by Mike Schrage
The theme for ICOM 2016 is “MOBILIZE: Disciples Making Disciples.” When I looked up the word, mobilize, in an online dictionary, the three big ideas were:
- To call up reservists for active duty.
- To encourage people to act in a concerted way.
- To make something capable of movement again.
This word beautifully and powerfully illustrates for us, the Church, how we are being called into active duty with Jesus. In order to receive the blessing of spiritual freedom, we must move together to redeem the time and to reach those who are still outside His Kingdom. Our fellowship with like-minded followers of Christ should equip us to love our communities. If we are currently in a space of apathy, complacency, or immobilization, we need to figure out how to rally ourselves to go into the world for the sake of God’s honor and the salvation of others!
ICOM 2016 “MOBILIZE: Disciples Making Disciples” hopes to do just that next year! From now until November 17, 2016, I will have the honor of sharing more on this blog. I hope to ignite and excite all of us to reach our full potential in Christ for His purposes. Please join me in reading, praying, giving, and going to this cause.
mo·bi·lize
ˈmōbəˌlīz
verb
- (of a country or its government) prepare and organize (troops) for active service.
“the government mobilized regular forces, reservists, and militia”
synonyms: marshal, deploy, muster, rally, call up, assemble, mass, organize, prepare
“the government mobilized the troops”
- organize and encourage (people) to act in a concerted way in order to bring about a particular political objective.
“he used the press to mobilize support for his party”
synonyms: generate, arouse, awaken, excite, incite, provoke, foment, prompt, stimulate, stir up, galvanize, encourage, inspire, whip up; literaryenkindle
“mobilizing support for the party”
- bring (resources) into use in order to achieve a particular goal.
“at sea we will mobilize any amount of resources to undertake a rescue”
2. make (something) movable or capable of movement.
“doing yoga stretches to mobilize compacted joints”
- make (a substance) able to be transported by or as a liquid.
“acid rain mobilizes the aluminum in forest soils”
Mike Schrage leads Good News Productions, Intl. and is the president of the 2016 International Conference On Missions which will be held in Lexington, KY on November 17-20, 2016.
Find out more at www.theicom.org.
