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People love to hear the stories about “those wonderful missionaries.” They are enthralled at the level of sacrifice and commitment of “these dedicated servants.” I’ve witnessed trails of tears on caring faces as stories of Christ’s love for the nations are shared through “the willing workers.”

Something happens when the stories change to personal application. Those looks of rapture turn to foggy mists. Stories about missions are fine as long as they are about those others way out there. Focus on personal application, then the issue becomes a bit unnerving—kind of like giving out your credit card information on someone’s Web site.

The Great Commission is not only for those way out there. It is relevant and critical for all of us. Everyone can and should be involved. Here are some practical ways to help everyone become fully engaged in fulfilling the Great Commission.

See the World through God’s Eyes—Take Perspectives.
More than 72,000 people around the world have taken Perspectives to discover what God is doing around the world, his plan for the world and their part in his purposes. A survey of over 20,000 Perspectives class alumni indicated: 73 percent of alumni are praying regularly for missions; 88 percent support missions financially; 29 percent serve on a church missions committee; 66 percent plan on serving two-plus years in cross-cultural missions. Check out .

Read a Missionary Biography with Your Kids.
We live in a world where there are few heroes. There are even fewer Christian heroes. The stories of William Carey, Mary Slessor and David Brainerd challenge and capture young minds and hearts. For a quick perusal of various missionary heroes visit . For a list of quality books, including From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya by Dr. Ruth Tucker, visit .

Stop Being Afraid and Reach out to Others—Get involved with Refugees or Internationals.
The world has been coming to North America for years. Whether you live in a farming community or a metro-plex, you would be hard pressed not to find people from other cultures living, attending a school or working among us. Xenos Church in Columbus, Ohio has a wonderful outreach to international students (www.xenos.org). World Relief has tools available to help any church reach out to refugees moving into their community (www.worldrelief.org).

Use CNN, the Newspaper and Even Your Clothes as Daily Prayer Tools.
We can easily shirk back in horror when we watch news reports from around the world. Instead, take the time to pray for that country and any missionaries that might be there. Another idea: check out the label on your clothing. Chances are they are from a country other than the US. As you put on your clothes in the morning pray for that country.

Consider Where God Is Sending You and Your Children—Take a Short-Term Missions Trip.
The number of short-term trips has sky-rocketed in the last seven years. Roger Peterson of STEM estimates that somewhere between 1.5 and 2 million people each year are part of a short-term missions team. Almost every denomination and missions agency has short-term missions opportunities. Bob Berry has compiled an excellent list in Short-Term Missions Today. For a copy, contact: [email protected] or ACMC at [email protected]

Eat and Pray—the Restaurant Strategy.
Who doesn’t like to eat? Just about anywhere you go in the US and Canada you will find an ethnic restaurant. Everyone goes out to eat. Why not make it a missions adventure? Pray for the country whose cuisine you are enjoying. Ask the waitstaff about the country. Whether it is China, India, Italy or Australia, it is fun to eat and pray.

Ask God to Release More Resources and Rethink Your Personal Investment Strategy.
The last few years have seen most investors 401ks become 201ks. If it’s like mine then it really is a 2.01k! Maybe God is trying to tell us something about where to put our investments. We will be spending much more time in heaven then we will on the earth. Maybe each of us should reconsider Jesus’ words about storing treasure in heaven as opposed to here on the earth. I don’t know of one missions agency, missionary or church that would refuse a gift. One of the best Web sites for helping Christians evaluate giving opportunities is .

Challenge Our Church Leaders to Seek God’s Heart and to Declare His Glory among the Nations.
Rather than complaining about the lack of missions in your church, ask your pastor to give more messages about God’s plan for the world. Give your Bible fellowship or Sunday School teacher a short illustration about a current event and ask prayer for it. Send your pastor to a Global Focus event (www.globalfocus.com ). Send your missions team leaders to an ACMC event (www.acmc.org).

Missions doesn’t have to be a foggy mist. God’s intent is for all of us to be involved in fulfilling the Great Commission. Whether it is eating or wearing clothes, it can be done in a way that declares God’s glory among the nations. Now isn’t that the kind of job you would love to have?

James Killgore is president and CEO of Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment (ACMC) www.acmc.org