COMING BACK CHANGED
Keith Wieser said he’s found a surefire way to develop courage in sharing your faith—go to East Asia. Over the past three years, more than 80 students have participated in his church’s partnership with IMB workers in that region, going there to serve for 10 weeks in the summer or two weeks on Christmas break. That experience changes everything, said Keith, who serves as lead pastor of Resonate Church, a Washington state-based church with campuses in Idaho and Oregon.
“Their perspective is completely changed,” he said, “They see lostness where they had just seen regularity, and they see themselves as missionaries more than when they left.”
When he identifies the highest-impact individuals in his church—the ones who are highly evangelistic disciple-makers—-they’ve all had this same overseas experience. It develops their courage muscle, Keith said. “Going to East Asia not only opens their eyes to the lostness [but also] shows them that they can do something about it.”
It also makes a lasting impact on the East Asian students they meet while they’re there.
“We’ve seen 13 college students make a decision for Christ,” Keith said. “there are four house churches that have been started in the past year or so.”
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PRAY for IMB workers and their field partners in East Asia to impact lostness by reaching and mobilizing Asian university students.
PRAY for God to raise up more workers and prompt churches to be generous in supporting them.
Day 6: Coming Back Changed from IMB on Vimeo.