Raising up new workers is the privilege of the whole church working together in obedience to the Holy Spirit and the Word. God calls new workers through the discipleship ministry of the local church, the anointed preaching of the Word, obedience to God in the application of Scripture, and the prayers of the saints.
Prayer Tip
Set a daily alarm on your phone for 10:02 AM or PM (from Luke 10:2) to remind yourself to pray that God would raise up new workers
Pray for New Workers
Jesus told us, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Luke 10:2) We need to practice and encourage regular, focused prayer for the Lord to provide workers for his harvest field. Pray for God to provide them from our district, your church, and your family!
Guiding & Encouraging Potential Workers
As we pray for new workers, we must be prepared to guide and encourage those who respond to the Lord’s call in answer to our prayers. It is important for the local church to create a greenhouse culture in which potential workers are nurtured. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every church in our district sent out international workers who were raised up from within? Following are a few of the things that could be involved in your plan or culture:
The Annual Missions Engagement Event(s)
Your annual missions engagement events not only provide a means of hearing what God is accomplishing through Alliance workers, but also a unique opportunity to inspire new IWs. Many receive their call to service at such an event. Encourage the participation of every age group and encourage connections between the IW and your children and youth, as well as the adults, who may be expressing an interest in missions.
Mentoring & Discipleship
The Alliance looks for six core characteristics in our workers: Kingdom minded, Biblically grounded, Spirit dependent, competently skilled, self-aware and self-disciplined.
Short-Term Trips
You can help provide cross-cultural experience for potential workers through short-term trips by planning, recruiting, and assisting them in preparing for short-term trips.
ALME
Have a missions candidate do his or her Alliance Licensed Ministry Experience (ALME), or “home service,” at your church.
Partner with Youth Workers
Partner with the youth workers in your church to identify and disciple potential new workers.
Central District 100 (CD 100)
Bob and Dian Harner // [email protected] // 330-414-0554
In the Central District, our goal is to maintain a list of at least 100 of our own people who are preparing to serve the Lord long-term overseas. The CD100 exists to provide encouragement, direction and coaching for Central District people called to serve as international workers. It does this by creating opportunities that prepare them for deployment. We encourage anyone who is part of a Central District church and pursuing a call to missions (at least in grade 9) to join the CD100, whether they anticipate serving with the Alliance or another missions organization. We rely on the recommendation of local church leaders to identify potential CD100 members and to connect us.
Short Term Trips (STT)
STTs are a great way to expose your congregation to missions, inspire new workers, and encourage potential workers. If you are contemplating sending a team or an individual from your church on a short-term missions trip, but do not know where to start, here are some places to go for assistance.
Central District Missions Mobilizers
Bob and Dian Harner // [email protected] // 330-414-0554
Although your Central District Missions Mobilizers do not organize or lead STTs for churches except the partnership exploration trips (described in the section on Partnering with Current Workers), their experience as IWs, their experience at organizing and leading various kinds of work, vision and partnership trips, and their relationships with IWs qualify them to assist you in organizing and preparing your church team or an individual for a STT. They are available to:
· Consult regarding where to go, what to do, and how to get there.
· Give you tips on travel agencies and travel insurance.
· Provide pre-trip orientation, including resources like:
° Prayer worksheet (to give to prayer supporters)
° Preparation for interacting in a different culture
° A DVD with a wide variety of helpful information
° Logistical info (visas, immunizations, travel agents, etc.)
Central District Youth Mission Trip
Matt Merendino // 419-886-4333 // [email protected]
Every 2-3 years a STT is scheduled overseas to give teens and young adults the opportunity to be a part of God’s work in international missions. These trips expose them to the global aspect of the Great Commission as we work alongside international workers and the churches they work with to further God’s kingdom.
Envision
Envision offers a range of short-term programs to meet a variety of needs. You can do 7-10 day trips at their 20+ global sites and receive guidance for your local trip leaders with resources, insurance info, training materials, etc. In addition, Envision offers internships, residency (coming fall of 2024) and Alliance Volunteer Opportunities (AVO). No matter your stage in life, you have a role in God’s mission. Let Envision help you discover what that role may be. To learn more about each of these programs and more, go to www.weareenvision.com/programs/.
Envision Cleveland
www.EnvisionCleveland.org // Tom and Nicole Schmidt // 216-925-4545
For a STT close to home, consider partnering with Envision Cleveland.