It did mine. Since a young age, I've had an interest in missions. And almost 20 years ago, I considered moving, with my wife and 4 young kids, to China, but decided it was not's God's plan. So recently, when my church, the Summit Church of Little Rock, announced we were hosting a Perspectives class on missions, I knew it was for me.
The class is held one evening a week for 15 weeks. The first five classes are the Biblical Perspective, how all throughout the Bible, God has been on a mission to reveal Himself to every nation, tribe, people and language so that one day, there will be representatives from every group with Him, forever, in Heaven (Rev 7:9). The next four classes are the Historical Perspective, full of inspiring stories of the sacrificial service of missionaries over hundreds of years. The next two classes are the Cultural Perspective, how it's best to approach people of a different culture in a way that does not seem foreign to them, while staying true to the Gospel. Then, the final four classes are the Strategic Perspective, where you learn that the world-wide church is making more progress than ever and cooperating at an unprecedented level, by the grace of God, in delivering the Good News to the thousands of remaining Unreached People Groups, and then helping those new churches to grow and become independent.
During the 15 weeks, you hear from various missionaries and ministries. Besides being inspired by their interesting stories, you will likely get some ideas about how to participate. I love their motto, "Mobilizing God's People for God's Global Purpose." Prepare to be passionate about missions, if you're not already!
One thing that came as a pleasant surprise to me after about 10 weeks, is that everyone who completes the class is considered an alumnus and is welcome to attend future classes, at no additional cost. Classes are offered once a year, in the Spring. I'm really looking forward to participating in future classes, where I'll meet new people interested in missions and hear some different speakers.
Part of my ministry is to help recruit people for future Perspectives classes. In that role, I am reaching out to pastors and missions pastors of local churches, encouraging them to make their members aware of upcoming classes.
[To explore Perspectives, click on the link at the top of this post, not the picture below.]
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