IN APOLOGETICS CLASS!
From: "Williams, John" <jwilliams@ksccary.com> I attend Cary Christian Church in Cary NC. While we have a fair amount of "standard" mission activity, I'm working to mobilize the church to adopt an unreached people. This is a new effort (on my part), and it's interesting to see how God is helping all the pieces fall into place. One of the channels I'm using to raise awareness of the need is through the course on Christian Apologetics I'm creating and teaching on Sunday mornings. I never miss an opportunity to include ideas from the Perspectives or Destination 2000 courses.

My purpose in including this type of material is to point out that apologetics is not just an intellectual exercise or to satisfy our curiosity. We are "to be prepared" for a reason. That reason is to share the Good News with others, especially those who haven't had the opportunity to hear. One section of my course will deal with answering the question: "What about those who have never heard of Jesus?". I want to create a sense of urgency in answering this question. I plan to begin by sharing some statistics about the scope of the need, talk about the 10/40 window and the lack of missionary activity among the unreached. According to GEM, 1260 people, who have never heard of Jesus, will die in the half hour we spend discussing this issue. I want to bring home that the answer to this question is a matter of life and death.

REAL-LIFE MOBILIZATION From: <TJAGLM@aol.com>
Tom Alberts (Gospel Lighthouse Ministries) I ...was delighted to read John Williams testimony concerning his apologetics class. What an excellent model! He is simply using his gifts to increase the awareness of and involvement in frontier missions as he serves the church in this area. If every leader in every department of every church were to do this (after first becoming informed themselves of course), no active church member could possibly miss getting the message. In fact, everywhere they went - choir, Sunday school, youth group, adult groups, yes even board meetings! - they would be hearing about missions. Why? Because it is (or should be) the goal of everything Biblical we are doing in church. How could it not be when the salvation of men from every people was the reason God sent His son to die upon the cross. And that is the heart of the gospel is it not? So, praise God for everyone who follows this simple but powerful concept that I am a missions mobilizer no matter what my specific gifts or ministry may be. May that be the vision of every ministry in the church. If so, every church will become what it always should have been - a missions church - praying, teaching, giving, sending, going - so that all may hear and none perish without the opportunity to believe and be saved. By AD 2000? No problem! - IF we would ALL get involved and do our part with the gifts God has given us. I expect we'll be hearing more testimonies like this as mission-minded Christians around the world begin waking up to the possibilities of how God can use them to mobilize a harvest force for world evangelization... To God be the glory!!

MISSIONS--NOT JUST FOR PREACHERS
I've recently received lists of long-term opportunities from International Missions and from Wycliffe in every occupation imaginable in every region of the world. While I'm not about to type all that data in for you, I do see value in presenting comprehensive lists of occupations that can be filled overseas in a mission context, to demonstrate that preachers are not the only people needed overseas in mission work. It could be a powerful draw for a regular Christian in a regular occupation to see that his specific occupation is needed overseas!--NateWilson@XC.org Mon, 11 Mar 96 12:07:00 -0500

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