STXAG Missions

Member Area

  • Become A Missionary

  • Pray For Missionaries

  • Plan A Missions Convention

  • Keep Mission's Interest High

Become A Missionary


Listen To God :

Not every Christian is called to be a missionary in the technical sense of the word, although every believer is called to be a witness.  The missionary call may come in a variety of ways, but almost always includes a growing concern for the need on the missions field and a definite conviction that God wants you to commit your life to meeting that need.  God also gives a witness of the Spirit to other Christians that this is so, as He did in Acts 13:1-3.

Share Your Burden With A Godly, Trusted Friend:

See if he or she also senses God’s call on your life.  It is not a good idea to spread your feelings far and wide now, for if your timing is premature, you could bring embarrassment to you and your family.

Talk With The Leaders Of Your District :

In order to be considered for missionary appointment, you must be endorsed by and hold membership in, an Assemblies of God district.  The district leaders will want to be acquainted with you, sense your burden and review your ministerial experience.  Write to the personnel of The Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM) or Assemblies of God U.S. Missions (AGUSM).  They will provide you with specific details as to qualifications for different types of missionary service.  Complete and return the preliminary forms sent to you from AGWM or AGUSM.  You will be required to attend special interviews or orientation and training following approval. You will also be required to raise financial and prayer support from friends and congregations.  Finally, you will move to the field of your calling.

IS GOD CALLING YOU?

Pray For Missionaries


To Pray Effectively:

1. Pray specific – Name the missionary, need, country, or project.

2. Ask God to call more workers to go.

3. Ask God to call more senders.

4. Intercede for countries where few or no missionaries are present.

 

Items To Include When Praying For Missionaries Are:

1. Health and protection

2. Children’s education

3. Care and provision when family members are separated

4. The family’s spiritual welfare

5. Victory over demonic forces that oppress

6. The success of their assigned ministry on the field.

Somebody Prayed
Somebody prayed and my burdened was lighter,
Somebody prayed and my path became clear;
Clouds rolled away and the sunshine was brighter,
Jesus, my wonderful Savior, was near.
Faith flickered low in my pain-tortured body,
Jesus, the mighty Physician, was there
Healing me, bringing me joy in His presence,
Answering somebody’s unfailing prayer.
Gems for the Master afar I may gather,
Trophies at last at His feet to be laid;
“Well done,” He’ll say, but I think I shall answer,
“Naught but Thy grace, Lord, somebody prayed.”

- By Missionary Louise Jeter Walker

 

 

Plan A Missions Convention


A Series of Services dedicated to Promoting:
  1. An awareness of spiritual need throughout the world.
  2. An awareness of spiritual need throughout the world.
  3. The individual believer’s responsibility to become a part of the solution.
Convention Should Be:
  1. Informative:  It should expose your people to world need and the work of the Assemblies of God missions.
  2. Inspirational:  Every service should move the heart of the hearer.
  3. Motivational:  The goal is to get every believer involved in . . .
. . . going
. . . praying
. . . giving
What Are The Necessary Elements Of A Successful Convention
  1. A series of services, conducted annually, that focus on missions.
  2. A missions speaker.
  3. A Faith Promise challenge to every believer.

How Long Should A Convention Last?

1.  You may choose a weekend convention

a.   Saturday night banquet

b.   Sunday morning Faith Promises

c.   Sunday evening Personal commitment

2.  Some prefer a week long convention with two Sundays, Wednesday evening
and a Saturday banquet.

3.  You may join churches for simultaneous conventions.

Whatever Format You Choose:

  1. The pastor should preach on missions on the Sunday prior to Faith Promise Sunday.
  2. Distribute a Faith Promise brochure, “What Is A Faith Promise?” to the congregation during this service.
  3. It is essential that the people know the pastor believes in missions.

Set A Date:

  1. Begin planning your convention at least six months in advance.
  2. Plan your conventions for the same month each year.
  3. Peak months are September through November and March through May.

Do Not Plan Any Church Activity During Your Convention Week That Would Distract From The Focus of Missions

Plan Your Convention At A Time When Most Of Your People Can Be Present.

  1. Avoid dates when special school or community activities are scheduled each year.
  2. Take weather, vacation time, and other special work schedules into consideration.

Establish A Convention Budget:

  1. Speakers Expense:

a.    Motel and food
b.    Fares or mileage
c.    Honorariums and/or free-will offerings

2.   Promotions, printing, and advertising
3.   Banquet

Schedule Your Speaker

1.   You may invite:

a.       Missionaries
b.      AGWM/AGUSM Personnel
c.       District Leadership

2.   Select a speaker who:

a.      Will present a world view of missions rather than focusing on a particular field.
b.      Will help educate your people to their personal responsibility.
c.      Is capable of preaching the Faith Promise plan and inspiring your people to action.

3.      How many speakers do we need?  This will depend on:

a.      The number of activities
b.      The availability of speakers
c.      The amount of funds available to cover speaker’s expenses.

What Are Our Responsibilities To The Speaker?

  1. Missionaries – A generous free-will offering.
  2. DFM, DHM, and District personnel – Travel expenses and a generous honorarium when possible.
  3. Motel and food for all speakers as needed.

Utilize Your Committee

  1. Don’t try to do it all yourself.
  2. Allow your people to take ownership.
  3. Give your mission’s committee members the opportunity to dream big dreams for reaching a lost world.

Get Everyone Involved, Which Could Include:

  1. Parades – children, youth, and adults
  2. Skits – youth doing promotions for the convention
  3. Banquet – All ages
  4. Booths – all ages
  5. Decorations and flags of the nations
  6. Sunday School classes dedicated to missions
  7. Special music
  8. Special prayer meetings
  9. All of these and more with a missions theme

Set Financial or Percentage of Participation Goals:

  1. That are larger than last year.
  2. That require faith.
  3. That encourage your people to reach beyond anything they have ever done.
  4. That include teaching both the Faith Promise method.

Don’t Forget To Order Materials:

  1. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.
  2. Order sufficient banners and posters.
  3. Take advantage of the theme video.
  4. Don’t forget brochures that introduce the multiple ministries available through AGWM and AGUSM.

Prepare Your Congregation:

  1. Begin promoting your convention at least 2 months in advance.
  2. Begin teaching about Faith Promises.
  3. Share the Faith Promise goals.
  4. Create excitement and anticipation.
  5. Begin special prayer meetings for the success of the convention.

Promote A Prayer Emphasis:

  1. Distribute a prayer list of request for the convention.
  2. Be sure to include information about the missionary families that you support.
  3. Conduct special prayer meetings to intercede for the lost of the world.

Prepare For Faith Promise Sunday:

  1. Decorate the sanctuary with flags, posters, and banners.
  2. Provide Faith Promise Cards to every one present.
  3. Provide a table of brochures with various missions themes.
  4. Feature missions in each Sunday School class for the day.
  5. Receive Faith Promises in children church.

 

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Keep Mission's Interest High


 

It is not enough to have a successful mission’s convention. If the challenge of missions is not kept before the congregation throughout the year, the level of faith promise giving will begin to drop. There are a number of things that can be done to minimize or prevent this erosion.

SCHEDULE FREQUENT MISSIONARY SERVICES

  • Having missionaries come throughout the year is a key to a successful missions outreach.
  • Missionaries impart vision and burden, two things that the American Christian desperately needs.
  • Over the course of the year, make sure that you schedule missionary guests to speak in each type of weekly service that you offer. This means that if someone has the habit of attending only one service each week, sooner or later they will be exposed to missionary speakers in that service.
  • When an unexpected scheduling conflict arises, rather than canceling the missionary service, make room for a ten minute window for the missionary to present his ministry and receive an offering. Both your congregation and the missionary will be blessed.
  • A missionary visit should never be considered an interruption but rather an opportunity.
  • A missionary visit each month is not unreasonable.
  • When a missionary’s visit falls below one each quarter, it will be very difficult for congregations to maintain a high level of consciousness of world need.

PLAN A SPECIAL FOCUS ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH TO MAKE MISSIONS SUNDAY SPECIAL 

  • By doing this on the first Sunday of each month you can take advantage of the special “World Missions Edition” of the Pentecostal Evangel.
  • It could be called, "Window on the World”
  • It need not be long but it should be interesting.
  • You may read excerpts from missionary letters.
  • Make a call to the field and talk with a missionary during the service.
  • Show a short video. Monthly Missions World Newsbreak videos are available by subscription that report on current happenings in missions around the world.
  • Experience indicates that missions giving will be considerably greater when the offering is received immediately following the video.

INCLUDE PRAYER IN YOUR MISSIONS OUTREACH 

  • Publish the names of the missionaries that you support in your bulletin on a rotating basis.
  • Include missionary requests in your prayer list.
  • Pray publicly for urgent missionary needs.
  • Distribute a list of the missionaries supported by your church including the names of their children, ages and special days.
  • Place pictures of missionaries around the walls of the sanctuary with details of their location and ministry. During special prayer, the people can move from one area to another, interceding for the missionaries by name and needs.
  • Current prayer requests for missionaries, the missionary work, crisis and disasters are made available through the offices of World Missions and can be received by email at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

TAKE A GROUP OF LEADERS TO THE DISTRICT, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL FUNCTIONS 

  • This could include the board and the missions committee.
  • They will probably learn more about missions there in 24 hours than they have learned in a lifetime.
  • Many districts provide district or sectional missions activities.
  • Take advantage of the opportunities to be informed, motivated and inspired.

PARTICIPATE IN MISSIONS TRIPS 

  • This may be a foreign missions project overseas or a home missions project here in America.
  • Youth trips of one to two weeks are available through Ambassadors in Missions (A.I.M.).
  • Adults may go on medical, construction, witnessing and prayer teams for up to two weeks.
  • Your church may sponsor a team or participate with other churches or the district.
  • A mission trip is guaranteed to turn your people on to missions. Excitement is contagious and will spread throughout the congregation.

KEEP YOUR MISSIONS COMMITTEE ACTIVE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR 

  • Where the committee is large, an executive committee should be named which will meet monthly.  The committee will:
  1. Discuss missionary needs and support.
  2. Determine the distribution of mission’s funds.
  3. Correspond with the missionaries.
  4. Plan activities for missions Sunday.
  5. Promote the prayer emphasis for the missionaries.
  6. Continue the plans for next year’s convention.

ENCOURAGE MONTHLY MISSIONS ACTIVITIES IN EVERY DEPARTMENT 

  • There is a mission’s outreach for every age.
  1. Children – Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade (BGMC)
  2. Youth – Speed the Light (STL)
  3. Women – Equipping the missionary’s home.
  4. Men – Light For The Lost (LFTL)

CONDUCT AN ANNUAL MID-YEAR MINI-CONVENTION 

  • This will encourage those who have made a Faith Promise to continue their faithfulness.
  • It will encourage those who are lagging behind the Faith Promise already made.
  • It gives opportunity for a new member to participate.
  • It renews excitement about missions.

AS PASTORS, KEEP MISSIONS IN FOCUS 

  • Preach at least once each quarter on soul winning and the Christian’s responsibility to participate in the evangelization of the world.
  • Weave frequent missionary stories into your preaching.
  • Demonstrate your passion for missions.
  • Make God’s priorities the goals for your life.

CONSISTENCY IS THE ANSWER TO BUILDING A STRONG MISSIONS VISION 

  • Keeping missions before the congregation is simply conveying God’s love for the lost and our responsibility to partner with Him for their salvation.
  • A few things done with regularity will give better results than an occasional splash.

THE PASTOR IS THE KEY 

  • If the pastor displays his own burden for the lost, the congregation will usually follow.
  • Although the pastor must and should delegate much of the work in keeping missions before the people, he must never abdicate his responsibility by passing off all leadership for missions to the committee.
  • The pastor is the spiritual leader and has the duty before God to lead the flock into a love for the lost both at home and abroad.

IF WINNING THE LOST IS THE TOP PRIORITY FOR THE GODHEAD. . . SHOULDN’T WE GET INVOLVED?