How Can You Be a More Effective Leader? nSee Yourself as a Missionary

Do you see yourself as a missionary? Missionaries serve in a variety of ways and in many different types of ministry; however they all have a few things in common. A desire to share the Gospel and serve others, and a love for God and His word are just a few things missionaries have in common. How about you? Seeing yourself as a missionary can dramatically change the way you serve and cause you to be more effective. 

As an Awana Missionary, I am often asked, “What can I do to be more effective in my local Awana club?” This is a great question for all of us. One way to improve is to see ourselves as missionaries to the children and families we serve. In reality, we may be the only Christian they know. I believe our goal should be to share the Gospel with every child and every family member. I hope you have a genuine love for the kids and families in your community, and that you personally love God and His word. 

How to See Yourself as a Missionary

Let’s explore this idea of seeing yourself as a missionary.  For today let’s say “Susan” wants to become a missionary to “Brazil” and she has asked us to give her some advice. What are some things Susan would need to do to become a missionary to Brazil? In a group setting, people usually start naming  the following ideas:

1. Learn the language.

2. Learn the culture.

3. Raise financial support.

4. Get some Bible training.

5. Connect with a mission board that will offer guidance.

6. Seek the blessing of your family and church.

7. Recruit people to pray for you.

We could go on, but you get the idea. All of these ideas are true for every person who serves in a local Awana club, as well (except possibly the financial support). Think about it with me. If you want to be an effective Sparks leader, you need to learn the language and culture of the children you serve. Sparky-age kids don’t want to talk about the weather or the high price of gas or even your political views. They have other things that are important to them. So if you want to be effective, you need to learn to talk to them in ways they can understand and relate to.

The most ministry-changing idea on this list is that you need to find people – I suggest at least three – who will pray for you as you serve each week. These prayer partners can be anyone you know who will faithfully pray for you as you serve. Once you commit to finding a prayer team, three things will happen. 

First, I believe God will answer their prayers and begin to work through you to reach kids and families. Second, your prayer partners will begin to ask you for a report from time to time. They will be interested to know what God is doing. And third, You will begin to watch for the things God does in your life and will see open doors to share the Gospel. You will also notice the fruit of your service. In turn, this will cause you to be more effective. 

God is already at work in people’s lives, and He wants to work through you as a missionary to the families in your community. As we all serve in local Awana clubs, we have the privilege and responsibility of being God’s representatives. We should see ourselves as missionaries to the kids and families we come in contact with. 

Will you join the mission field today? Will you allow Christ to work through you as He would a missionary? Will you commit to recruiting a prayer team? This may require a step of faith and humility. To be open and to recruit prayer partners means you are committing to serve the Lord in a more effective way. Why not ask God to help you become a missionary today? 

For more information on how Awana missionaries serve churches, you can contact your local Awana missionary. Not sure who your missionary is? Find them on the Awana home page, under the About tab.