An Exciting Way to Help Your Diocese Unify and Grow in Global Missions Awareness
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Sometimes it’s very challenging to answer the Lord’s call to become active in the Great Commission. As we pray Psalm 67:5—“Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You”—do we truly understand the vast number of people who have never heard of Jesus?
How many in our congregations do not realize the exciting Kingdom work we are all called to? Are we so focused on our local congregational challenges—perhaps the building we desperately need—that we miss the bigger picture of God’s call?
A Simple but Powerful Tool
One great resource addressing this need is the Anglican Introduction to Missions (AIM) course. It can be used in your church or youth group to make a meaningful difference. It can also be offered on Zoom, allowing participants to join from across a wide geographic area.
After consulting with Bishop Phil Ashey, I offered the AIM course this past Epiphany for the Diocese of Western Anglicans via Zoom. Because our diocese spans several states, this format proved ideal. To encourage greater participation, we recruited a different teacher for each week’s session, drawing leaders from both Arizona and California.
Participants joined from multiple churches across these states, as well as a young couple in India who are partnering in mission with a church in Arizona.
Real Impact and Encouragement
How did it go? One of the most encouraging outcomes was hearing from the couple in India, who were preparing to come to Arizona to work with international students. They found the course extremely helpful in their preparation.
Other participants shared meaningful insights:
“I was very surprised about how many people groups are truly unreached.”
“I am astounded to learn that so little of our mission funding goes to reach the unreached.”
Course evaluations described the experience as:
“Very manageable—not too overwhelming and not too simplistic”
“Very interesting and inspiring”
“Enlightening and eye-opening”
Did it change their lives? The jury is still out on that, but what they said on the last day of the course was encouraging. One woman shared that God had opened her eyes through the course. She now expects the unexpected and is actively looking for ways He is giving her Great Commission opportunities in daily life.
Another participant, who attended with his son, said he is now motivated to pray for unreached people groups and discovered the Joshua Project app as a helpful tool to help him pray. He also said that his employer will match his giving, and he now plans to give to missionaries who minister to unreached people groups and get his employer to match it.
Growing Vision for the Diocese
I am grateful for how God has used this course to strengthen unity within my diocese in the arena of global missions. Perhaps He will use it to do great things in your diocese, too!
Nothing is too hard for Him, especially as we strive to do His will.
Let the peoples praise him; let ALL the peoples praise Him!
To Learn More about the Anglican Introduction to Missions Course (AIM)
Anglican Introduction to Missions (AIM) Course— Information, Resources, and Tools
Anglican Introduction to Missions Blog — The Rev. Bev Mueffelmann
Purchase the 2nd Edition Anglican Introduction to Missions Leader Guide and Workbook on Amazon
Patricia Streeter
Patricia Streeter is a follower of Jesus with a heart for the persecuted church and world missions. In 1998, Patricia founded a ministry to the persecuted church that has grown beyond her church’s boundaries. As a volunteer for Open Doors USA, she has been invited to speak in various venues, and she has organized many events to bring prayer and advocacy to suffering Christians. In Sept. 2019, she, along with Faith McDonnell, founded the Anglican Persecuted Church Network (APCN) that she continues to co-lead. She has also given MAP presentations in several New Wineskins Missions Conferences and served as Co-Leader of several Anglican Persecuted Church Network Pre-Conferences. Patricia also serves as the Global Mission Advocate for the Diocese of Western Anglicans. Please email her here to learn more.
