“We are one generation away from having no more missionaries.”
I’ve heard Connie Dixon, our National Woman’s Missionary Union president, say this on numerous occasions, and every time it causes my heart to skip a beat. I firmly believe that God is in control of calling out those He will send to go and tell, but I also know it’s our job to help raise them up. The children and students in our churches need to know there is a much bigger world out there beyond their neighborhood, church, and even state. They need to know they too could serve in another place within North America or be sent out and supported by one of the largest mission-sending agencies to go into all the world.
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Several years ago, when I was praying about accepting the nomination for state WMU president, the Lord used His Word to speak so clearly to me. I was reading in Judges 2. To give some background, Moses has died, Joshua has led the Israelites into the Promised Land, everyone settles on their own land, and the Scripture says in Judges 2:7, “And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel.” Joshua dies and we’re told where he’s buried.
Judges 2:10 then says, “And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that He had done for Israel.” One. Generation. Later. All it took was one generation and the people of Israel “did not know the Lord or the work that He had done.” How? The previous generation did not tell them!
Baptists, we have a job to do among our children and students. We must tell them what God has done and what He is currently doing! Many of the International Mission Board missionaries on the field today would say they were called as a child during some type of missions discipleship program.
What about your church?
How is your church teaching, training and equipping our next generation of missionaries?
On Feb. 4, I sat beside my 14-year-old daughter at the IMB sending celebration at FBC Rogers. Our girl has a heart for the nations and wants people to know Jesus so badly. I knew this would be a special night for her as we watched 41 new missionaries share their stories of how God has prepared them to go. Only the Lord knows our daughter’s future, but we have very intentionally exposed both of our children to God’s heart for the world from early on, praying that He will use them for His glory in whatever way He sees fit. Who in your life needs to know more about what God is doing around the world through our NAMB and IMB missionaries? How can you invest in the next generation to ensure that they know the Lord and the work He has done?
WMU is here to help educate, equip and encourage Arkansas Baptists of all ages to live on mission. We are not a women’s organization. We are a missions organization. Please let us know how we can help you and your church. The next generation of missionaries are counting on us.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Laura Bramlett, Arkansas WMU executive director, and originally published by Arkansas Baptist News.
