Missions Blog for Churches

If you want to discover how you can serve God with the business experience He’s given you, the Missions in Business Weekend is just for you.

Who Should Attend:

• Business owners
• Business executives
• Retired businesspeople
• Entrepreneurs
• Spouses (special program)
• Young businesspeople who desire to be mentored

Missions in Business Weekend
August 19-22
The Cove
Billy Graham Conference Center
Asheville, NC

Click here for more information and to download a registration form.

Joe Novenson and Paul Kooistra will be the plenary speakers at the upcoming PCA Global Missions Conference, November 5-7, in Chattanooga, TN. Joe recently sat down with MTW’s Global Support Ministries International Director, Brian Deringer, and shared about his heart for missions and raising up the next generation. This is the first of four previews from that time.

There are a couple of deadlines I want to remind/inform you of. The first is for the PCA Global Missions Conference, November 5-7, 2010, in Chattanooga, TN. The early-bird registration deadline is July 30th. So if you haven’t registered yet, visit www.mtw.org to do so or to find out more.

Also, MTW’s Disaster Response Training fills up quickly. There are a limited number of slots, so if this is something you’ve been interested in pursuing, now is the time to register. Click here to find out more.

I met Dr. Tennent while attending a world missions conference at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (when he taught there). This was the first time I was exposed to much of the academic assessment of these missiological trends and much of the history surrounding them. I have used a map he shared with us with many churches, as it visually represents what is happening. We live in an exciting time!

The Translatability of the Christian Gospel
by Timothy Tennent

The following is excerpted from remarks made by Dr. Timothy Tennent, president of Asbury Theological Seminary, at the school’s Fall 2009 Convocation.

In April of 1739 John Wesley was preaching in an upstairs room in London. About halfway into his sermon the supporting post that held up the floor of the room collapsed under the sheer weight of the number of people who had gathered to hear Wesley. Wesley remarked in his journal that the supporting post fell with a great noise. The floor sank, but it didn’t cave in and, to Wesley’s own amazement, everyone settled back down and he was able to finish preaching.

What do we do when it seems like the very floor under our feet is giving way? Many of the traditional props and supports which have long given stability to the world of theological education have fallen away with a great crash—what are we to do? How do we live in a time of disequilibrium, uncertainty, and change? Never in history has the Church undergone such dramatic growth and change so quickly. When William Carey went to India in 1793, 99 percent of all Christians in the world were white and lived in the Western world. Today, the vast majority of Christians live outside the Western world. We are witnessing multiple centers of Christian vibrancy, even as we see the Western world re-emerging as the world’s fastest growing mission field and the home of the most gospel-resistant people groups in the world. In contrast, all of the most gospel-receptive people groups in the world are found in either India or China. We live in an upside down world.

The support post upon which was written: “you are the center of the ecclesiastical universe,” has collapsed and we have to regain our footing in this new world we inhabit and think afresh about what this means for theological education in North America. None of these developments were predicted 50 years ago. Today, as I survey the landscape of ecclesiology and theological education in the Western world it is clear that we are living in a time of unprecedented crisis. This is not to be overly negative or alarmist, for I am reminded of the great Dutch missiologist, Hendrick Kraemer (1888-1965), who famously commented that “the church is always in a state of crisis; its greatest shortcoming is that it is only occasionally aware of it.”

The floor is creaking beneath our feet. What does this mean for Western Christians in the 21st century?
Click here to continue reading this article…

The 2010 PCA Global Missions Conference is scheduled for November 5-7, 2010 in Chattanooga, TN. Join fellow believers from across the PCA in Chattanooga this November in a joyous celebration of hope hosted together by Mission to the World and Covenant College. Hear about the work of Christ in church planting, mercy ministry, medical outreach, student internships, arts in missions, and much more. Personally connect with others in the PCA as well as in the global church. Learn more about partnerships. Be challenged by ministry updates. Prayerfully explore your role and that of your church. Encourage others. Most of all, join in the worship of Christ—The Hope of Nations!

Plenary speakers include Paul Kooistra and Joe Novenson. Dozens of workshops on various subjects pertaining to missions will be held. This is a highly encouraging and practical three days. Plan on being there! If you can’t be sure your church’s missions committee is sending representation. Click here to find out more and sign up.

I recently received a request from a missions chair for some movie recommendations to show at a missions conference. I realized in compiling what I had and finding a few more through reviews online that my list isn’t that extensive. I know there has to be some more good movies that have a missions message, so please suggest any that you know of and give me your take on it.

• Through the Gates of Splendor – this is the original black & white docu-movie, narrated by Elisabeth Elliott; 35 min long
• Beyond the Gates of Splendor – this is the 2002 documentary about the event in Ecuador; 96 min long
• End of the Spear – this is the 2006 movie (not a documentary) that recounts the story after the story; it is rated PG-13 and is 108 min long
• Hawaii – if you want to go “old school” this is a classic that shows all the mistakes not to make in missions; 161 minutes
• Behind the Sun – a movie about a Muslim young man who is converted; 56 min
• Beyond the Next Mountain – set in the early 1900s in northeast India, a single copy of the Gospel of John came into the village and many were saved (so not as much about a missionary as the power of God’s Word); 97 min
• God’s Outlaw – movie about William Tyndale; 93 min
• Amazing Grace – story William Wilberforce (not traditional missions story, but certainly cross-cultural and mercy/justice focus); 118 min
• Peace Child – story of Don Richardson’s work in Southwest Pacific; 30 min
• First Fruits – story of Moravians in Caribbean; 70 min
• Candle in the Dark – story of William Carey; 97 min
• There are more here.

Okay, disclaimer time: I haven’t watched all of these. In fact, the only one I’ve seen in the past year is Hawaii. It is slow at times and very “classic” so don’t expect teens or kids to hang in there. Plus it’s LONG. The End of the Spear is probably your best bet to hold the attention of teens and up.  All the links are to Amazon so you can read more descriptions there and find out how people reviewed it.

The first choice in any journey is determining the direction. When that decision is not a deliberate one, the journey is really more like a stroll: there is no clear destination. But when the goal is clear and the journey is underway, the group looks to the leaders to set the pace.

Similarly, a church’s mission ministry may or may not have a clear direction. If not, the articles in Laying the Foundation and Setting Your Sights will be helpful. Once churches have determined the direction for their missions ministry, they will want to mobilize their members towards that goal. However, many churches find that the number of members engaged in world missions is relatively few. Perhaps missions is seen as a distinct department, an annual event, or a ministry to be started in the future. The challenge facing these churches is inspiration. The articles in Setting the Pace are designed to help missions leaders engage their members in the Great Commission. While there are many ways to motivate members in missions, they will include efforts to educate, involve and focus your members.

The Great Commission is also a Gracious Commission. Some have incorrectly concluded that Reformed theology is a discouragement to missions, with its emphasis on God’s initiative. A proper understanding of Reformed theology, however, has had the opposite effect: countless numbers of Christians have committed their lives to missions, in response to the gracious love God has shown them and in the security they have that God is working in the lives of the people they serve. The article on Global Missions encourages Christians to stand on the theological foundations of the Great Commission.

Do not limit missions education to formal teaching, however. It has often been said that the gospel is more caught than taught. Thus, create opportunities for members to talk with missionaries, hear of the power of the gospel to change lives, and learn more about other cultures and what God is doing there. The article in Laying the Foundation on planning a missions conference may also be helpful.

PARTICIPATION
A critical element for missions mobilization is congregational participation. Church members cannot be allowed to drift into the error that missions is for a select few or a department of the church. Missions leadership must encourage every member to see missions as their personal responsibility, through praying, giving and going.

Praying: Help your members understand that through their prayers, they are sincerely and meaningfully engaging in world missions. The article on prayer will help you encourage prayer for missions throughout your church.
Giving: Your members should also be challenged to support missionaries financially. Giving through faith promise or other means will deeply connect your members to world missions.
Going: Short-term missions projects can have a transforming effect on your entire congregation, as participants return with stories of how God worked in and through their lives. Select projects in keeping with your overall vision, as the participants will develop a heart for the people and ministry. And in keeping with Acts 15:4, be sure to create ways for returning participants to tell the congregation how God worked in and through their lives.

FOCUS
Missions is all about relationship. And the more lasting the relationship, the more members will get behind efforts to develop those ministries. To that end, missions ministries have increasingly discovered the motivating power of selecting one or more sites for on-going emphasis and involvement. Many missions leaders desire a greater impact for their efforts and have found a long-term focus helps accomplish this goal. This direction can take many forms. For example, churches may choose to send members on short-term trips to the same site for several years. Missionaries and national leaders from these sites may be able to visit the church, increasing the direct relationship. Giving and education may be more concentrated. Finally, many churches are joining with other churches to coordinate and collaborate their efforts towards a shared vision. The articles on partnership will introduce your ministry to such initiatives.

FOR FURTHER STUDY
Under the titles of the following articles, the “theme” refers to one of the essential elements of successful missions ministries listed in Window to the World. This list is included in the following pages. A fruitful exercise for your missions committee would be to evaluate your ministry according to each of the twenty themes and begin to strengthen undeveloped areas.

This article is available in PDF format for easier reading and printing by clicking here.

The starting point in mobilizing a church for missions is education. All Christians should be aware of the biblical imperative of cross-cultural missions, how God is working through missionaries, and what other cultures are like. The Holy Spirit uses this information to draw his people into service and support of world evangelization. The following are some of the many ways missions leaders can encourage their congregations to become more educated about the Great Commission. Using a creative variety of topics and venues throughout the year will keep missions education fresh.

Biblical Basis for Missions
A missions ministry that glorifies God must be biblically grounded. Further, there is no better way to capture people’s hearts for missions than to show them from the Bible how passionate God is towards extending his kingdom. The article in the Laying The Foundation series entitled The Great Commission in the Scriptures or Global Missions—Our Theological Foundations that follows here are good places to begin. This material could be copied and distributed to Sunday Schools, small groups, session members, etc. or adapted for a sermon. Mission to the World has also prepared an introductory missions curriculum called The Gracious Commission. This is a series of four interactive lessons on the biblical basis for missions, written from the perspective of grace rather than guilt or need. You can use just one or all four of the lessons in a small group or Sunday school.

Missionary Stories
People relate more to a person than a concept, so you will want to introduce your members to current and former missionaries. Such relationships will help them see that missionaries are just normal people, with similar struggles and weaknesses. Their stories of life and ministry in a different culture will help make missions real to your church. As you introduce your congregation to missionaries, be sure to identify those whose purpose and placement you endorse, as you are implicitly affirming their particular work by arranging a presentation.

Cultural Awareness
The world is a fascinating place, and every missions minded person has a God-given sense of adventure. Develop events that showcase particular cultures through a variety of senses, including visual presentations that depict people and places, meals that introduce members to local tastes and smells, and cultural objects that people can touch. Showing foreign movies is an excellent way to provide insights into other cultures. You can also promote homestay visits, where people from other countries stay in members’ homes for a brief period.

Cross-cultural Issues
Members will be interested in hearing about issues that missionaries face in another culture, and how national Christians live out their faith. Arrange presentations on topics such as how missionaries adjust to living in a new culture, how honor and shame dominate Asian and Middle Eastern values, or how Christians are oppressed or persecuted in many countries.

Forums
Most successful missions ministries host an annual missions conference, with the primary purpose of educating and mobilizing the church for missions. In addition, keep missions in front of members throughout the year by arranging various forums that are smaller and/or a single meeting. Open up a home for an evening with a missionary, arrange a panel discussion on a particular topic, pray for the persecuted church in a special service, or direct members to regional missions conferences. Or arrange a “Meeting For Better Understanding” (see Muslims and Christians at the Table below for more information) with local Muslims.

Missions Books
The following books are some of the excellent material on missions. Make these available to your members, give them to leaders, and/or host a missions book club.

This article is available in .pdf format for easier reading and printing by clicking here.

The “Essential Elements” list on the following pages was developed through conversations with ministry leaders and missionaries about the key components for a successful missions ministry. Review the list and evaluate your own ministry for areas of strength and those needing development. You may want to review your assessment from the Window to the World diagnostic tool. Circle the elements you feel are the strongest. Then in the worksheet below, list the five areas most in need of attention and action steps to strengthen them.

Circle Your Strongest Elements

See Essential Elements of Successful Missions Ministries

This article is available in .pdf format for easier printing and reading by clicking here.

Address Special Issues
When your missions ministry was in the early stages of development, you likely focused on the essentials, such as forming a missions committee, pulling together a conference, and learning how to support missionaries. Now that this foundation has been laid, your ministry will benefit by considering special issues that affect how you support ministries crossculturally.

The more personally connected you are to ministries overseas, the more you will need to be aware of the issues facing missionaries and national leaders. Articles relating to themes such as sustainability, contextualization, and holistic ministry will help you think through some of the most challenging issues in missions today so that you may be a more effective partner.

Lead Others
Lastly, as a more mature missions ministry, you have an opportunity and responsibility to mentor other churches in your area. Being a peer to leaders in other churches provides you a significant platform to positively influence them—often in ways no one else can. The suggestions in the final article can help you multiply your own contribution to the Great Commission by leading others to be more active participants in missions.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

Under the titles of the following articles, the “theme” refers to one of the essential elements of successful missions ministries listed in Window to the World. This list is included in the following pages. A fruitful exercise for your missions committee would be to evaluate your ministry according to each of the twenty themes and begin to strengthen undeveloped areas.

You may also want to refer to the articles in the rest of the Window to the World series:

This article is available in .pdf format for easier reading and printing by clicking here.