In Acts 1:8 Jesus says: Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in  Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

If you notice, the first stop was Jerusalem, which was the "hometown." Most of us will not be called to leave Jerusalem, but in Jerusalem and from Jerusalem, we can reach out to the uttermost part of the earth. 

In today's world there are several ways that you can reach the world right from your own home town.  Here are a few ways to be a missionary while staying in one place.

Host an international student. Students come to America from around the world to go to school.  Agencies which arrange for these students to come to America are in need of host families to provide a home for these students while they are in the US.  You can check with your local college or run a search on Google using the search terms "exchange students host."

Volunteer at a local college to be an English Tutor. Many colleges with foreign students need local mentor/tutors to help students improve their English speaking skills.  Check with your local college to see if they have such a program.

Take a missions trip.  Missionaries can't do everything on their own.  You can volunteer to go overseas from a few weeks to a year.  Those who take part claim these types of trips are life changing events. Click here to find opportunities with the Assemblies of God

 Explore the Mission Field on your Desktop.  From your computer you can reach out around the world.  Being an Internet Evangelist can be as simple as sharing your faith with people you meet in chat rooms or on email discussion lists or as involved as developing a web based evangelistic ministry. 

If you know a language other than English, there is a great need for web pages designed or translated into other language.  However, you don't need foreign language skills to evangelize online.  English has become the lingua franca of the internet.  Many access the internet around the world to learn English.

Also, you don't need to "preach" online.  There is a great need for "bridge" web sites designed to fill some everyday secular need such as exploring a hobby or providing good business, reference or career materials. Simply adding a link to a personal testimony can be a way you can evangelize the world.

Two good sources of information about reaching the world online are:

Internet Evangelism Day.  An annual day to enlighten churches and individuals about the mission field online. This site also includes several resources for developing an online ministry.

Web Evangelism Guide. With over 100 pages to help you develop a seeker-friendly website, this is practically a course in reaching the world from your computer keyboard.

I visited a church once which had a thought-provoking sign at the exit to the parking lot.  The sign read: "You are now entering the mission field."  We can support our missionaries with finances and prayer.  But we are also called to our own mission fields which might be as close as your next door neighbor or your internet email account.

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