Its All Greek To Me! - An Editorial on the Challenges and Rewards of Communications in Missions

My passion for missions started when I was young. It was the church slide shows that got me. The starving children, the hurting people. Was it really possible that someone didn't know who Jesus was? My young and protected mind found that hard to fathom... and desperately heartbreaking.

I remember listening to the stories of these people we called "Missionaries." They had old fashioned and often unattractive clothing, but that didn't matter. They had real stories. They didn't talk about what was on sale at the shops that week. They talked about how when they had no money at all and the car was in the middle of the jungle running of out of gas in the one car they had to race away from guerillas and to a village to tell people about Christ, they prayed and God filled the tank with petrol.

My mind boggled at the possibility and I remember praying and asking God if I could some day have stories like that too...

My passion for communications followed a short time later and really blossomed when I was 12 years old and a home schooler. I remember "hibernating" (as my family disapprovingly yet jokingly called it) in my bedroom. Instead of working on my school work (shh... don't tell mom! It eventually got finished), I would write. Poems... short stories... songs... (no, you cannot hear them. Some are quite pathetic, looking back.) The point is, it birthed in me a love and desire to communicate.

In high school I discovered journalism. The "Press Passes" to get into free movies to do reviews and to get out of class for an interview were certainly incentive. But what struck me the most was how much I loved to tell peoples' stories.

I went to college with a foggy understanding of how my two passions might merge and decided to go for a degree in Communications. I enjoyed my classes and met some amazing people, but something was still missing...

...until I did a Discipleship Training School with YWAM. It was there that picture began to clear. My two passions were utterly complimentary of one another. Within missions, I could have the opportunity to communicate stories on behalf of others - to be a voice, to share truth.

And I find myself here today. A missionary communicator. Its not an official title; just two words that articulate what I love to do. And its out of this passion that I share with you a bit more about the heart of Reef to Outback.

We've always been called to use communications to overcome isolation. If you're reading that phrase for the first time, it might sound noble... or might make no sense at all. To us, it is so familiar to the point that it can become cliche.

But in those moments when you quiet your heart before the Lord, when life becomes so clear, it becomes a mission that is limitless and one that stirs incredible excitement in my heart.

Our history of communication started with a website. Oh, how familiar the website is to us. But 10 years ago, Reef to Outback - located in a tiny regional place called Townsville - was one of the first YWAM bases to have a website at all. Today, you practically don't exist if you don't have a website.

So where does that leave us? How do we communicate a message in the midst of so much noise? The vision is actually quite in depth and I'd love to sit down with a cup of coffee with those of you that are connecting with me to share and dream together.

For now, I'll just share two main points and why I think they're critical to where we are going:

Social Networking
If you're reading this article, you are probably either on... or have been... to our website: www.reeftooutback.com. Several months ago, we jumped off of what feels like a very high platform into a sky of just about nothingness. We went from a traditional (and quite complimented) website to a fully integrated social network. It was questioned and sometimes criticized. Can you merge your website with a social network? If so, how? The questions are still being answered. But here's what I do know.

I was sick a few weeks ago. I missed my first day of work in nearly 4 years (except when I had glandular fever for a week... but that is another story.) I'm a bit of a workaholic at times and as I was laying in bed, I couldn't help but get onto our website and see who had joined the social network. It was there that I met a sweet young lady, who I'll keep private. I began to correspond with her about missions and what it meant to my life. She began to open up as we corresponded and I realised - I am helping a young woman from the other side of the world find her destiny in God while I am laying sick in bed.

Technology is an incredible ministry gift to us and despite the challenges and questions of being on the cutting edge, if I can maximize the number of people I can disciple by having some extra information on my front page, then I say, "Yes, please!"

Maximizing Resources
Did you know that EVERY WEEK we have a team of people coming up with a dynamic multimedia presentation with interactive activities, video roll-ins, live bands, and a message? We package it up and call it Youth Street Live and every week we get nearly 80-100 kids coming along. The quality amazes me. Sometimes I feel so privileged by the people I get to work with. The thing that upsets me, however, is that each week it makes an impact on those 100 or so kids who are there and then all those resources are finished.

Its like this huge treasure that we have and it just sits in our archived folders. So how do we maximize that? How do we extend our influence?

These days "Reality Internet" is nearly as popular as "Reality TV." Aside from some of the perversion that is out there, I am boggled by how someone can stick a cheap web cam in a room and attract an audience. We as people seem to be fascinated with one another. If we call ourselves good role models, let's fascinate people with us, right!?

Each week we have begun to Live Stream Youth Street Live over the internet. This means that people around the globe can log in to Yahoo! and be a part of what happens at our warehouse. I love this! We can chat, and interact and answer questions. What a tool! What about an online database of our video resources for youth pastors and chaplains to utilise? Its in the works!

The possibilities are limitless and that passion that bubbles, which I mentioned? Its welling up and overflowing as I write. But its already too long anyhow so that cup of coffee to share more will probably be the only option.

As I conclude, however, I will say this... this is a day in age when communicating has never been easier. And the Story has never needed to be heard more. We are a team of communicators in missions who are going somewhere.

And I, for one, would like to invite you to join us. Whether its IT, web, video, print, writing, marketing or the NEXT great undiscovered thing... we need more communicators in missions. And who knows! You might just have a story or two of your own to tell...