A missionary is anyone who intentionally goes out to share the Gospel message with others at home or abroad. Serious contemplation of the scriptural evangelistic strategies for sharing what God provided for humanity through the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ reveals first century Christians evangelizing the unsaved in the course of living. The directive to communicate the Gospel message to the unsaved is the focus of the Great Commission that Jesus gave just prior to His ascension. His specific instruction was "Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have told you" (Matt.28:19-20). It is evident God intends that Believers will be His ambassadors informing unsaved people around the world that He offers salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:18-21). The Apostles were intentional in obeying the mandate (Acts 2:14ff, 10:34ff, and 17:22ff). Many who were saved during the first century also embraced the missionary mandate (Luke1:1-4; Acts 8:4-8).

Paul was very intentional in planning his missionary journeys, even though his plans were often interrupted by adversities. When his movements were restricted because of persecution, he was not hindered in his commitment to getting the message of salvation to those who were yet to hear it. He wrote letters to those who were already saved by grace, encouraging them to become more intentional in their discipleship experiences. Peter, James and, John had effective opportunities to preach the gospel in the synagogues, but their ministries also went beyond the walls. They shared the message of salvation wherever people gathered in the course of living.

Evangelism incorporates various forms of personal evangelistic efforts. The Apostles encouraged first century believers to share their faith with others as they moved from place to place. Many of these enthusiastic believers shared the gospel as they were fleeing persecution because of their faith. Others shared the message as they had opportunities to interact within their culture and in the marketplace. Although door-to-door evangelism is a very common practice, other activities of living can be effectively integrated in fulfilling the Lord’s mandate to evangelize throughout the world. Evangelism in the form of crusades, community outreach, and home Bible studies have been effective strategies; yet thinking outside the box of traditional strategies can offer unexpected opportunities to share the Gospel with a wider audience.

HER Call to the World has an opportunity to participate in a very non-traditional mission trip May 30 – June 4, 2011. At first glance it appears to be a Christian vacation cruise to Jamaica with attractions and entertainment for the entire family. However this Christian vacation cruise has a missionary agenda – to prepare participants to be intentional about sharing the Gospel in Jamaica. In addition to an impressive line-up in Christian entertainers and ministers, there will be seminars and workshops offered to prepare passengers to share their faith on the streets, in the marketplace, on school campuses and in the city-wide crusade. This missionary strategy provides non-threatening opportunities to share the message of Jesus Christ in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Ministers connected to the HER Call Network can volunteer to be evangelistic speakers or share performance ministries in school evangelistic outreach programs. Volunteer ministers will be assigned to specific schools during the two days that the cruise ship is in Montego Bay. So, save the dates, be prayerful and watch for details on the HER Call website under the Missions tab.