One of the workable tools on the missions field is child evangelism. It serves as an avenue for the missionary to touch the heart of both the mother and father of the child. The missionary stands the chance of releasing his creativity in his evangelistic methods. Children love pictures, music, dancing, candies, competition and many other fun games.  Recently Missions Today went on a missions in Ghana in the west of Africa. Besides the preaching of the Gospel on the crusade grounds, house to house evangelism, there was a special project of children dubbed “CHILDCARE PROJECT”.

This projected had a maximum impact on the towns and surrounding villages in Gyedua Asamang. Children were medically screened and treated, clothed, fed and educated together with their mothers. What a day it was! The Gospel message penetrated easily when attention was given to children.

It is sad to see young people adopt worldly ways because they are drawn by the fame, the fun and the freedom that the world offers. These young people fall prey to the luring of the world because they have no spiritual roots in them; because the church, the family and the Christian community have not taken heed to the spiritual command in Prov 22: 6 – “ train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it. This call to train up a child is a call to teach our children the ways of Christ through child evangelism.

This training must start when the child is still young and their heart is receptive to the gospel of Christ Jesus. Teaching our children the gospel helps them to develop deeper and stronger roots in Christ Jesus. It equips the children to respond to the challenges of life in a Christlike manner and also live their lives in the will of God.

For most children, the only time they will encounter the gospel of Christ is on Sunday when they attend Sunday school. This is not enough to plant the seed of the gospel firmly in their hearts. Training our children in the ways of the Lord must be done through a series of activities that stretches beyond Sunday school. The gospel must follow the children into the classroom, the playground and every other place where children are known to congregate. This is where the role of the missionary becomes pivotal. Unlike Sunday school teachers who only meet the children once a week, missionaries by virtue of their calling can meet the children everywhere. It is therefore important for missionary organisations to rise up and take up the challenge of securing the next generation for Christ through child evangelism.  

Indeed, Jesus in Matthew 19:13-14, commanded that the little children should be allowed to come unto him without hinderance. This means that every barrier which hinders children f rom coming to Christ must be removed. One of the greatest hinderances to child evangelism is the absence parental discipline in spiritual matters and also the belief that children are too young to understand the gospel.  In the Matt 19:13-14, we find that it was the parents who were bringing the children to Christ. This emphasizes the important role of the family in child evangelism. It also emphasizes the fact that no child is too young to understand spiritual matters the souls an. It also emphasizes the fact that the destinies of children matter to God.

If missionaries are going to be successful in child evangelism, then they must address this barrier by engaging the child and the parents of the child as part of the child evangelism. So that the parents will be equipped to guide the child in the light of the gospel.

Finally, child evangelism is not just the responsibility of missionaries or Sunday school teachers, it is the responsibility of every believer. We must take up this challenge and ensure that the young people around us receive the gospel of Christ Jesus.

The Gospel is the only means by which lives can be transformed and changed. When individuals are transformed, it trickles down to affect the whole community and nation at large. Development is not only about infrastructures and buildings. Development builds the personality of people through education to add value to their life. According to the United Nations, there are several indicators of development in nations called the SDG’s (sustainable development goals). 

The Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals are a collection of seventeen interlinked objectives designed to serve as a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future”. The SDGs are: no poverty; zero hunger; good health and well-being; quality education; gender equality; clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; life below water; life on land; peace, justice, and strong institutions; and partnerships for the goals. The SDGs emphasize the interconnected environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development by putting sustainability at their center. Source: Wikipedia.

The organization, Missions Today’s core value is to reach out to lost souls and lead them to Christ as the Lord has already commanded. More so, we educate mothers, pregnant women and children in order to reduce the infant and maternal mortality rate in communities. We do these by sending professional doctors, nurses and other health workers to rural communities who are deprived of this basic right. on the 21st of April 2023, a team of missionaries embarked on a gospel crusade in Gyedua Asamang and the nearby villages in Wassa Akropong Municipalities in the western region of Ghana. 

Over one hundred children together with their mothers were medically screened, fed, educated on common diseases among children and clothed as well. This exercise attracted the chief of the entire community, the MCE and the other dignitaries. It also became a tool for evangelism where mothers and children were ministered to through the preaching of the Gospel. 

The missionary journey can be a whirlwind of excitement. I quite remember the first time I went on a mission trip, I was so excited I could barely sleep- I thought of the people I would meet, I listened eagerly to all the stories of our leaders who had been on missions- the miraculous healings, the power demonstrations. I was pumped with excitement.

All the beautiful images I had painted in my head began to fade away within the first few days of arriving on the field when reality set in. The difficulties encountered on the mission field was not something I bargained for. Long hours of walking on dusty roads to preach the gospel to people who were not prepared to listen, sleeping on the floor in a poorly ventilated room. The worst part for me was carrying buckets of water on my head; my bucket was always empty – I was a Daddy’s girl. I was used to the water running from the taps and finer things in life.

I yearned for home, I withdrew from the rest of the team. I wondered if it was all worth it? would the people accept Christ? would they attend the crusades? Feelings of loneliness crept in.

Well, I never learnt how to carry water on my head, but I left the missions field with very valuable lessons.

Anybody who has spent time on a missions field would possibly identify with the feeling of loneliness and hopelessness which I had to contend with. Loneliness and depression are issues rarely discussed in the missionary community.

Missionaries are expected to be game-changers, bold, courageous, ever ready to rightly divide the word of God and cast out devils. How can the carriers of hope for a lost world feel lonely and depressed when so many are looking up to them for support and hope? But sadly, a lot of missionaries battle with these feelings of loneliness and depression.

Feelings of loneliness are very real amongst missionaries. Even Jesus had His moments of loneliness when He wanted to give up and He put in a request to be relieved of his duties. Without the knowledge of the flock( his disciples ), Jesus sent a letter(the prayer in Gethsemane) to the headquarters(the Father), asking to be relieved of His duties.

The prayer which Jesus prayed in the garden – #Father if it is thy will take this cup from me# was not the prayer of a happy man filled with excitement, it was the prayer of a man who was burdened, tired and lonely; it was the prayer of a man who was ready to give up.

But Jesus did not succumb to those feelings of loneliness by allowing them to become His reality. The same is true for every missionary, those feelings of loneliness and depression should not be your reality. Your reality is that you are not alone. Jesus told His disciples that He would be with them till the end( Matt 28:20). Jesus is with you and so are many others, cheering you on. Heb 12:22-24, tells us that we are surrounded by the Spirit of just men made perfect, an innumerable company of angels, the general assembly and the church of the firstborn.

Jesus’s experience in the garden of Gethsemane teaches us the importance of prayer in dealing with these low moments. Jesus did not hide His feeling, He took it to the Lord in prayer. As he prayed, scripture makes us understand that angels came to comfort and strengthen Him ( Luke 22:43). Take your low moments, loneliness, depression etc to the Lord in prayer. Understand, that you do not have to fight these battles alone- The Lord is with you.

In my personal experience, I find that praying in the language of the Spirit lifts my spirit whenever I have felt depressed. It brings the presence of the Lord into my environment and with the Lord’s presence comes joy ( Ps 16:11). Praying in the Spirit allows God’s grace to become my strength so that I do not have to fight these battles by myself.

Praying in the Spirit allows the Holy Spirit to take over my mind and fill it with peace. I encourage you, whenever those feelings of depression and loneliness set in, invite the Holy Spirit into the battle by praying in the spirit and declaring the word of the Lord over your mind, your soul and your spirit. God has graciously given us His Holy Spirit to be our comforter and our guide. In moments when we feel alone, we need to draw near to Him and allow Him to comfort us and be our strength.

Let me end on this note- feelings of loneliness thrive when we remain in isolation. Notice that Jesus eventually came out of his place of isolation to commune with his disciples and to continue with the assignment. We must follow Jesus example. Whenever you start feeling depressed etc, don’t isolate yourself for long periods, come out and talk to people you can trust. The sense of community and having people around you can lift that burden of loneliness.

Written by: Adjoa Ago

Do you want to be part of what God is doing in this end times on the missions field? tonight at 6pm GMT/21:00 Moscow Time join this zoom link for the Global Gathering of Missionaries. click https://zoom.us/j/96824950598?pwd=aXRuSFUvMUM5N3FZQmpnOXBleHJMUT09  

Its an interactive session with Gods General for Missions. Come and be empowered. 

Are you a kingdom worker serving on the missions field? This meeting is just for you so don’t miss out. Join on ZOOM and be equipped with the needed knowledge and grace to win more territories for the Lord. Its time for a Global Harvest and we must not delay! below is the link to the meeting on this Saturday, 29th of January 2022 at exactly 6pm GMT/9pm Moscow Time. The Speaker is a renowned Missionary who served in Ukraine, Madagascar and many other nations.

https://zoom.us/j/96824950598?pwd=aXRuSFUvMUM5N3FZQmpnOXBleHJMUT09

Zoom ID: 96824950598

Passcode: 936794

Join the Global meeting for an empowerment

When a pastor leaves church, we should ask that has happened. More than 1,700 pastors leave the ministry every month. This staggering number includes some of the brightest, most inspiring pastors in the country. To prevent the continued flight of our pastors, we need to understand the cause of the problem. Though every situation is unique, the reasons pastors leave are often similar.

Common Reasons a Pastor Leaves Church

1. Discouragement.

   Complaints speak louder than compliments. You can receive 15 compliments and one complaint, and the complaint will stick. When you hear criticism and look out to see empty pews, it can be difficult to recognize the positive impact you’re making. The key is to remember: No matter how much negative you hear, you’re always doing 10 times more good. 

2. Failure.

   Many pastors have difficulty recognizing success. They compare themselves to other pastors and other ministries. Comparisons produce only two outcomes:

   (1) You think you’re better, which results in excessive pride,

   or (2) you feel like you don’t measure up, which creates a sense of failure.

   The key is not to compare, but to celebrate your successes. 

   

3. Loneliness.

   With so many people looking to pastors for guidance, it can be difficult for pastors to let their guards down. They don’t want to come across as less than perfect. They feel they can’t be transparent and vulnerable. That creates a sense of isolation. It’s important for pastors to find people they can open up and share their struggles with, instead of absorbing and isolating.

4. Moral Failure.

   The moral failures of pastors are magnified more than the average person. The key to avoiding moral failures is creating a system of risk prevention. When you meet with someone of the opposite sex: Let your spouse know, never meet behind closed doors and do not discuss relationship issues. For pornography, software is available to monitor or block Web activity.

5. Financial Pressure.

   Most ministries are nonprofits, so pastors are not compensated well. When you can’t fully provide the life you want for your family, it makes it hard to continue. Then you look at friends not in the ministry with big houses and nice cars. Pastors can relieve the pressure with better financial planning. Try following the 80-10-10 rule—10 percent to church, 10 percent to savings and 80 percent to live off.