Author: Paul Seger
This is a strange suggestion coming from a former director of a mission agency. I grew up on the mission field and served as a missionary in Africa. My entire life has been dedicated to gospel propagation, but I am advocating the end of the missions programme in churches.
This is not a moratorium on the Great Commission, but rather a call to look closely at our ecclesiology and the terminology. We may be communicating something different from what we intend, and it could have an unintended neutralising impact on local churches producing missionaries that “go.” Here are some things I’ve been considering.
- Let’s stop calling missions a “programme.” Using that term signals that Acts 1:8 is just one more option for the church. We have music programs, youth programs, Christmas programs, children’s programs, benevolence programs, ladies’ programs, and… we have a missions program. The not-so-subtle message is that a church does many things and, “Oh yes, we should also add missions.” Instead, the Great Commission should be THE mission of the church and all the rest of the programmes should support it. It is THE primary purpose of the church and should be the heartbeat that powers everything else.
- In addition, we might also discard the “s” at the end of the word “mission,” clarifying the fact that the Church has one mission. There may be various ways of accomplishing the mission – multiple efforts that work together to evangelise, disciple, and equip (Ephesians 4:11-16) – but THE mission is clear: And Jesus said to them, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising 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” (Matthew 28:19-20.) Perhaps this seems too small of an adjustment to merit consideration, but sometimes it’s the subtle changes that make all the difference.
“Sending Church” vs. “Supporting Church”
This issue is important on several different levels. However, the focus of this article is to contend that as a church leader, the way you view and communicate the two points just posited will impact whether your church will be a missionary-sending church. The term “sending church” is distinct from a “supporting church.” Most churches support missionaries financially but many of them would have to look back quite a few years to point to a person they sent to the mission field from their membership. A “sending church” launches people from their congregation regularly, in addition to supporting missionaries from other churches.
I recently wrote a book entitled “SENDERS.” The subtitle is: “How your church can identify, train and deploy missionaries.” I naïvely assumed that most churches would want to do that – therefore it is a “how-to” book. In hindsight, a different book should have been written first, detailing “why your church should be passionate about sending missionaries from your congregation.” Not as snappy as the title “Senders” but you get the idea. My book is a practical manual with an accompanying study guide but has little value if a church is not highly motivated to send.
Evaluating our Ecclesiology
At the core of this discussion is the doctrine of ecclesiology. Ecclesiology is the study of the church and includes all theological aspects of the church such as its purpose, structure, ordinances, and other areas. This article uses “purpose” and “mission” synonymously. At the outset, it may seem simple to identify THE purpose of a church, but there is an amazing array of opinions on the topic. These may or may not be formally articulated, but you can be sure they exist in people’s minds. Here are some of the more popular ideas of why a church exists:
- Worship
- Fellowship
- Teaching
- Preaching
- Music
- Gathering
- Equipping
- Encouragement
- Accountability
- Training
- Inspiration
All these are part of biblical ecclesiology, but they don’t give a singular answer to the question of why God established the concept of a local church. These are all good things that a church “does,” but they do not answer the question of why the church exists. A mission statement needs to identify the reason for its existence and the primary outcome of its activity. The mission is the foundation upon which everything else is built.
Some might consider Acts 2:42 the purpose statement for the church: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” According to this verse, the church’s activities should be 1) teaching biblical doctrine, 2) providing a place of fellowship for believers, 3) observing the Lord’s supper, and 4) praying. But these are all activities of the church, not its purpose.
The Mission is Critical
Think of this in military terms. The commander says, “Here is your mission: go capture that hill.” The “mission” answers the question of why this platoon exists but goes beyond that to identify the primary objective of the commander. Similarly, we should ask: what is the hill the church is supposed to capture? What then is the specific task the church is sent into the world to do?
When we talk about mission, we are not talking about everything the church does, but rather the main thing the church should do. Stephen Neill put it this way: “If everything is mission, nothing is mission.” There are many things a church does but they should be done only because they help to accomplish a singular mission. There must be a clear purpose for every activity.
The Activities are Focused
Expand the military analogy a little further. When the troops have a mission to “capture that hill,” then everything they do contributes to the accomplishment of that goal. They don’t waste time training for other things. They don’t accumulate guns and equipment that don’t contribute to completing the mission. Their conversations are dominated by what it will take to conquer the hill. They eat, breathe, and sleep “hill conquering.” Imagine the potential of a church that was so singularly focused!
The People are Aligned
I was standing in line at the service and parts department of car dealership totally frustrated. No one was waiting on us. A long line of us were there with money in our pockets, willing to make a purchase but it seemed no one was interested. The parts manager was busy on his computer. Salespeople were waiting for people to buy cars, not parts. The mechanics were fixing cars and others were scurrying around but no one was there to take our money. As the frustration built, I began looking around and was interested to see on the wall behind us a huge sign with 15-centimetre-tall letters stating the “mission statement” of this car dealership. It said something like this: “We exist to make customers happy.” There was obviously a big disconnect between what was on the wall and what was happening on the ground.
This is typical of many churches and organisations. Leaders take a lot of time to carefully craft a mission statement which ends up being ignored instead of lived out every day. Sometimes mission statements hang on the wall but don’t translate into action. One of the challenges in any church is to stay aligned with the mission statement. It would be an interesting exercise to ask everyone next Sunday morning to write on a blank piece of paper what they thought was the mission of your church. It is highly likely there will be multiple opinions or blank pages.
Business leaders spend a lot of money getting employees to fulfil the mission. But as important as this is to a business, we are talking about the church of God, which trumps any other endeavour. The purpose of the church is something that God has articulated, and He expects passionate compliance from His followers. This is all about God and His truth. It is a matter of living in harmony with God’s intentions for us. This concept of the mission is paramount since it emanates from our Father.
The Purpose of the Church
What, therefore, is the purpose of the church? However you may word your answer, the Great Commission (Matthew 28;19-20) is at the core and this includes making disciples BOTH locally and around the world. The local church has a primary responsibility to train Christians for Great Commission endeavours. This is borne out through several concepts in scripture.
- The central storyline of the entire Bible is how God redeems lost people.
- The Great Commission is a common denominator in each of the four gospels and the book of Acts (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 13:10; 14:9; Luke 24:44-49; John 17:18; 20:21-22; Acts 1:8.) It is obvious that God did not want us to miss this.
- This Great Commission imperative was strategically given at the end of Jesus’ ministry so that these would be the last words ringing in the ears of the disciples. It is almost like Jesus was saying: “I’m leaving and if you don’t get anything else done, make sure you take the gospel all over the planet.”
- The job description of a pastor (Ephesians 4:11-12) makes it clear that his role is to train believers for ministry. The local church may be a nice place to gather with like-minded people and we appreciate having a pastor who can serve as a shepherd in times of crisis. It is nice to have a preacher for weddings and funerals but ultimately, the pastor’s primary task is to “equip saints for ministry.” The local church is meant to be a training centre for Great Commission ministry.
- Jesus’ primary focus was preaching redemption. Jesus said: “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out” (Mark 1:38). “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Additionally, He says: “so send I you” (John 20:21). His mission is our mission.
- Jesus repeatedly made it clear that there was a singular mission for His life: “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47).
- In Jesus’ prayer in the garden, He said: “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world” (John 17:15.) And then goes on to say: “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world” (John 15:18.) It is obvious that Jesus had a mission for His disciples.
- The book of Acts is the story of how the church implemented the mission of the church. It is a practical example of His intentions.
- The Apostle Paul embodies the church’s mission, and his story dominates the pages of the New Testament. God made it abundantly clear on the road to Damascus that the Great Commission was to be Paul’s mission (Acts 26:16-18). That one mandate drove the Apostle Paul with an insatiable appetite to accomplish one thing: the evangelisation of the lost around the world.
- The first official missionary team was sent from a local church (Acts 13.)
- Fulfilment of the mission comes to a crescendo in the end times (Revelation 7:9-10; 15:4.) The completion of eschatology is preceded by the fact that “the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations” (Mark 13:10.)
- The church is not an organisation but an organism (Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Cor. 12:12-27,) and living organisms reproduce. Just like believers are to reproduce themselves, so also the local church should seek to replicate itself.
The Church Exists for the Mission
The evidence is overwhelming that the church is not an end to itself, but rather a means for accomplishing a much larger objective. God does not have a mission because of the church, He has a church because of the mission. The church exists because there is a mission. This concept is pivotal in ecclesiology. If a church acts like it exists for its own benefit, it will fulfil that viewpoint. If the church’s mission is the church itself, then everything will point inward, and it will become self-serving. If a church is not fully engaged in the Great Commission, there is good reason to question the validity of its existence.
Centripetal force is the opposite of centrifugal force which pushes things outward. Churches have a natural centripetal tendency. They can tend to be more concerned about keeping people than reaching people. So instead of thrusting outward, it draws everything in toward the centre. Believers often choose a church because it serves their needs and the desires of their families. It may be a good youth program, good music, or good preaching that attracts. Those are good things, but if serving myself is the primary focus, the natural tendency will be centripetal. However, like the stone thrown into the water causes an outward ripple, the command of Christ to the church is also centrifugal (Acts 1:8.)
Preparing for the Task
Each branch of the military has a version of “boot camp.” Basic training is the initial preparation of troops for service. It gives the soldier basic tools and discipline to perform the task ahead. It is designed to move a person from the civilian world to the military world. The purpose of boot camp is to prepare soldiers for a task. Similarly, the local church is a boot camp. It is a place to train Christians for the job ahead. The purpose of boot camp is not just for the sake of having boot camp. So likewise, the purpose of the church is not just to have a church. It is the means God uses to prepare saints for the work of the ministry.
Evaluating Programmes Against THE Mission
Every programme in the church should be evaluated by whether or not it helps to fulfil the mission. Do the things that will result in the Great Commission being fulfilled. The youth program should be designed to advance the Great Commission. Sunday School should equip the saints for the mission. The leadership of a church would do well to take the time every year to evaluate every programme in the church and ask the hard question of whether it is contributing to fulfilling The Mission of the church. Is every activity and Rand aligned around that mission? If not, the leadership will need to have the courage to either adjust it or delete it. Doing this will likely require some changes which will be uncomfortable, and possibly costly.
“Supporting churches” are wonderful – we love their heart to support and need them; AND, every supporting church should aspire to become a “sending church” as well. So, let’s make THE Mission the heart and lifeblood of our churches. Biblical Ministries South Africa is dedicated to working alongside churches as they evaluate and become increasingly mission-minded.
If you’re a church leader in South Africa seeking to evaluate where your church is currently in relation to mission work, we’re offering a robust diagnostic resource called the Church Missions Profile. This tool gives pastors and church leadership a snapshot of where your church is right now regarding the Great Commission. This profile serves as the foundation for our Mobilising to Light the Globe and/or Charting Your Course workshops – offered at no charge for church leadership teams.
Contact Us to receive free access to this tool and begin a conversation about how to move your church into being increasingly Great Commission focused.
