THE MISSION: JOINING IN the missio dei
An English rendering of this Latin phrase speaks to the “mission of God.” It is God who has a mission to set things right in a broken, sinful world, to redeem and restore it to what He has always intended.
Therefore, mission is not the invention, responsibility, or program of the church. Instead, it flows directly from the character and purposes of a missionary God. In the words of South African missiologist David Bosch, “It is not the church which undertakes mission; it is the missio Dei which constitutes the church.” Or stated in a slightly different way, “It is not so much that God has a mission for His church in the world, but that God has a church for His mission in the world.”
Therefore, mission is not the invention, responsibility, or program of the church. Instead, it flows directly from the character and purposes of a missionary God. In the words of South African missiologist David Bosch, “It is not the church which undertakes mission; it is the missio Dei which constitutes the church.” Or stated in a slightly different way, “It is not so much that God has a mission for His church in the world, but that God has a church for His mission in the world.”
THE MESSAGE: PROCLAIMING THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL
We believe the message of the Gospel is to be proclaimed throughout the earth, in every nation and among every people group (Revelation 5:9; 7:9; 14:6). This is not an optional action but a direct command from the Master that must be obeyed (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8). But what is the content of this message? What is the gospel? Theologian D.A. Carson offers an explanation of the Gospel as the Bible presents it:
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“The gospel is integrally tied to the Bible’s story‐line. Indeed, it is incomprehensible without understanding that story‐line. God is the sovereign, transcendent and personal God who has made the universe, including us, his image‐bearers. Our misery lies in our rebellion, our alienation from God, which, despite his forbearance, attracts his implacable wrath. But God, precisely because love is of the very essence of his character, takes the initiative and prepared or the coming of his own Son by raising up a people who, by covenantal stipulations, temple worship, systems of sacrifice and of priesthood, by kings and by prophets, are taught something of what God is planning and what he expects.
“In the fullness of time his Son comes and takes on human nature. He comes not, in the first instance, to judge but to save: he dies the death of his people, rises from the grave and, in returning to his heavenly Father, bequeaths the Holy Spirit as the down payment and guarantee of the ultimate gift he has secured for them—an eternity of bliss in the presence of God himself, in a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. The only alternative is to be shut out from the presence of this God forever, in the torments of hell. What men and women must do, before it is too late, is repent and trust Christ; the alternative is to disobey the gospel.” |
THE CHURCH: STAYING FOCUSED ON the mission of the church
Although the Scripture is clear regarding the mission of the church in this present age, this does not prevent some churches and organizations from prioritizing things that are NOT the gospel. Pastors and authors Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert present the issues in their book "What Is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission". DeYoung and Gilbert present two mistakes that are made:
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Mistake #1 – SOCIAL JUSTICE: Since the advent of liberal theology in the late nineteenth century and the rise of the ecumenical movement in the middle of the twentieth century, many within larger “Christendom” have called for the church to focus on “the liberation of the oppressed.” This movement has influenced many within the ranks of evangelicalism as well to move churches into work for social justice. The term is a broad category and is variously defined. However, the basic thrust of this mission is that the church work as an agent in helping alleviate poverty and racial discrimination. Advocates cite the many references that Jesus made to loving one’s neighbor and to conducting oneself in a fair and just way. Old Testament passages relating to how the nation of Israel was to function as a just nation among nations are also marshalled in support of this mission.
Mistake # 2 – CULTURAL RENEWAL: Advocates of this view claim that the church, as redeemed humanity, is to take up the task of renewing culture and building a better world. Many use the biblical concept of shalom as shorthand for this mission. Seizing upon the meaning of the word as something parallel to our word “harmony”, those persuaded of this mission call for Christians to “bring shalom” to their workplaces, neighborhoods, and environments. This view is defended from Genesis 1 among other passages which provide God’s original creation mandate to Adam and Eve to “subdue” or bring creation under dominion for the glory of God. |
Why are these views mistakes when considering the mission of the church? As important as both of the above missions are in their own right, they truly lack the biblical support of Jesus’ full instruction (Matt. 28:18-20), of that of the apostles in the New Testament (1 Cor. 1:18-31; Phil. 1:27-30; Col. 1:19-23), and indeed of the entire sweep of God’s redemptive work in human history (Ps. 67). After all, Jesus’ last words in Matthew 28:18-20 were unambiguous: And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
THE GLORY: compelled by the glory of god
What is the "glory of God"? In the Scripture, God's glory can refer to 1) His renown on earth (Exod. 14:4; 17, 18; Rev. 11:13), 2) His manifested presence (Exod. 24:16-17; 40:34-35; Deut. 5:24; 2 Chron. 7:1-3; John 1:14; 2 Cor. 3:7-18), 3) His character and attributes (Psa. 19:1; Rom. 1:23; 2 Pet. 1:3), and even 4) His radical God-centeredness (Isa. 42:8; 43:7; 48:9-11).
We “glorify” God when we recognize His significance, bear witness to His reputation, give honor to Him, or yield to His agenda. The Scriptures bear witness the necessity and appropriateness of people glorifying him:
When it comes to our participation in the Missio Dei, we are compelled by a passion for the glory of God in all things. Specifically, we are motivated by the desire to see Him made much of in “every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues” (Revelation 5:9; 7:9)! We join with the Moravian missionaries who often exclaimed, “Shall not the Lamb receive the full reward for His sufferings?”
We “glorify” God when we recognize His significance, bear witness to His reputation, give honor to Him, or yield to His agenda. The Scriptures bear witness the necessity and appropriateness of people glorifying him:
- We are to ascribe glory to Him (Deut. 32:3; Psa. 29; 96:7-8).
- We are to glory in His Name(Psa. 105:3; 115:1).
- We are to declare His glory to all peoples (1 Chron. 16:24; Psa. 96:3; Isa. 42:12).
- We are to live in such a way that brings glory to God (Matt. 5:16; John 15:8; Phil. 2:12; 1 Pet. 2:15).
When it comes to our participation in the Missio Dei, we are compelled by a passion for the glory of God in all things. Specifically, we are motivated by the desire to see Him made much of in “every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues” (Revelation 5:9; 7:9)! We join with the Moravian missionaries who often exclaimed, “Shall not the Lamb receive the full reward for His sufferings?”
PURSUING EXCELLENCE IN CROSS-CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT FOR THE GOSPELAs a evangelical mission organization, we wholeheartedly endorse, subscribe to, and incorporate the "Seven Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission" which can be found online at https://soe.org/7-standards/
1. GOD-CENTEREDNESS
An excellent short-term mission seeks first God’s glory and his kingdom, and is expressed through our:
2. EMPOWERING PARTNERSHIPS
An excellent short-term mission establishes healthy, interdependent, on-going relationships between sending and receiving partners, and is expressed by:
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3. MUTUAL DESIGN
An excellent short-term mission collaboratively plans each specific outreach for the benefit of all participants, and is
expressed by:
An excellent short-term mission collaboratively plans each specific outreach for the benefit of all participants, and is
expressed by:
- On-field methods and activities aligned to long-term strategies of the partnership
- Goer-guests' ability to implement their part of the plan
- Host receivers' ability to implement their part of the plan
4. COMPREHENSIVE ADMINISTRATION
An excellent short-term mission seeks first God’s glory and his kingdom, and is expressed through:
An excellent short-term mission seeks first God’s glory and his kingdom, and is expressed through:
- Truthfulness in promotion, finances, and reporting results
- Appropriate risk management
- Quality program delivery and support logistics
5. QUALIFIED LEADERSHIP
An excellent short-term mission screens, trains, and develops capable leadership for all participants, and is expressed by:
An excellent short-term mission screens, trains, and develops capable leadership for all participants, and is expressed by:
- Character — Spiritually mature servant leadership
- Skills — Prepared, competent, organized, and accountable leadership
- Values — Empowering and equipping leadership
6. APPROPRIATE TRAINING
An excellent short-term mission prepares and equips all participants for the mutually designed outreach, and is
expressed by:
An excellent short-term mission prepares and equips all participants for the mutually designed outreach, and is
expressed by:
- Biblical, appropriate, and timely training
- On-going training and equipping (pre-field, on-field, post-field)
- Qualified trainers
7. THOROUGH FOLLOW-THROUGH
An excellent short-term mission assures debriefing and appropriate follow-through for all participants, and is expressed by:
An excellent short-term mission assures debriefing and appropriate follow-through for all participants, and is expressed by:
- Comprehensive debriefing of all participants (pre-field, on-field, post-field)
- Thoughtful and appropriate follow-through for goer-guests
- On-field and post-field evaluation among sending and receiving partners
