Are you a missionary right where you are? With a free printable

This week is a busy week for me. I have been asked to be a part of a panel of missionaries as part of our churches Global Impact Celebration {GIC}.  There will be missionaries from Russia, Indonesia and all over the globe.  And then little old me.I must say, I hesitated when I was asked to be on this panel because, well, it's a panel of missionaries. Having grown up in the church, I'm quite familiar with what a missionary looks like. They wear prairie skirts, home school their children and most importantly they claim that title and live somewhere millions of miles away. I'm totally kidding...kind of.However, I've spent some time reflecting and God has been working on my heart and you know what? As believers, we all need to claim the title of missionary.  We are serving God right where we are.  During my time of reflection, I have been reminded of this sign that I've seen leaving the parking lot of a local church. It's so very true.  

Several years ago, our church decided to really embrace a missions focus. To become an Acts 1:8 church. {You can read more about how our church is doing that and what organizations we focus on here.} 

We are a small humble church that meets in a building that looks like a barn. There is nothing spectacular to what Lifeway Church is doing other than that they are being obedient to Christ.  The extraordinary part comes in the lives that are being changed and the people that are being reached all over the globe because of this ripple effect that is starting right here.

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So why is it that I can't seem to get it out of my mind that a missionary has to go somewhere really far away to be able to make a huge impact for Christ? God used an opportunity that I had to go to Uganda as a way to open up my eyes.  I didn't go to Africa on missions, I went to catch the vision of the work that World Vision was doing through child sponsorship.   

I returned from that trip and have been spreading the word about child sponsorship and the work that is being done through World Vision in nearly 100 countries.  I'm able to share the stories of the men and women I met in Zambia on my blog, but I've also been able to share their stories in the local schools and on the streets and with people I would have never guessed I would have been able to share them with.  I've been able to be a missionary in my own Jerusalem...right here, where I am. 

I realized that we are selling ourselves short if we think that we can't have a huge impact for Christ right from where we are. And really, isn't that where God works the best? Meeting us right where we are? 

I'm leaving you with this free printable memory verse that you can right click, save and print. Hang it as a reminder. Jesus tells us to go. If your calling is to go far, that's great. Just don't forget that you can also be serving and going right from where you are.