What is ‘mission’?
Mission has to do with sending and being sent. Jesus said to his disciples, ‘As the Father has sent me, I am sending you’. John 20:21
Part of being disciples of Jesus means that we will be sent, to the people and places that he wants us to go to. That can be daunting, unpredictable, risky and adventurous. But it will also be exciting. The Bible is full of stories of people who were sent by God with a mission to fulfil; Abraham, Moses, David, Ruth, Deborah, Peter, Paul. Being sent by God means that we will learn more about stepping out in faith, the amazing way he works through obedience, how he picks us up when we mess up, listening to the Spirit, seeing him pave the way for us and loads more. Don’t miss out.
The Mission of God
God has always loved the world because he made it, and he sent his son Jesus, not to make people feel as if they’d never be good enough, but to rescue them and show them how rich and full life could be with him.
Luckily, any mission with God is his mission, not ours. So when we get involved in God’s mission that means it’s on his terms, with his Spirit, his power and his resources, his maps, his agenda and his strategies. All we can do is to be faithful and obedient – the outcome is up to him.
The Mission of the Church
Amazingly, God has chosen to work with human beings, mainly because he loves us more than we can imagine. Jesus told his disciples that they were not servants, but friends. (John 15) Being a friend of God’s means that we don’t do things his way because we ought to but because we wouldn’t want to do anything else.
The mission of the Church, as Jesus’ friends and followers, is to tell people the incredibly good news about God’s kingdom; that trusting in God’s saving power and forgiveness through Jesus, gives us a new life into eternity and transforms this life. Life in God’s kingdom is marked by knowing that we are God’s children and knowing his love for us by his Spirit, by forgiveness, healing, joy, peace, freedom, new relationships and so much more.
The Church’s mission is not just to tell but to ‘be’. Jesus expected us to love each other so radically and differently that people would know that we were God’s people by the way we behave.
How We Go About It
‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect’. 1 Peter 3.15
We will only be listened to if we genuinely respect others. No-one wants to be brow-beaten, Bible-bashed, told they’re wrong, or argued into a corner. Jesus never did that with people who didn’t know God. We want to respect people’s dignity, choices, beliefs and uniqueness. This means talking and listening, giving and receiving, being gentle, patient and kind.
Guilt-free zone:
We know that everyone is different and likes to be able to be
comfortable in communicating in a way that suits them. We don’t
do one-size-fits-all evangelism, but we do encourage everyone to be
able to explain their faith, to anyone who wants to know, and to be
intentional about mission.
Mostly, we know that people won’t trust Christians and so won’t trust their message unless they know them properly as friends, so we try to make time for that at Crossnet.
Variety:
Some people like just hanging out with their non-Christian friends,
whether that’s at home, in pubs, clubs, over dinner or whatever.
We do Alpha, a course for those interested in exploring Christianity and a chance to ask questions.
We try to make our services open to those who may not know what we’re doing.
We encourage each other to be open about our faith, to be faithful in prayer and to be courageous in stepping out in faith; telling people about Jesus, listening to God and acting on it, praying for the sick, inviting anyone who’s interested along to church.
People of peace:
In Luke 10, Jesus sends his disciples out on mission. He tells his
disciples that if they find a person of peace they should stay with
them. People of peace are people who are interested in Christianity,
who don’t run a mile when you drop the J-word into a
conversation, or who might even come to church with you. We don’t
spend hours arguing with or badgering people who have made it clear
that they are not interested. Instead, pray that God will lead you to
people of peace, who want to hear the good news.
Hospitality:
We know that God is unbelievably generous because we’ve
experienced that in our lives. Showing hospitality is simply extending
that generosity to those around us. If we love and value people,
they’re far more likely to understand that they’re really
and truly loveable.
We want to give hospitality freely, but Jesus also told his disciples to receive it. Christians don’t have a monopoly on being helpful, kind, generous and giving good advice. We also let those outside the church give to us.
Community:
Jesus sent his disciples out on mission in pairs. Not only is it more
fun, but that’s just how it’s supposed to be. Christianity
is not just about me or you being saved, but about following Jesus in a
community and learning to live life his way together. If church is a
really different, attractive, loving, vital community, people will want
to join.
Authenticity:
Most people hate spin and can see right through it. We have to be
ourselves with our family, our friends, our colleagues. We have to be
honest, about our hopes, fears, successes and failure. But hopefully,
if we’re doing what Jesus tells us to do and living our lives as
he would live them if he was us, then ‘being ourselves’
might begin to look more like ‘being him’.
And finally…..
Mission is not a chore, or an embarrassment, it’s a privilege. The most exciting thing in the world is being part of someone’s journey to get to know God, seeing them realize that God is alive and real, that he loves them to bits, that he’s on their side and that he’s never going to let them go.
Really good books on mission that we’d recommend:
• Vincent J. Donovan Christianity Rediscovered (London: SCM Press Ltd., 1982)
• Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch The Shaping of Things to Come (Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003)
• Alan Roxburgh The Missionary Congregation, Leadership and Liminality (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 1997)