In a world where cultures collide daily and nations live side by side in our own neighborhoods, the missional question for the church is not simply how do we go, but how do we live as ones “sent” right where we are? Mobilizing the church to reach the nations is not a distant dream reserved for foreign missionaries; it begins in our local churches. I have come to see the kingdom advance through the local church in mighty ways. Missionaries being called to the mission field, preachers being called to pulpits, evangelist being called to evangelize, worship leaders being called to usher people into the prescience of God— reaching our neighbors is reaching the nations.
Neighbors Before Nations
With Presiding Bishop Tim Coalter’s announcement of the Global Communications Division at the 2024 International Assembly, we see a tangible sign of the Church of God of Prophecy’s determination to spread the gospel across every language, culture, and nation. We see this on a global scale, but how do we live that out in our own daily rhythms? In Acts 1:8, Jesus gives His disciples a progression: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (CSB). Notice the order; before the gospel stretches to the ends of the earth, it takes root in Jerusalem. Why? “Local” is not a lesser mission; it is the launchpad for the global mission. If we cannot be faithful to share Christ with our coworkers, classmates, or neighbors, how can we expect to carry the message to a culture that is foreign to us? Reaching the nations begins in our backyard with the people we know—the ones we work with, study with, and walk beside. Find the one. Impact the one. Commission the one. This is discipleship. When we release each disciple to do the same, the gospel spreads like a domino effect, multiplying one life at a time, across every nation, until all ears have heard this truth that we have found.
Empowering People
The strength of any mission is not in its programs but in its people. The gospel moves forward when ordinary believers are equipped, inspired, and released to live it out. Vision gives us the “why,” but people carry the “how.” Charging people begins with clarity; when they know the mission, they know their role in it. A mission statement serves as a compass, reminding believers of what they are a part of and calling them to step into something bigger than themselves. For example, the Church of God of Prophecy declares its mission as “a Christ-exalting, holiness, Spirit-filled, all-nations, disciple-making, church-planting movement with a passion for Christian union.” Statements like this do not just clarify purpose, they empower believers with identity and direction.
Shared language and modeled behavior take this empowerment further. Short, memorable phrases like the Global Mission Ministries’ motto of “Caring for the Littlest, the Loneliest, and the Least” help believers see their part in the mission and unify them around a common cause, but words must be matched with action. That is why modeled behavior—what Scripture illustrates as servant leadership—is essential. Jesus empowered His disciples not only by teaching them but by showing them: healing the sick, eating with the outcast, and washing His followers’ feet. In doing so, He proved that empowerment is not about authority but example. When leaders embody the mission, people gain the courage to follow, and the church becomes a movement of empowered disciples who disciple others.
Supporting Global Missions
Supporting global missions requires more than passion; it requires partnership. Through Harvest Partners, the Church of God of Prophecy has created a direct line for local churches and believers to fuel global disciple making. Every dollar given is more than financial aid. It is a seed sown into new churches being planted, leaders being trained, and communities being transformed across 135 nations. Giving financially is not just charity—it is kingdom investment. It connects a believer in one city to the eternal story God is writing on the other side of the world. When we give, we are not simply funding projects; we are equipping the body of Christ to reach every tribe, tongue, and nation with the gospel.
Global missions demand resources, finances, goods, and manpower, but above all, they need our prayer and spiritual covering. The mission field is not merely a place of action; it is a battleground. As Paul reminds us, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers” (Ephesians 6:12 KJV). Every advance of the gospel is met with resistance, and victories are first secured in the secret place of prayer. The mission field may be reached by our giving, but it is sustained
by our interceding. If we neglect the prayer closet, we neglect the very power that makes global mission possible. I challenge you to go to spiritual war for our brothers and sisters on the mission field. As we are at home, they are risking bodily harm, putting themselves and their family members at risk of persecution. In steadfast love, I charge you to pray for our global family daily. Put a sticky note in your Bible so that every time you open it, you think of them and the gospel they are carrying. You do not have to travel to be on the mission field.
The Global Call of the Gospel
The gospel is not a suggestion; it is a summons to the nations. From the lips of Jesus came the command that still thunders across history: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19 NIV). This call does not stop at borders, it does not bow to language barriers, and it does not discriminate according to culture. The Church of God of Prophecy has embraced this mandate with passion, advancing the gospel to the ends of the earth through mission initiatives, Harvest Partners, translation with Global Communications, Helping Hands, and a relentless commitment to reaching the unreached. But this mission does not belong only to bishops or missionaries; it belongs to all of us. Ordinary believers are the chosen vessels of an extraordinary God, and when each one catches this vision, nothing can stand in the way of kingdom advance.
Students, workers, and families are the frontline missionaries of this generation. The battlefield is not only across the ocean, but also in the hallways of schools, on construction sites, in office cubicles, and at kitchen tables. Every believer carries the authority of Christ and the power of the Spirit to declare good news where they are planted. When the church sees this, we stop waiting for someone else to carry the burden and start moving as one global body with one global mission. This is the heartbeat of the COGOP’s vision—that the nations would be reached because the people of God refuse to stay silent, refuse to stay seated, and refuse to let the gospel be confined.
Closing Challenge
This is not accomplished by our own strength but through the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us, using us as willing vessels. All we must do is simply respond with a “yes,” put our offering on the altar, and never pick it back up. By doing this, we are tasked with the Great Commission. You do not need a passport; your mission field is around you. It is the student beside you, the coworker across from you, the neighbor beside you. Cast vision and follow it up with action; live your life as a “poster” of what vision God has given you for fulfilling His mandate. Support global missions with your resources and in the prayer closet. God has given us the call—the Great Commission is our call. No matter what nationality or age, God calls all willing and able vessels. Church of God of Prophecy, I challenge you to respond with action—pro Christo et Ecclesia.
