Why?

I long to write a devotional book - something that will speak to others and encourage them in their journey with God. These are a few of my thoughts...please enjoy them as you find your resting thoughts in the arms of God.

A few quiet moments during the day. Resting thoughts to focus your mind. Come face to face with the One who loves you. Be embraced. Cherished. Loved.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Being A Team Player

All the believers were together and had everything in common.
Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Acts 2:44-45


Being a part of mission team is a unique experience. After all, people from all walks of life and corners of the globe come together to serve in the same place. There is a good chance that you do not know all, if any, of the people you will be serving with in just a few days. If you do know them, they may not be close friends or anything more than people you met at a meeting about this very trip.

Luckily, you are already bonded with your fellow teammates by virtue of wanting to be part of the same experience. No matter how different your everyday life is, you are all preparing to serve in the same part of the world for the same amount of time for the same purpose. That is not that different from the churches that grew and grew in the book of Acts. The members of these first churches did not all know each other, but they were all united by a common thread – the cross of Christ.

That same passion for the global church is probably what leads you to the mission field. Is there a part of you that longs for the community described in the book of Acts, where all the believers were as one mind and purpose? That can happen during your trip! All you have to do is put the purpose of the mission and the glorification of Christ before your own desires and needs. You have to be willing to submit to your teammates, your mission hosts, and the cultural norms of your chosen mission field.

The most successful mission trips are trips where the team is unite together under the leadership of God. For these next few days, consider how you can be a true mission-team player – what you’re willing to sacrifice and what you’re willing to do to make sure the people you are going to meet see your team as a unified group that loves them, not as a bunch of people with nothing apparent in common. Pray for team unity now and pray for team unity every day until you return from your mission experience.

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