Forward Steps

Summer Zimmer, Communication Manager
Papua New Guinea: November 2018

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If you missed my Commissioning at Warsaw Community Church on October 7, it includes a brief background on what I'll be doing in Papua New Guinea and why.

So in my last post I talked about God’s Global Purpose for Israel in the Old Testament. This time let’s look at the last instructions Jesus gave His disciples in the New Testament- The Great Commission:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. . .

As I have had the privilege of meeting with people over the past few months to explain where I’m going and what I’m doing, I often start with the Great Commission and ask, what words stand out to you?

I have had just about every word picked out! For me, it’s “make disciples of all nations.” Now, “go” is also important in that it is an action- it doesn’t say, stay where you are. It’s a movement of some kind- reach out, move forward, put effort into making disciples- of all nations. If you can disciple all nations by inviting your neighbor over for dinner- do that. But what does “nations” mean?

Instead of thinking of “nations” as countries, a better way of understanding it might be “people groups.” Think of those as groups of people who share the same language and culture and don’t have any barriers to communication. So, in Papua New Guinea, for instance, there are over 800 people groups because there are over 800 languages. This video might help.

If Jesus’s idea was to have disciples made of all people groups, all people groups would need to have someone able and willing to disciple them, right? What is it then to disciple? It’s found later in the verse, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” So how can all people groups become followers of Christ, living in obedience to everything He commanded?

The Great Commission is not a command only for a few. Jesus didn’t just pick one of the remaining 11 disciples and tell him to be a missionary. He told all 11 to “go and make disciples.” If only one of those disciples had been willing to go, would you and I know the grace and freedom of Christ?

The reality is none of us wake up one day and move to a foreign country to disciple all nations. God moves us in small steps toward His purpose and desire to use us, if we let Him.

Maybe for you the next step is to:

Pray for more laborers (Matthew 9:37-38).
Choose a missionary here to consistently pray for as they make disciples of all nations.
Join a pit crew at WCC (or whatever your church’s form of missionary support is- if you don’t have one, you could start one- email me) to encourage and pray for a missionary in fellowship with others.
Live on a portion of your income so that the rest of it can go to supporting those making disciples of all nations.
Offer skills to help a missionary succeed in making disciples of all nations (Ethnos360 needs pilots, maintenance experts, teachers, accountants, etc. I personally need help learning how to create video).
Take a Perspectives class or go to Bible School or Interface to learn more about what it looks like to make disciples of all nations.

Ask the Lord what His next step is for you in making disciples of all nations, but never say never. A year ago, I certainly didn’t know I’d be moving to Papua New Guinea in two months!

Trust in the God who created you to know what purpose He created you for and help you take steps toward that purpose. He probably won’t ask you to make disciples across the planet if you’re not doing it in your town, but know that He wants you to start somewhere with an outward focus that isn’t about you.

What's the end goal? “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14

Save the date for January 4 in the evening.
There will be a Going Away Party at Warsaw Community Church.

I love these people! Top photos- Warsaw Community Church Missions people: Todd Gerst, Becky Stevens, Amy and Jeff Baumann, Sue Vercauteren and Mike Boze. Ann and Luke White. Lower left- Addilyn and Megan Hood and Cassidy Topel, both instrumental to my discipleship and growth. Lower right- my family! God has blessed me with so many good people.

Praises
For a good phone conversation with the person who was the Communication Manager in PNG last, with good advice on seeking the Lord for focus and making things sustainable.

For feeling so loved and supported by my church in my commissioning.

For an awesome season and group in Equipping the Church (Bible study at WCC) and the ways God gifts us all with the ability to serve as part of his body.

For beautiful quality time with my family and friends.

For the ideas the Lord has given me so far in what my role as Communications Manager might look like.

For Evie Jones and a sweet girl living in PNG named Carmen and their willingness to answer all of my questions.

Prayer Requests
As I prepare to move to Papua New Guinea to serve as the Ethnos360/New Tribes Mission PNG’s Communication Manager, please pray for the following:

For an upcoming opportunity to speak at the church I went to in High School and College. That God would be glorified by His story in my life.

For my preparations and research. Sometimes as I’m trying to figure things out, hours slip by. Ask God to help me know when enough is enough! Pray He will lead me in what needs done and how to best take care of things well here and prepare for there.

I am currently doing research to find out how to best serve the missionaries in PNG through an email asking what communication tools they’re using and what their communication with their church looks like now. Pray that more missionaries would be able to give feedback and that God will guide me in bringing together that information and show me what my focus needs to be.

Pray God would prepare a place for me there, someplace I can feel at home, friendships, groups to grow spiritually with, activities I enjoy, and opportunities to have people over for dinner!

Pray for my ability to die to myself and what is comfortable for me and surrender what I love and be grateful for what He brings my way.

More stories of what God is doing can be found by following Ethnos360 on social media.

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