What's Next? Consider the range of places and needs

On the one hand we need to be wary of the desire to strategise a life of ‘maximal effectiveness’ which is not in our power (as Christopher Ash cautions in Workers for the Harvest Field). We simply do not know where we will be most effective. Gospel love and gospel ministry are often wonderfully unstrategic. God has regularly chosen the small, weak, foolish things to shame the big, strong, wise things and in the history of revival often chosen unexpected places as bridgeheads. In many ways it doesn’t matter where we concentrate our energies. There is gospel need everywhere. Often it will be right in front of us. 

On the other hand, there is a clearly centripetal, outgoing, to-the-ends-of-the-earth dynamic to gospel mission (Matt. 24:14; 28:19; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8). Jesus considered the global harvest (Matt. 9:37-38) and calls his disciples to, “Look at the fields” (John 4:35). There are clearly some places with particularly dire gospel need – unreached, excluded or ravaged by false teaching. It is godly to have compassion on hundreds of thousands who do not know their right hand from their left (Jonah 4:11).

Looking at the Philippian context we see a range in the travels and movement among the gospel workers involved in the church:

• The Apostle Paul clearly had a very wide ranging cross-cultural ministry through Asia Minor, Greece and Italy possibly even reaching Spain. 
• Silas travelled with Paul on his second missionary journey (including Philippi where he was jailed with Paul) as a key co-worker and gospel preacher.
• Timothy also joined the second missionary journey and grew into a similar role to Silas before settling at Ephesus to pastor there. 
• Epaphroditus was sent from Philippi to Paul in Rome and then back to Philippi after what some might have thought was an ineffective time but Paul says honour such men who take such risks.
• Luke joined Paul’s mission team at Troas (Acts 16:10), crossed to Philippi and stayed there for some years before being picked up by Paul’s team again and travelling with them to Jerusalem (Acts 20:6).
• The overseers and deacons at Philippi had a settled ministry in the church.

We also see a variety and combination of ways in which God guided them to work in Philippi:

• Zeal to go to the ‘regions beyond’ (2 Cor. 10:16; Rom. 15:20).
• A concern to see how believers in Asia were doing (Acts 15:36; 1 Thess. 2:17-18). 
• A disagreement and parting of the ways (Acts 15:39-40).
• Commended and selected to be a mission trainee (Acts 16:1-3).
• Proactively pushing on doors, finding some closed and trying other routes (Acts 16:6-8).
• A cry for help – the famous Macedonian call (Acts 16:9-10).
• Appointment as overseers and deacons (Phil. 1:1 cf. Acts 14:23; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 4:14)

So we see here a complex mix of human desire and divine sovereignty, directive leading and freedom. So how do we make progress in this? Here are some practical suggestions: 

1. Consider staying and going. There is a danger that we only see one possibility. Some of us assume there is no ministry for us to do where we are, when in fact it may well be the best place for us to be. Others of us don’t properly consider the possibility of going elsewhere. Both can be good options and deserve proper consideration.
2. Consider your motivations. These will never be pure or fully knowable but it is worth pausing to think whether we are driven by zeal for the honour of Christ and love for the lost or by a desire for comfort. If an option you are considering was more likely to result in lower pay and higher insurance premiums would you still pursue it? 
3. Consider how the Lord has led you and equipped you so far and what that might indicate about where you can best serve in the future. Sometimes looking back helps you look forward. What upbringing, opportunities and resources have you been given? Languages learnt. Experience in another culture. Financial resources or social network or freedom. How could you best steward those things? Is there somewhere you can go and be useful that few others will be able or willing or equipped for?
4. Consider places of need. Gospel need and gospel resources are not evenly spread throughout the world. In the UK the North East is an area of particular need. Council estate ministry is under resourced (a friend did some research which found there is only one evangelical church for every 12 council estates in London). Globally there are around 3 billion unreached people. There is still a place for overseas cross-cultural mission. 
5. Consider people groups. Even in one town there will be a range of different demographics needs. It is interesting that Paul in Philippi a) went to a gathering of God-fearers where he spoke to women including a middleclass trader, b) got in trouble in the market place for exorcising a spirit from a female slave, c) spent time in the city jail. Consider today the sections of society least reached by the gospel – e.g. Jews, Muslims, white working class young men, older men, the deaf community, those with special needs, prisoners, the police force, the armed forces, the arts. 

Pray that the Lord would open your eyes to see the breadth and diversity of the harassed and helpless harvest field, give you a burden for the lost and a zeal for his name and guide you to where he would have you be.

Next time... Consider the range of training possibilities