"It pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen" (Galatians 1:15-16).

"Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel" (1 Corinthians 9:16)!

"That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:6).

"We have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name" (Romans 1:5).

"We shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you" (2 Corinthians 10:15-16).

"Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named" (Romans 15:20).

"We turn to the Gentiles....For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth" (Acts 13:46-47).

"By the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ" (Romans 15:19).

"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles....Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:1 and 8).

"I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerurusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance" (Acts 26:1-20).

Newsflash: Missions and World Report, Date: today -

Headline - "Missionary crosses country lines expecting "Mission Fairy" to "ding him" so he can become a real missionary AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN!"

What are we exporting to the mission field? What is our level of average success? What is the lasting result of our labors? How many years is it taking to see fruit? Let us look at some critical areas so that we might obtain accurate and honest answers.

by Missionary Rick Groover

Pray for wisdom for yourself that you may have clear direction, that you may know how to present your ministry, that you would obtain the prayer support you will need, and for the leaders of your church.

Support your church by being an active, reproductive member. Don't expect your church to support you if you don't support it. Many mission boards have cautioned concerning incoming missionary candidates, "If your church wouldn't miss them, we probably don't want them."

Influence your church to have a heart for the world, not just a certain field. Few churches or individuals will ever love the field to which you are called as much as you do. It is better to encourage your church to be a part of world evangelism than to force your field on them.

Learn and continue to learn about God and His Word. Learn how to present yourself and communicate your ministry. Learn about the people you are called to reach (culture, customs, language, history, religions, etc.). A missing element among many who engage in ministry is humility to learn from people (including those to whom we are seeking to minister).

Include challenges to children and seek their involvement as you present your ministry. Kids are more curious about the unknown. When they start praying at home about some far off destination and for "that cool missionary who spoke to us in class today," it will get the attention of their parents.

Realize that people won't "jump on board" right away with the vision God has given you. Be passionate; but be patient (remember, you didn't get to this place of consecration overnight). People will come around when they see a consistency in your passion and in your action. When your faithfulness matches your words and zeal, it will help people in your church become personally involved.

If you're looking for a book to help "thaw-out" a "disciple-turned-cold" on world evangelism, consider The Great Omission by Robertson McQuilkin.

In this book, he deals with the hindrances that need to be faced by Christians who have made a decision to follow Christ into overseas service, and shares how such problems can be dealt with by prayerful action.

Additionally, he answers the the all-important question, "If so many still remain who have not heard (and cannot hear) the Gospel, why are so few going?"