go there.

Maybe you have mobilized for that movie that really gripped you.

The story was exciting and engaging.

Perhaps you were emotionally moved by what you were seeing.

What did you do???

You told everyone they needed to go see that movie.

Whenever your friends would bring it up, you would excitedly begin recounting your favorite parts - explaining how it made you feel or think.

You see, missions mobilization is birthed out of a transformative personal experience where the Lord opened your eyes to what He is doing throughout the world, and you have been so captivated by that experience that you want others to experience it as well.

As a missions mobilizer, your job is to help others begin to embrace a passion like yours for God’s plan to save people from every tribe nation and tongue.

The desire is that we help others begin to embrace a passion like our own to see God save people from every tribe, nation and tongue.

Mobilization is about walking the path of God’s Great Commission and then inviting others to jump on the path with you.

Along the way, you show them some of the practical steps that they can take to continue the journey.

So again, Mobilization is the process of empowering others with a global vision, passion, and strategy, helping them to get personally connected to their most strategic role in the Great Commission.

2. Why is Mobilization important?

We find the answer to this question in … in the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Lord has called us to make disciples - of all nations.

These are our marching orders, and we will need to enlist many people to make it happen.

Mobilization is the process by which people are recruited and empowered to go.

He wants us to reach the nations, and there is still so much to do…

Let me show you some graphics to illustrate the importance of the task at hand.

SLIDE: Global landscape - Christians vs. Non-ChristianLocation of Christians globally (blue Dots): The Americas, Sub Saharan Africa, EuropeLocation of Non-Christians globally (red Dots): North Africa, Middle East, East into Asia. Each dot represents 50,000 people10/40 windowWhat do the numbers say? Globally, there are around 17K people groupsPeople groups = common language, culture, and historyOf these, around 7000 of these would be considered Unreached - or less than 2% evangelical Christian. That is about 3.19 Billion people or almost 42% of the world’s population (Joshua Project)SLIDE: Where the missionaries are goingLocation of Christian Missionaries (Purple Dots): Americas, Sub Saharan Africa, EuropeLocation of Non-Christians (Red Dots): North Africa, Middle East, East into Asia. Before we get too excited about how many missionaries there are, each purple dot represents 10 missionaries while each red dot still represents 50,000 non-Christians...

SLIDE: Global landscape - Christians vs. Non-Christian (From the Traveling Team)

Location of Christians globally (blue Dots): The Americas, Sub Saharan Africa, Europe

Location of Non-Christians globally (red Dots): North Africa, Middle East, East into Asia.

Each dot represents 50,000 people

10/40 window

What do the numbers say?

Globally, there are around 17K people groups

People groups = common language, culture, and history

Of these, around 7000 of these would be considered Unreached People Groups (UPGs) - or less than 2% evangelical Christian.

That is about 3.19 Billion people or almost 42% of the world’s population (Joshua Project)

SLIDE: Where the missionaries are going

Location of Christian Missionaries (Purple Dots): Americas, Sub Saharan Africa, Europe

Location of Non-Christians (Red Dots): North Africa, Middle East, East into Asia.

Before we get too excited about how many missionaries there are, each purple dot represents 10 missionaries while each red dot still represents 50,000 non-Christians...

SLIDE

According to the World Christian Database in 2015, There are roughly 400,000 “Christian missionaries” serving in the world today (this includes Catholics and protestants).

Of these 400,000, only 3% are going to unreached peoples

For every 30 missionaries who deploy this year, only 1 will go to these places.

Currently, there are about 13,000 workers attempting to reach 3.19 Billion people…

If you are doing the math, thats about one missionary for every 245,000 people.

We could redeploy every one of the current 400,000 cross cultural workers to these people and there would still be only 1 missionary for every 8,000 people.

There is a need for literally hundreds of thousands of more workers.

This is why Mobilization is so important.

There is a vast need and we need people to GO!

Is it an impossible task?

Maybe you are thinking that it is an impossible task…

So what do we do?

There are approximately 78,000 Evangelical Christians for each Unreached People Group.

We GO!There are approximately 78,000 Evangelical Christians for each Unreached People Group.years ago, it was estimated that there were 90 churches for each Unreached People Group. That is just Unreached Peoples… What about others who do not know Christ? Christians account for about 30% of the global population (including evangelical or otherwise), which means roughly 2/3 of the worlds population do not call Christ their Lord. This is about 5.4 Billion people who when their lungs stop transferring oxygen to their blood, when their brain function ceases, and they die, they will spend eternity separated from the God who created them. They will spend eternity in torment, under the wrath of God because they didn’t call out to the Lord for salvation.

Several years ago, it was estimated that there were 90 churches for each Unreached People Group.

Those odds are pretty good!

We just have to give a vision to those 78,000 Evangelicals per UPG

We have to come with a collective vision for those 90 churches per UPG.

We have to mobilize others to see this vision become a reality.

I have only been talking about Unreached Peoples…

What about the rest who do not know Christ?

Christians account for about 30% of the global population (including evangelical or otherwise), which means roughly 2/3 of the worlds population do not call Christ their Lord.

This is about 5.4 Billion people who when their lungs stop transferring oxygen to their blood, when their brain function ceases, and they die, they will spend eternity separated from the God who created them.

They will spend eternity in torment, under the wrath of God because they didn’t call out to the Lord for salvation.

Mobilization is more important than I even have words for…

It’s important because billions of people don’t know Jesus… I am not ok with that - and I don’t imagine you are either.

SLIDE

which brings me to the third question you should be asking…

Billions of people don’t know Jesus… We’re NOT ok with that.

3. What role do I have in Mobilization?

Great question… I am glad you asked that!

First, you already have some sort of a global vision - otherwise you wouldn’t be watching this.

You have taken the first step in making yourself aware of what others around the world are experiencing.

And let me tell you this - even if your trip gets cancelled, that vision that you have now is still enough to begin transplanting it into others.

But, lets assume that your trip will go forward as planned…

You are preparing to embark on a journey that will uniquely gift you to mobilize others.

This is a journey that you will have had to raise money to pay for.

You will have requested time off work, or perhaps even turned down a job to be able to do it.

You have been devoting time to prayer and seeking the Lord’s face

You have gone through all of the steps to be well prepared for what you are going to encounter.

Once you get there,

You will get to experience the culture of the people there

You will taste their food and see their customs.

You will hear their stories and observe their lives

You will hopefully get to hear from them about what their hopes and dreams are.

You will hear about those things that excite them and those things that terrify them.

You will see how their lives are bound up with false religions, false gods, and false hopes.

You will hopefully fall in love with the people there

When you return home,

You will remember the faces and stories you encountered

you will be moved to pray for them - by name

You will have the opportunity to make your trip more than just a trip.

More than just a one-time experience.

You will be able to transport people through your stories to those places where they can experience a measure of it all for themselves.

You will be able to transplant the passion that you have for missions into the heart of another believer in your life.

It would be a tragedy if when you returned home from your trip, you life wasn’t altered in some way.

If all you got from your trip was a cool cross cultural experience - or Christian tourist trip, then you have missed it!

The Lord is giving you a glimpse of what He is doing overseas, and He intends for you to tell others about it and inspire them to do the same thing.

You have a huge role in mobilization - and you must see this trip this summer as a powerful tool to call others into the journey with you.

4. How do I mobilize others intentionally?

First, you must understand God’s heart for the nations..

Be able to articulate God’s strategic plan that He has unrolled throughout Scripture - from the first gospel presentation in where The Lord told us that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent (that’s Jesus btw) to the Abrahamic call in , to God’s Covenant with Israel, to the birth of Jesus, the Great Commission, , through Revelation where all nations are gathered before His throne.

Beyond this, I like to utilize Jesus’ plan for mobilization...

Matthew 9:35–38 ESV

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Mathew 9:35-38

V. 36 - He saw them and he had compassion for them

You will have hopefully already done this…

This is a bit beyond simply seeing someone…

When it says that He saw them, it means more than He just saw them with His eyes.

He saw them and understood their hurts… He understood their lostness.... He felt their pain… He knew their situation.

His seeing them led to him having compassion for them

The word here used for compassion literally means that He was stirred in His guts. His stomach turned.

Intentional mobilization begins with authentic compassion for others that is shared with those around you

I like to say that we must break people’s hearts for these people, otherwise they will never be moved into action.

while you are on your trip, be looking for that story.

Find that thing that will arrest someone’s heart and bring them into the story with you.

Story of Nicolas Magwa.

Several years back, at my last church, we started a child sponsorship program for impoverished children in Uganda.

It was focused on children who had little chance of ever getting an education if they were not sponsored.

To do this, we went to Uganda and captured the stories of 65 of these children to share with our church.

There was one 9 year old little boy who I will never forget, named Nicolas Magwa.

Nicolas was small for his age, his growth stunted because of malnutrition and vitamin deficiency.

His clothes were completely torn to shreds, and clung to his small frame by a few threads.

But this wasn’t the most heartbreaking part…

His mother was an alcoholic and drug addict who would disappear for days on end.

When she was home, she was violent and abusive to Nicolas.

Nicolas told us that many nights, his mother would get drunk, beat on him, and then lock him out of the house before she passed out.

This little boy who should have been loved, nurtured, and protected, was forced to sleep in the bushes outside of his house. And this was a common occurrence.

When we told our church this story, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room, and people nearly fought over who would be the one who would get to sponsor him.

You see?

If you can help people TRULY SEE, then compassion will follow.

Mobilizing others will require that you see people like Jesus sees them and then help others to do the same.

Be intentional with people…

Look for those that you can tell your story to

I think that you have to answer these questions:

Why did you go in the first place? (Biblical Imperative, Divine Authority)

V. 38 - Pray earnestly

What did you see?

I am not sure that I would have done it like this…

Break people’s hearts for this stuff!!

People are moved by compelling stories - so find those stories and share them with people back home.

How did it impact you?

Jesus just rolls out to His guys that there is this massive issue - people are being harassed… they are helpless… there is a massive harvest, but there aren’t enough laborers…

I would have said, alright guys - let’s go get them!! Grab your gloves, it’s time to go to work in the harvest fields!

Nope… Pray.

Mobilization requires that you Pray earnestly.

You pray to the Lord, because HE is the one who will send workers out, not you, not me, not WorldVenture… HIM.

This is ongoing, abiding prayer that is calling out to the Lord - begging Him to send people to share the Gospel with those who are lost.

Finally, the last thing is that you equip people that the Lord has called to go

Have some next steps that people can take to explore this calling that they are trying to confirm.

Point them to Perspectives.org to find a course near them that they can take

Connect them with Tiffany Horton who can help coach them into next steps

Tell them how to sign up for a short term trip next year - or better yet - invite them on the trip that you plan on going on

Help them build a strategic prayer plan for engaging the nations.

Explore mission agencies like WorldVenture where they can find coaches like me to help them with some next steps.

And one of the biggest next steps for you is to pray over those people that the Lord intends to mobilize through you.

Pray big, prayers - that He would Send out laborers into His harvest - and that He would use you to do that!

As I close - my prayer for you is that you would experience every drop of what the Lord has for you on this trip.