International (MNN) — All missions everywhere is Jim Ramsay's job as the senior director of field ministry at The Mission Society. And some recent trends in missions have him excited.
"One real excitement for me is just beginning to see a new generation of young people who are really sold out to the Lord and really desiring to make an impact with their lives," he said. With this passion, young people are willing to give up everything to see their vision fulfilled, including education, money and the safety of countries with religious freedoms.
Ramsay said he worries, however, that young people might tend to rush onto the field without proper training. That's why the Mission Society is channeling this energy through their training, "Part of our job now is to take that passion, that interest, and help direct it in ways that really make a difference." he said.
Highlighted at Urbana 09, Ramsay observed how much this passion has been focused on issues of social justice.
"Social justice is nothing new, but there seems to be an extra pouring out, I think, from the Holy Spirit, of an awareness and a passion for [social justice] among this generation," Ramsay said. Issues like AIDS orphans, human trafficking and child slavery are in the forefront of many of these individuals' minds.
Within this new generation, as well as missions as a whole, Ramsay observed another trend. "The other movement that we're experiencing at The Mission Society is that missions is becoming more and more of collaborative effort."
Ministries are partnering with other ministries and national churches so that their combined efforts can reach the maximum amount of people with the message of Christ in more creative and varied ways than ever.
"For the unfinished past to get finished, it's going to take much more effort than simply one culture or one church or one agency, but really it going to be the result of a lot of people working together," Ramsay said.
The previous generation's strong point was networking, and by combining this with the new generation's momentum, Ramsay and The Mission Society expect great things.
However, as The Mission Society focuses on these trends–some unfamiliar territory, Ramsay asked for wisdom: "As we're engaging more and more into the unreached areas of the world, especially were Islam is dominant, there's real wisdom needed" in how best to proceed.
Ramsay also asked for prayer in training this next generation, giving them a meaningful experience and also continuing guidance for the full-term missionaries as they work with these youth.
Are you a young person with a vision for missions? Visit The Mission Society's Web site and get started today.
