LOOKING AHEAD TO 2016

Another year is upon us, and just like every generation of Nazarenes, we are facing come very serious challenges.  Here are a just a few to consider:


1. A world-wide, population explosion. When Jesus presented the great commission to the church, before His ascension into the Father’s bosom, there were approximately 300 million people living on the earth. In the year 2011, there are that many people living in the U.S. America; more actually. The population of the world is now at 6 billion and growing. The harvest field is getting larger by the second.

2. Populations are moving like never before. People are moving from one continent to another . . . one country to another . . . from the rural areas to the cities. There are more refugees in the world today than ever before. Millions of people are moving. We must send missionaries to these new population centers.

3. Nations that have been closed to the Gospel for years are opening their doors. Not always the front door! But side doors and trap doors and secret passages are opening. The church is scrambling to prepare missionaries for these awesome opportunities.

4. Non-Christian religions are growing. Islam, Buddism, Hinduism have been around for a long time. But with moving population comes the spread of these non-Christian religions. They have become world religions (for instance, there are more Muslims than evangelicals in France).

5. Western countries like the USA, Canada and most of Europe are now world mission fields. The world has come to cities like ours . . . like York, PA. So missionaries are needed from Asia, Africa and Latin America to come here. We need missionaries to commit to cross-cultural, world mission. These world areas now must be about the business of funding and preparing missionaries.

6. The world economic crisis is making it increasingly difficult to fund world mission. Giving is down. Missionaries are having to spend more time funding their missionary calling than ever before. Missionaries, called and prepared are waiting in the wings, ready and willing to go. But the funds necessary are shrinking.

Fact. Sacrifice, prayer and faith are needed like never before . . . in greater measure. Is this generation of Nazarenes up to the challenge? That remains to be seen. Don’t forget; God is with us.