The Importance of Amateur Missionaries

        The word "amateur" originally meant someone who loved what they were doing.  It comes from the word "amator" which meant "lover."  The word means "someone who loves what they are doing, rather than doing it for money."  An amateur missionary is one who is not paid for doing mission work; they do it because they love it.

        Many of you have fallen in love with mission work.  If you have been on a mission trip, you know that it can be physically difficult.  In the Dominican and Haiti we often sleep in hot rooms with no electricity.  We started carrying mosquito nets to try to cut down on bites.  We have to eat food which is sometimes not up to good hygiene standards, and we sometimes get sick and feel exhausted for days or weeks after we come home.  But still, we go because there is great joy in serving God.

        When I was a boy, revival meetings were a regular part of our church life.  They usually lasted for about two weeks, and we always looked forward to them for months in advance.  We went every night, enjoyed the music and preaching, and when they were over, we felt a new sense of renewal and commitment to our faith in Christ.  But those kinds of revivals don’t happen in our churches anymore.  Nowadays, revivals start on Wednesday and end on Sunday morning.  They are now called "Renewal Efforts," or by some title that lets us know that they don’t expect to accomplish much.  Most of our churches no longer feel the need for "revival" because they don’t know they are dead.  And, unfortunately many of our churches are dead as doornails.

        When we go on a mission trip with a bunch of other amateurs, and we have the goals of spreading the Gospel and helping people who need some help, something wonderful happens to us.  The Spirit of Almighty God goes along with us.  For many, it is the first time they have experienced the power of God, and for many who go on mission trips, they find Christ for the first time in their lives.  I believe that the lay mission movement is God’s way of doing what revivals used to do.  Mission trips can change your church, and renew you spiritually.  They can also make you keenly aware of the need for revival in our churches.

        If you are physically able, go on a mission trip; go to the most dangerous, uncomfortable place you can, with the purpose of serving Jesus Christ.  Your life will never be the same.  We need courageous Christians who are willing to take risks for their faith.  If the only demonstration of our faith is that we go to church, sit in the same pew every Sunday, and give a little money to our church, we are missing ninety percent of the joy of serving Christ.  Let’s all be Christian amateurs, and start serving the Lord as if we really loved Him.

        I believe that mission work can begin a renewal process in our churches.  It can revive our faith, and turn church-attendees into Christians.  If you want to go on a mission trip, contact your church and ask about opportunities to serve.  If your church has no opportunities for amateur mission work, call your denominational headquarters, or contact other churches in your area.  You will love it, and it will change your life.