“Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s.” –Jonathan Edwards
In 1723, Jonathan Edwards committed to live the rest of his life by following 70 resolutions. A majority of our world now follows in his footsteps by setting New Year’s Resolutions that are often focused on health, wealth, faith, and more.
As we prepare to flip the calendar to the next year, East-West desires to equip you with a few resolutions for living more missionally in the new year.
Pray daily for spiritually dark places
Samuel Zwemer said, “the history of missions is the history of answered prayer.”
East-West believes this is true. Can you imagine the impact you could have on the unreached if you prayed for the gospel to spread in spiritual darkness each day?
We’ve made this resolution attainable through our biweekly prayer emails, a private Facebook group, and the use of the phone app PrayerMate. Click here to join us in praying through one of these platforms.
Get equipped to share the gospel and make disciples
Jesus said, “go and make disciples of all nations,” but we often back down from this bold call to actively share our faith (Matthew 28:19).
If that’s your tendency, you can take steps to change that in the next year by actively seeking evangelism and discipleship training so that you are confident and competent in telling others the good news of Jesus. Click here to connect with the No Place Left network for trainings near you.
Take a short-term mission trip
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” –Romans 10:15
Billions living in spiritual darkness are searching for a new life that can only be found in Jesus Christ. You can be the vessel God uses to bring His message of salvation to unreached and restricted access communities through a short-term mission trip that sparks a movement of gospel multiplication.
With short-term mission trips leaving weekly, you can join East-West on an overseas adventure that will make a lasting impact on your faith and those you meet along the journey. Click here to see where you can take the gospel with us.
Study the missionary journeys in Acts
“…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” –Acts 1:8
The Church boomed from the faithful obedience of Christ’s first followers. In fact, your belief in Jesus is a result of their submission to the Great Commission.
Take the next year to daily dive into the stories of our faith’s forefathers, including Peter, Stephen, Paul, and many others, through an in-depth study of Acts.
But don’t stop there. East-West challenges you to put into practice what the Holy Spirit reveals to you in your time in the Scriptures. Click here for our recommended Bible study technique for believers at any stage in their walk with the Lord.
Learn how to engage other religions
Christ’s servant, John, saw, “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,” and this is the picture of eternal worship East-West is helping paint (Revelation 7:9).
God has promised us that people from all corners of the globe will praise Him forever, and, to make this a reality, He’s invited His people—including you—to engage with those of different nationalities, cultures, and faiths.
Ministering to people of other cultures can be challenging, and the first step to that end is education—who they are, what they believe, and where they live. You can click here to access East-West’s Field Guide to Major World Religions to get you started.
Ready, Set, Resolve
Whether it's this week, next month, or next year, it's never too late to resolve to grow your affections for God and His mission. We hope these simple, tangible opportunities with East-West encourage you to consider how the Lord may be asking you to pursue Him in new ways in this year and beyond.