EDIFY-EQUIP-ENCOURAGE-ENGAGE-ESTABLISH
1 Thessalonians 5:11-13 “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.”
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Reaching Europe is the unified effort of several current missionaries to spread the word of the great need for workers of the Gospel in Europe. Like John the Baptist crying in the wilderness, so too is Europe a wilderness of lost souls whom have never heard the Gospel. We must all work together to prepare for the coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Unlike John the Baptist, we do not wear camel hair coats or eat locusts, but if it meant the difference between heaven or hell, we might!
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Edify: To build up – strengthen
Reaching Europe Ministries goal is to Edify, meaning to build up, the missionary. This can not happen without first edifying Christ. Then we can bring His love to the missionary that is often lonely, overwhelmed, tired, and weary. The mission field is often a place of isolation but it needs to be a place of excitement. Paul wrote, “to know them which labour among you” this is the goal, to know the co-workers of the faith and to be a support for them.
Question: What is a way that you can actively be involved in helping to edify the missionary?
Question: What is a way that you can actively be involved in helping to edify the missionary?
Equip: to provide assistance
Equipping the missionary can be as easy as connecting them with others to accomplish a task. Helping with projects including literature design, printing, Facebook media outreach, hosting Zoom meetings, and so much more. We can help each other to share ideas and methods of reaching the lost with the gospel. Paul says, “for their work's sake”
Question: What ideas, discipleship courses, tracts do you have that can be shared to equip the missionary?
Question: What ideas, discipleship courses, tracts do you have that can be shared to equip the missionary?
Encourage: to lift up
Encouraging the missionary is simple. Pauls says, “comfort yourselves together” Just reaching out to them via phone calls and texts and showing care for them. Praying for and with them. This so simple with technology today and yet so overlooked. This can be a huge encouragement to them.
Question: How are you actively reaching out to your supported missionaries with encouragement?
Question: How are you actively reaching out to your supported missionaries with encouragement?
Engage
Engagement requires involvement. It is the goal of Reaching Europe Ministries to engage or help bridge the gap of the local church and missionaries on the field. Paul says, “we beseech you, brethren, “ Through missions trips and internships, there are many ways of getting personally involved “with the brethren” on the field. Reaching Europe can help with the logistics and planning of campaigns of Gospel distribution in Europe.
Question: How are you engaged on the field with the missionary, are you getting “boots on the ground”?
Question: How are you engaged on the field with the missionary, are you getting “boots on the ground”?
Establish
This is the most important aspect of Reaching Europe: church planting. The establishment of local New Testament churches is the heartbeat of the Saviour. This is the Great Commission. However, in Romans 10:14 Paul says, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent?”
RE desires to see churches planted in places that have no church, no light, no hope. First, through the distribution of the gospel, praying for fruit from the planting, and then discipleship and the establishment of the local church. Mark says, “the sower soweth the word.” This is the goal of Reaching Europe to sow the Word of God in the dark lost souls of Europe.
Question: How can you help establish? - by going, giving, and praying that the Lord of the harvest will produce souls.
RE desires to see churches planted in places that have no church, no light, no hope. First, through the distribution of the gospel, praying for fruit from the planting, and then discipleship and the establishment of the local church. Mark says, “the sower soweth the word.” This is the goal of Reaching Europe to sow the Word of God in the dark lost souls of Europe.
Question: How can you help establish? - by going, giving, and praying that the Lord of the harvest will produce souls.
I desire to be used of the Lord to lead other to serving the Lord in Europe. The need is urgent and the command is clear. We must go, Paul says, that men are sent to preach. It is my prayer that pastors will see and understand the great need and send men to the field of Europe. Please let me know how I can help you reach Europe for Christ.