Continuing our Missions Essentials series, this month’s Serve is written by Mary Amesbury, Campus Bible Fellowship International missionary at Cleveland State University.

The world is interconnected and GenZ is leading the way through digital platforms that bring people together. I’ve seen this in greater ways as I plan digital communications to connect with my students during this stay-at-home season. As a member of GenZ, you are globally minded and comfortable with diversity. You want your life to make a difference on a global scale. Maybe you’re feeling a greater pull that way as you watch the suffering of people around the world right now.

A Mindset of Global Outreach

Baptist Mid-Missions’ core values fit right in with this global mindset. Baptist Mid-Missions’ Core Value #2 is Global Outreach: God wants every person to hear the biblical plan of salvation and to be discipled to fulfill the LORD’s commands.

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The Good News of Jesus Christ is for the whole world—for every individual, in every country, in every language. Missions is costly, it is inconvenient and hard, and sometimes results are slow in coming. Yet because Jesus is a reality and His return is a reality, we must have an urgency to go and connect with the 7.8 billion people in this world who need to hear of the God who loves them, takes away their sin, and reconciles them to Himself.

“All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God” (Psalm 86:9-10).

Reach the world from the US

Global mindedness is built into Baptist Mid-Missions’ campus ministry—Campus Bible Fellowship International. CBFI has a unique ministry to the world through the evangelization and discipleship of international students. Many international students in the US are from countries completely or partially closed to missionaries. Missionary work within some of these countries is severely hindered because conversion to Christianity is illegal. But here in the US, international and American students are granted a rare opportunity to investigate for themselves the claims of Jesus.

Noor (not her real name) came from Saudi Arabia to study English and nursing. I became her English Conversation Partner and friend. One day Noor came to my CBFI information table at the university. I asked her how her classes were going. She responded that she was taking a religion class and that the day before they had been discussing salvation. I asked her if I could tell her what Christians believe about salvation. She nodded enthusiastically, and that began a lengthy discussion about what Christians believe and the hope that we have for eternal life. Noor lamented that in Islam one cannot know if they have done enough good works to merit heaven. People just have to try their best and hope that God will be merciful on the day of their death.

Christians have a sure hope. Will you be one to share that hope with the world?

If you share these values, BMM would love to talk to you about advancing the gospel in these important days.