Why do missions?

That's a great question.

Done properly...
a mission trip enhances the spiritual growth of the entire church.

a mission trip can be done from a church of almost any size. Even a small church can do a short term trip.

a mission trip gives team members a goal that motivates commitment to spiritual development.

a mission trip gives us a way to participate in obedience to the Bible (the Great Commission).

a mission trip can advance a missionary's work rather than delay it.

a mission trip can bring great excitement to your church.

a mission trip can be the entry point for God to work in a whole new way in your church.

a mission trip can develop skills and attitudes in your team members that will benefit the growth of your church.

That's why :)

In His Service,

Jeff Hoglen -
Founder of Open Arms International Ministries (OAIM.NET)

Reaching the Unreached

My heart is to reach the unreached people groups of the world. A great resource is the Joshua Project. The website is valuable for researching the various countries and people groups within each country.
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here is the link to the unreached people group map of the Philippines:
http://www.joshuaproject.net/profiles/maps/m00320.pdf

and here is the link to the Joshua Project:

Joshua Project

All in?

Would you sign this statement?

"I believe that God's command to take the Gospel message to all peoples applies to every Christian.

So, I pledge myself to doing whatever God asks of me to fulfill the Great Commission as written in Matthew 28:19-20.

I understand this will likely mean praying regularly for those peoples who have not yet heard.
I understand this will likely mean giving money to support missions.
I understand it may mean going myself as a missionary.

Whatever it means....... I am saying 'yes' to all of it."

Think about it.....
Would you sign your name below the statement?

What is Christian Missions?

Question: "What is Christian Missions?"

Answer: Christian missions is following Christ’s call: sharing the Gospel with the lost world through God’s wisdom and strength.

Christian missions is obeying Christ
After Christ’s death and resurrection, He commanded the disciples to share the Gospel, the message of His redemption. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).

This Great Commission applies to Christians today. Rather than a burden, obeying His call brings joy and reward in heaven. We should fulfill our mission not out of duty but love: “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. . . . Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:14-21).

God could convert everyone using a blinding light and the voice of Christ as He did with the apostle Paul. Instead, He gives Christians the mission of reconciliation (Acts 1:8-9). He works through us, calling sinners to turn to Christ in repentance and faith.

Hole in our Gospel

I'm currently reading a book that is rocking my world. I haven't been so moved since reading Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne.

Be very careful if you decide to read this book; like any encounter with needed truth, you will feel increasingly uncomfortable as you go through the pages. Once you catch the vision.... the heart of the author - Richard Stearns paints, you will be enticed to slam the book shut and begin to change the world. We all have the opportunity to make an impact, in this country and even in others. We have heard many throughout history speak about injustice.... but yet the comfort zone beckons us.

Now is the time to stand up and break the chains of injustice in our world.... Do you dare try? 

OAIM Missions Opportunity - Jan 2012

We will be hosting a missions trip to the Philippines in January 2012. We will be covering a lot of ground and reaching some unreached people groups. High maintenance people need not apply as this will be a tough one.

Cost is $700 plus airfare which typically runs $1100-$1300 round trip. The cost includes accommodations, food, in-country airfare, in-country ground travel, outreach supplies and materials.

Contact me at jeff@oaim.net for more information.

Real People..... Needing Help

This is a great video that a ministry in the Philippines shared with me. I hope you can take the time to watch it and then respond to what the Holy Spirit tells you to do.