Are Christians Forgoing Mission Trips?
by Staff
February 6, 2008
(christiansunite.com) -- Mission trips are no longer the soul target for Christian evangelists. Yes, there are still people that are hands on field experts; however, missionaries are now grabbing keyboard and mouse and clicking their way to foreign countries without leaving their own.One such example is Louis Austad of Bellflower California. Ten years ago, Louis became a writer of Christian literature. With an interest in the internet, Louis saw opportunity to have an entity that could house his work.
In 2003, Louis started The Christian Worker website; a magazine devoted to Christian encouragement; what he did not anticipate was that christianworker.org would soon be viewed by people from countries around the world.
"The host provider I selected provided real time statistics, tracking where my publication is viewed. Counting the countries I found that The Christian Worker was being viewed in over ninety one countries."
Not long after the first issue was posted, letters from Christians around the world flooded into The Christian Worker email. Not only were people reading, they wanted to ask questions. As a Bible teacher, Louis found not only was his writing fulfilling, but he also enjoyed counseling people on their beliefs and problems. This made Louis rethink who he was; no longer was he just a writer, he had become a missionary, caring for the needs of others.
What was once a desire to write material to encourage people in his own country became a torrent of responses from around the world. Daily Louis sends out an email devotional Bible study that readers subscribe to receive. Teaching scripture by scripture through books of the Bible, each email uniquely speaks to how to apply the Bible to daily life.
"One day I sat down to process sign up requests and to my amazement there were over fifty responses from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I do not know how they translate it, but being written in English does not stop people from reading it."
When asked if missionaries no longer should travel to foreign lands, Louis replied, "The need for missionaries has never been greater, and though the internet is a great way to encourage Christian workers, it will never replace the person in the field completing the great commission. I only want to encourage them, not replace them"
For more information you can contact Louis Austad by writing tcw@christian worker.org or at his website christianworker.org.
