SPEAKING MINISTRY: CHI ALPHA CITYWIDE GATHERING- FEB 2021
I had the great privilege of speaking to over fifty college students at a Chi Alpha gathering in Dayton, Ohio. This meeting included students from Wright-State University, the University of Dayton and Sinclair Community College. The theme for the evening was missions, and I was more than willing to come to speak to this upcoming generation on the importance of accomplishing what Jesus commanded us when He said:
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)
I shared a message about Living a Missional Lifestyle. I wanted the students to come away with, not only a theological understanding of missions, but also some practical tips on how they can invest their lives in the fulfillment of the Great Commission both in their own city and around the world. My personal belief is that every Christian is a missionary, that we all share the same mission and that we all have a mission field. We don’t need to ask ourselves, “Am I called to go and disciple the nations?” but rather, “Where and how does God want me to help fulfill that mission?”
Too often, we tend to relegate the work of discipleship to pastors, evangelists and vocational missionaries. However, the Great Commission is something all believers are to embrace. I shared with the students about living in such a way as to position themselves to make an impact in the world. All of us can be guilty of filling our lives with a lot of activity, but neglecting the most important thing, which is impacting souls for eternity. I let them know that they are not only called to go wherever God plants them, but also to send others to do the work in places that they are not able to go.
I spoke about some of the practical ways that our family supports missionaries in prayer, communication and financial support. I encouraged them to find ways to actively pray for the nations on a regular basis, invest financially in the work of missions, as well as find opportunities to go overseas and serve.
At the end of the service, several students came up to the microphone to share how the Lord was stirring their hearts that night. Some received confirmation from the Lord about things that they had been praying about. Others felt a stirring for the nations and confessed that they were feeling the Lord tugging on their hearts to take the next step in that direction. It was a great night for all of us, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to inspire and encourage the next generation to remember the calling that Jesus gave us to reach the world with the Gospel through evangelization and discipleship.
If you would like to sow into Make Way Ministries and our international work, you can click on the Donate tab, and give a financial gift that will specifically go to support our upcoming ministry trips overseas by selecting the “International Ministry” fund. Thank you for all of your prayers and support!
DUSTIN RENZ is the President of Make Way Ministries, a non-profit organization that exists to see the world changed one Christian at a time. He has a passion to see the Body of Christ find rich intimacy in their relationship with Jesus and step out in faith to share the Gospel with the world around them. He is the author of Pile of Masks: Exposing Christian Hypocrisy and Something Better. He resides in Dayton, Ohio with his wife and three daughters.
