I have long believed that the next wave of missions will be carried forward on the wings of business. That’s why, a little over a year ago, the Summit launched our Global Cities Initiative (GCI). The GCI is a new effort to mobilize students, professionals, and retirees to join with long-term missionary teams to make disciples and plant churches in global cities around the world—in Mumbai, London, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, and the Middle East. It’s an opportunity to take what you’re already doing, and to do it somewhere strategic for the mission of God.
God’s calling into mission is not a separate call we receive years after our salvation. It’s not something for a select few “missionaries,” leaving the rest of us “normal” Christians on the sidelines. God’s call to mission is inherent in the very call to salvation. “Follow me,” Jesus said, “And I will make you fishers of men.” As we often say at the Summit, the question is no longer if you’re called. It’s only a matter of where and how.
Summit, many of you are already leading the way. We have 20 new people who have already moved (or are in the process of moving) their careers overseas in the next couple years. And another 75 people are considering joining in. That’s nearly 100 new missionaries, going to unreached parts of the world, and they don’t cost the church or the IMB another dime to send.
Here are just a few examples of Summit members currently joining the Global Cities Initiative:
- Tony and Lydia moved to Singapore this past summer. Tony is a principal at a local school there, and they are already involved with one of our church planting teams on the ground.
- Eva moved her job with a multi-national pharmaceutical company to Southeast Asia earlier this year. She is on a Summit church planting team and has already started leveraging her job to reach a segment of society where our team had previously had no influence.
- Scott and Amy are planning to move to Europe with Amy’s nursing job in 2018. They will join a team there reaching the medical community for Christ, as well as reaching visiting people from unreached people groups around the world.
- “John” is currently in the process of expanding his current business to Asia. He’s not moving there himself, but he has a vision of staffing some of his new projects with Summit members, sending potentially dozens more people to run the business and make disciples.
- Cleo is a teacher. God is leading her to the Middle East in 2017, where she will join our long-term team, making disciples and using her job as teacher to share the gospel.
- Craig and Rose are moving their family of six to Asia early next year. They will be joining a team reaching out to upper level businessmen and businesswomen, influencing the influencers for the gospel.
- Scott and Shea are moving their family of seven to Singapore through Scott’s job. They will be using the influence Scott’s business provides in the city to share the hope of Jesus with those who have never heard of Christ.
- Ashley was serving on staff at the Summit, and moved to a large city in Asia this August, where she joined an established Summit team. Ashley has already had five job interviews and is now searching for the right fit. She plans to work in the red light district in the slums of her city, sharing the hope of Jesus with those who feel like all hope is lost.
These people aren’t hyper-spiritual super-Christians. They’re simply being obedient to follow God, and they’re leveraging their lives for him. They put their “yes” on the table, and now God is putting it on the map.
Will you join them? Might you be a part of the next wave of missions to the unreached? As we often say, “Whatever you’re good at, do it well for the glory of God, and do it somewhere strategic for the mission of God.”
The opportunities to get involved are nearly endless. If you’re in medicine or education, we have a lot of options for you. If you have the capacity to hire Summit members in your overseas offices, you can play a key part in this process. Maybe you have connections in one of these partner cities—London, Mumbai, Shanghai, or Kuala Lumpur—that can help. Whoever you are and whatever you do, God can use you to take his gospel to the nations.
The question is no longer if you’re called. It’s only a matter of where and how. Might God be calling you to go?
If you want to know more, contact our International Missions Pastor: mitch@summitrdu.com.
