Someone once said “there are no ‘solos’ in the Kingdom of God”. Missionary work is not a solo performance, but a team effort for the Gospel. Ann Hasseltine Judson was the first wife of Adoniram Judson, who was a missionary to Burma. She is credited with being the first American woman foreign missionary, known for her devotedness to her husband and her devotedness to the mission. While we would not agree with all she taught, her supportive role for her husband’s missionary work is an example to us all to be good team players for the mission.

For a year and a half Mrs. Judson, with her baby in her arms, followed her husband from prison to prison, supplying him with food, for it was not provided by government, and working in every way to secure his release.

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John Geddie served as a missionary on the island of Aneityum, which is in modern day Vanuatu. He bravely shared the Gospel with a people that practiced strangling and cannibalism and in his day saw 25 churches established and even a translation of the New Testament. While we would not agree with all that John Geddie taught, his example of compassion should be imitated.

Force will not do. Only the compulsion of love will avail. Was it not the love of Christ that softened your hard hearts? Use no weapon but that which our Redeemer uses, the weapons of love. Let us constantly keep our hearts open ‘unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins.’

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It’s easy to rely on statistics and numbers as a measure for how well a ministry is doing. While statistics are indeed helpful, Karl Vater reminds us that every person attending church “has a name, a history and a future.”

Everyone in a church service, a discipleship class or a small group is a person for whom Jesus died. And knowing how many of them are in the room is a vital first step in ministering to them.

But it’s just a first step.

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