Workshop attendees encouraged to make an impact through missions, discipleship

“Are we creating theological people that have an inability to serve? Or are we raising up people who are moving the kingdom of God forward?” Mikey Osborne, Discipleship & Outreach coordinator at Texans On Mission (TXM), said during his workshop at the 2024 Texas Baptists Annual Meeting.

The workshop, entitled “Missions as Discipleship,” took place on the final day of the annual meeting. Osborne asserted that missions is discipleship, telling attendees that missions is the natural outpouring of faith. 

He clarified that he does not believe churches do not think missions are important. Instead, he said many churches see missions as an additional ministry, not the main focus of discipleship. 

“I think a lot of times we allocate missions as a destination or as something we get to do and pull back from… instead of the perspective that we are saved by Christ and missions is something we must do,” he said. 

Osborne encouraged workshop attendees to name people who have made a big impact in their church and community. All of the people named were people of action, always helping others and meeting needs. 

“It was their actions that set them apart,” Osborne said. 

Many churches, Osborne said, devote the majority of their resources to biblical literacy. That is essential to faith, but action is also vital. Even demons know what the Bible says, but it is what Christians do with that knowledge that sets them apart. Theology is important, but action is also essential.  

Osborne lamented that for many church members, their only participation is singing on Sunday morning. He warned modern culture considers attending service regularly counts as “someone who is sold out for Christ.”

“We’re teaching all the right things. We’re teaching all the scriptures. We have the best technology to share the gospel, and yet less people are serving than ever,” he said.

People in the workshop then discussed all the benefits of mission work for those who participate. Missions show Christ’s love, take people out of their comfort zone, teach people how to evangelize and are transformative.

Osborne ended the session with a baseball analogy. His family loves baseball, so much so that his father bought a baseball bat from the same factory where professional athletes’ bats are made. He displayed it proudly in his home, where it is unused and pristine. Many people in the church are like that bat, Osborne said. They have all the same tools as the professionals, as those who are active in missions. Yet, they are not using them for their intended purpose. 

“Our commissioning as shepherds is to say, ‘Get out of that dugout and do something,’” Osborne told the pastors in the crowd. “We have full dugouts, and we need to encourage them to go out and do something.”