Mobilize: (n) 1. to organize and encourage (people) to act in a concerted way in order to bring about a political objective.
2. bring (resources) into use in order to achieve a particular goal
We met with a gentleman from Indiana that works for the wesleyan church and has strong ties with where we were over the summer in the Czech Republic. We expected this meeting to be something of the sort where this gentleman would try to encourage us to jump on board and become career missionaries in the Czech Republic. We were prepared to hear him out and to leave ready to consider any possibilities. After all, we have been weighing anything as a possibility for a few months now.
He did nothing of the sort. He shared his frustrations with the church and the wonderful things he's been a part of in the church. Overall, we walked away feeling more encouraged and more at ease with where we are right now. We have begun to see and understand the possibility of us being 'mobilizers'. In essence, we are more likely to be effective if we are able to get more people to go with us than we would be just going as two of us alone. This isn't saying we aren't effective. It's saying that we are enabling people to share in an experience along with us and help to spread the vision of the great commission while getting people out of the pews on Sunday morning.
Our talk with this gentleman was fascinating and he had many great things to say that are definitely worth thinking about for a while longer... This is just the preliminary thoughts and I wanted to get them in writing so they don't just slip away from my head...
In addition to being Christ's followers, how are we best able to mobilize others to catch a glimpse of the bigger picture; the great commission?
Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
