Millennials and Missions
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The purpose of this entry is to educate and enable this generation to actively participate in ministering to Unreached People Groups through culturally relevant and effective methods.
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[edit] Millennials and Missions
[edit] What needs to be done?
[edit] Biblical Foundation
List Biblical support behind ethnes and our calling as a kingdom of priests. See also Missions in the Bible.
How should the Old Testament proclamation of mission affect how we view missions and do missions in today’s world? In my opinion, the Old Testament proclamation of mission is forgotten in most pulpits today. Many preachers start with the New Testament idea of the Great Commission as their urging to do missions. Yes, Christians are called to make disciples of all nations (or peoples), but Christians have inherited a command from the Old Testament to be a blessing to the nations. The first two articles, “The Living God is a Missionary God” and “Israel’s Missionary Call” both make evident the fact that from the beginning of the Bible, God was about mission. The part of the first two articles that strikes me the most is the calling that we have as Bible-believing people to be a blessing to all peoples. In the article “Israel’s Missionary Call,” one sees a clear link between Israel as a holy priesthood to the New Testament concept of holy priesthood found in Peter’s letters. The idea that shines through in the article is the idea that as a holy priesthood, God’s people (the priesthood of all believers) is called to mediate or be a channel of God’s grace to a dark and dying world. The articles make clear that as we develop a philosophy of missions, we should not simply start with the New Testament, but we should look at the whole Bible for our philosophy of missions. In addition, when we evangelize, we should not simply hand new believers a New Testament as if the New Testament gives them everything they need to know about worshipping a missionary God and being a missionary people. I think the articles convicted me that we need to make sure that we are educating new believers all over the world in what the whole Bible has to say about the living God as a missionary God. Therefore, we need to begin to have more translations of the whole Bible into the languages of the world instead of only having New Testaments so that people can learn and gain a complete understanding of who God is and what He has done in history and in the world.
Contributed by Russell Stanley
Sources are the articles "The Living God is a Missionary God" by John R. W. Stott and "Israel's Missionary Call" by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. in the book Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader edited by Ralph D. Winter and Steven C. Hawthorne
The master’s plan was so clear and it was to use his people to reach the multitudes. We as the church have adopted the attitude that we have to cater to people’s wants by creating attractive programs that are going to bring people in to the church. This is completely contrary to the plan the Father set out for his church. His idea was not to set up programs that the multitudes were going to come to, he chose people who the multitudes would follow in this life mission called church. Instead of always griping about the programs the church is or isn’t doing actually take the people of the church and do something. Everyone can share an opinion on every subject and that’s what we choose to do while people are suffering all around us. The men of the church are called to be the spiritual leaders of the congregation and the family. Thank the Lord for faithful women because they are statistically much more faithful and involved in the work of the church then the men. This is such a sad trend because the Father’s plan was to pick out men who were going to be the leaders of the church. We have truly forgotten to trust in the Lord. If the church is not reaching people then the church is an institution not a people. We must change our mindset to reaching people through people not programs. Let’s follow the Master’s plan. (Adam Grubb)
[edit] Prayer
Discuss the importance of prayer in missions movements. See also Missionary Movements.
[edit] Violent, Persistent Prayer
Few missionary movements have stemmed out of anything but persistent prayer. In missions efforts, the greatest results come about when the Lord's people pray violently and persistently. Few of us know how to pray persistently, but perhaps even fewer of us understand how to pray violently. While I am not positive what violent prayer is, here are some thoughts about it. My first picture of a violent prayer was when Jesus confronted demons and drove them out through prayer. His rebuking of them was certainly violent! I believe we should use the same firmness and assertiveness Jesus used. Also, evil spirits are violent in their attacks, so it only makes sense that we need a violent response. My idea of violent prayer is that it's prayer that doesn't take no for an answer. We know for certain God's will is that these evil forces against missions be stopped, so we can pray boldly, assertively, confidently. Violence also implies consistent attack, which leads to the next question about why prayer must be persistent to be effective. Some say we should pray over a prayer request once, because if we pray over it again, it's like 1) doubting that God heard our prayer the first time and 2) He's not capable of answering our prayer unless we ask a lot. I see some truth in that, but two things cause me to question it. The first was Jesus' parable about the widow and the judge: his conclusion was that he told this story to show the disciples that we should pray and never give up. To me that implies that when we are asking for a just request (one in line with Gods will), we can continue to ask for it; and it implies that perhaps even God asks persistence of us in our prayers. I don't know why for sure, except for the fact that I believe one function of prayer is to change us as well. Maybe that's part of the reason that persistent prayer is effective, because we are changed (and maybe even become the answer to some of our own prayers?). Also, if the spiritual forces are constantly attacking/advancing, it would make sense that each prayer (or wave of attack) must be continued to counter each attack. Otherwise it's like repelling one wave of attack but letting the remaining forces continue on. Violent, persistent prayer for the sake of missions is necessary and perhaps even the vital force behind all missions efforts because it open the gates of Heaven to allow the Lord to move (without violating our free will) to make His glory known throughout the earth. --Katyhelena 08:49, 1 May 2008 (MDT)
When you fervently pray and God answers you can clearly see it in you life. There are some times when God answers in a way that we wouldn’t want it to happen, and then we complain about it. At least he answered the prayer! When we are talking about praying for peoples in unreached areas, we are talking about healing sicknesses, feeding the starving, raising people put of deathly situations, reviving villages, and bringing eternally salvation through these things. When someone is desperate for something and something greater than them saves them from that desperation, they can not help but be changed in some way. Most of these needs are so life changing that they will never be the same. If we pray for God to meet their needs then their eyes will be opened to whoever helped them out of their desperation. (Adam Grubb)
[edit] Cooperation
It is the church’s job to step away from being an institution and be what we are called to be in the scripture. The church is called the bride of Christ, which signifies the intimate relationship we, as the church, should have with Christ. It all begins with our individual relationships. If we are not intimately involved with the Father in our personal lives, then it is foolish to think that the church could be intimate with God. We are all called to further the Kingdom of God on this earth. If all we had to do is accept eternal salvation then our lives would be over that moment. We are left on this earth to be the light to the darkness. There are entire people groups who have never heard the name of Christ spoken in their lives. We are called as the corporate body of Christ to share the gospel to all who will hear. The church has nothing to do with a building, it is a lifestyle. (Adam Grubb)
Talk about the importance of reaching across denominational and cultural boundaries to reach UPGs. See also Collaboration.
[edit] Partnerships
In cooperating to reach the unreached, the Church is learning the importance and necessity of working together, cooperating, and collaborating. Partnerships are becoming increasingly necessary in order to both focus and increase efforts to reach the unreached. What one organization could not do alone, a partnership of organizations can. Denominations and different beliefs or backgrounds must fade away in comparison to the common mission of showing Christ to the world. By pooling resources, information, and techniques, partnerships and networks today can both intensify and increase their impact. Christ prayed that we might be one, and that when we are, the world will see Christ. It is time to start making Christ visible through our unity.--Katyhelena 07:50, 1 May 2008 (MDT)
Disunity undermines a gospel presentation. Christians often struggle with not wanting to be a part of a church when everyone is arguing over trivial matters. If it is difficult for a Christ-follower, it would be very difficult for someone outside of the kingdom of God to desire to come to faith in Jesus when they Christians they know do not get along.
Cooperation among Christ-followers models the gospel of reconciliation which they preach. People who work together because of their faith in Christ despite their differing views illustrates the nature of faith in Christ. It shows that humans do not fully understand the things of God and have to continue to grow in their faith. Cooperation becomes evangelism because it models the need for a growing faith in Jesus Christ. (sarah)
The scripture teaches that God will bless those who serve and love him. We as Christians have developed such a distorted view of blessing now that we often miss out on blessings that God is trying to give us. We also are so blinded by our own desires that we accredit God’s gifts as our own accomplishments. I see that the church has created a different idea of blessing. Instead of receiving physical, measurable things as blessings, Christians have made blessing mean an emotional feeling. God blesses in many ways but it is clear that one of those ways was supposed to be physical. We train ourselves to receive as little help as possible in order for us to be able to control things for ourselves but this also hardens our hearts to people and things that are simply trying to bless us. God did not mean for blessing to be passive. He actively and earnestly seeks to bless us every day but we have to receive blessings. We have to get past this idea that receiving blessings means that we are weak or incapable of doing things on our own. One part of serving God is allowing him to bless us so that we can turn around and use those blessings to bless others. (Adam Grubb)
Partnership exemplifies the fact that we are called to live this life together and do the work of Christ together. We are not supposed to worry about our selves. The best way to communicate this is to live the scripture. Philippians 2:1-11 says: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Adam Grubb)
[edit] Cooperation Between Styles of Missions
In the missions world today, too many claim that there is only way of doing missions--and usually, it is their way. A great debate in missions today is whether missions should be done through the social gospel or through evangelization and proclamation. Just as cooperation is becoming increasingly crucial between mission organizations, it is equally becoming crucial between these two styles of missions. Only when the social gospel and evangelization are married will the complete picture of the gospel be presented to the world. This issue is well addressed in an article by Samuel Hugh Moeffet called "Evangelism: The Leading Partner." While the title could suggest a push for the importance of evangelism over the social gospel, the article itself explains that this is not the case. Moeffet immediately states that evangelism "is not the whole of the Christian mission. It is only part of the mission" (p 575 in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement). He goes on to say that evangelistic proclamation can't be isolated from meeting the immediate needs of people; but he does say it is necessary and is the "leading partner" with Christian action. The fact is, evangelism is crucial. The Church can be so busy meeting people's needs in this life that we let them go straight into the next life without Christ. Yet evangelism by itself is crippled without a definite picture of Christ's life. There needs to be a partnership and cooperation between the two with the knowledge that one cannot exist without the other. They are both important, are both crucial, and need each other to be fulfilled. The gospel needs evangelism and Christian action to make it whole and relevant and powerful. Lest it sound simplistic, it takes wisdom to know how to balance the two. Christ, however, was the perfect example of this balance, as He both announced and lived the Kingdom. As the Church seeks Him, strives to become like Him, and lets Him guide and direct us, we will be able to find the balance between these two facets of the gospel. As Moffett wrote (p 576 in Perspectives): "[Proclamation and Christian action] belong together...[yet] while without the accompanying deeds the good news is scarcely credible, without the word the news is not even comprehensible!"-- Katyhelena 08:19, 1 May 2008 (MDT)
The authors say that the essential mission task is that all of the unreached people groups hear the gospel, start churches in their villages, and then turn around and spread the gospel themselves to all the people. It is also stated that the purpose of missions is that every tribe and tongue and nation will declare the glory of the Lord! Sometimes we get caught up in doing so much stuff that we forget about sharing the word of God and the gospel of Christ. We are supposed to use the tangible things as a doorway to sharing the truth with the people. It is easy and comfortable to build something for someone or bring them food, but it is tough to share the gospel especially with people who have never heard. Christ proclaims that there will be a day we every knee shall bow and every tongue confess the Jesus is Lord! (Adam Grubb)
[edit] What is currently going on?
[edit] Storytelling
Explain what it is and how to do it. See also Chronological Bible storying and Non-Book-People.
Based upon the article about communicating the gospel through the power of storytelling, how should our strategy for mission work and ministry change both in North America and around the world? First of all, Tom A. Steffen in the article “Why Communicate the Gospel through Stories?” points out that 75 % of scripture is in the form of a narrative. If the scripture is primarily in the form of story, then what does this say about how we are to communicate the gospel? I have noticed continually in my ministry that stories communicate the gospel in concrete form. Children understand the gospel better through the concrete details of stories. Therefore, within the context of my own ministry at Rule First Baptist Church, I have noticed that stories connect better with adults and with children alike. As far as mission strategy is concerned, I think that Steffen points out from his experiences in the Philippines that the people connect better with stories that describe failures and successes of people. Abstract theological propositions have been used as a means to teach the gospel for years, but I think we are re-discovering the value of the story as a way to connect the people that we are ministering to with the people of the Bible. In addition, we have to contextualize the gospel based upon the culture of the people. Jesus used agricultural analogies in order to connect with an agrarian society. In order to connect with an information wave society, the strategy will be different because we will have to recognize the different waves of culture and address those various strains of culture by connecting the contemporary reader to the historic culture of the Bible. Therefore, the story is a powerful tool through which to bridge this gap.
Contributed by Russell Stanley
Source is from the article "Why Communicate the Gospel through Stories?" by Tom A. Steffen found in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement edited by Ralph D. Winter and Steven C. Hawthorne
More about storytelling:
Relationship is everything in the storying process, because the storyteller must earn trust and the right to be heard. Storying has at least two important questions which need to be addressed:
- what are the listeners hearing?
- what am I, as the storyteller, communicating?
Also, it is important to be aware of the need to constantly review what is being done and storying can be an indepth Bible study for the one engaged in this ministry. In addition, it is important for a novice to enter into a mentor relationship as one learns the art of storying and a mentor may be thought of as 'a guide on the side.' Here are seven concepts to consider in the storying process:
- Oral learners will make information into a story in order to learn it
- Oral learners ability to learn and remember is superior to ours. An interesting quote is: "When a bushman dies, a whole library is lost, but when his house burns down his library does not!"
- Don't tell me, show me, mentor me!
- Put truth in context in order to live it.
- Think of bridges and themes which are natural connections for the storying process.
- Open and close your Bible, because it is a visual clue when the story begins and ends.
- There are 150 stories in the Bible; begin with the end in mind; tell what is appropriate; make sure it connects and the pattern needs to be continually cyclical (Parks 2008 Lecture Class: Missions in a Post-Modern World).
Jesus is our model for sharing stories. There are at least five reason to use the storying process to communicate the gospel:
- storytelling is a universal form of communication
- stories connect with our imagination and emotion
- every major religion uses stories...to impact its converts
- stories create storytellers
- stories provide an inoffensive, non-threatening way of challenging one's basic beliefs and behavior
Stories appear to bring us back to the simplicity of the Bible while sharing profound truths (Steffen 2006:405-406).
Reference:
Parks 2008 Lecture Class:Missions in a Post-Modern World
Steffen, Tom Why Communicate the Gospel Through Stories? 2006:404-406.
Winter, Ralph D. and Hawthorne, Steven C. eds. Perspectives 2006:404-406.
[edit] Church Planting Movements
Talk about what is going and why they are effective.
A key aspect of CPMs is new churches becoming church planting churches. Mulholland says that for missions to go full circle, the churches planted by missionaries need to become sending churches. These churches must continue the mission of the church in the world. This idea moves beyond the traditional understanding of missions. In the past, Muholland points out, have produced self-sufficient churches and left. Missionaries have been viewed as Western, affluent Christians going to other parts of the world. Planting churches that become actively engaged in missions will change the face of missionary work in the world.
Missionaries should come from many different social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds. This is the greatest testament of who God is and demonstrates the unity that come through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. These church becoming actively involved in missions broadens and deepens the our understanding of the gospel message. Our interpretation of the Bible is always limited by our own background and experiences. When Christians from around the world work together in missions, we will present a fuller and more accurate understanding of the gospel. (sarah)
Source: Kenneth B. Mulholland, A Church for All Peoples"
[edit] Home/Cell Groups
There is a need for a cluster of growing churches because each church is going to be unique to their immediate surrounding and their social traditions. If you look at every church they have their own way of doing things and understanding things. The goal should not be to get a large group of people to do things the same way we do them, but rather to get them to live based on the same truth that we live on. (Adam Grubb)
Discuss the importance of small group experiences.
[edit] Collaboration
How we can work together, partner with others.
[edit] How can you get involved?
[edit] Prayer
Setup links to UPG prayer pages and talk about ways to get people organized in praying for UPGs. See also Intercession for the non-Christians, Touch the World Through Prayer, Ethnê to Ethnê movement, and Intercession for the Peoples in this World.
First, to become involved in praying for missions, one must 1) pray to understand what prayer is, and 2) pray for the hearts of intercessors, and 3) be obedient to pray. See "Violent, Persistent Prayer" above (under What Needs to Be Done?: Prayer) to learn how to pray effectively for missions.
[edit] Links
Check out the following links to find helpful, effective ways to pray for missions.
Ethne's Harvest-Linked Prayer Strategy --Katyhelena 09:02, 1 May 2008 (MDT)
[edit] Promotion
We can feed ourselves by educating our people about what is happening and the needs that are not being met. We can pray for the missionaries as individuals and as a congregation. We can also give monetary support. We can write missionaries and let them know that they are encouraged from people who are grateful for the work they are doing, and will support them in their efforts. (Adam Grubb)
How do we get the word out? See also Mobilization
[edit] Why It's Necessary
Without an effort to promote missions and missions awareness, it is possible that the Church will continue plugging along with mediocre efforts to reach the world. As it stands, too many more missionaries go to the Christian or more-reached places? What can be done to decrease the imbalance? The answer is promotion and awareness. The fact is, more missionaries go to the easier places because they are, in fact, easier. In selfishness or sinfulness, it's easier to stay or go to places that don't push us out of our comfort zones. We care so little about the world we're human with sinful desires. Promotion can also help alleviate the second reason so few are going to the hard-to-reach places: ignorance. If more people were aware of the statistics, the stories, the people dying each day without hope, surely the Holy Spirit would open their eyes and they would be convicted, urged to go. In order to change the imbalance of missions, where few go where they're most needed, those issues of selfishness and ignorance need to be addressed. How can this best be done? Through teaching and promotion. Our churches need to teach the truth and the commandments, not complacency or self-focused issues. We as Christians need to strive to live the selfless life of Christ, one ready and willing to sacrifice, even if it means going somewhere uncomfortable. And we need to encourage each other to do the same. Specific efforts need to be made to reduce ignorance and raise awareness of situations overseas. Books should be written, testimonies should be shared, and churches should increase the awareness in their own congregations. Perhaps even specific organizations should be created to raise awareness of our responsibility to the calling and of the desperate need. It's sad we should need promotion of missions, because that should be found in our own Bibles and churches. The Church must pray to the Lord of the Harvest, for His work in hearts to send more out. We must put aside selfishness and ignorance to go out and reach the unreached, to love the ones on His heart. Maybe when we promote and pray, the imbalance will decrease and the world will be reached.--Katyhelena 08:06, 1 May 2008 (MDT)
The church has wasted so much time putting Band-Aids on wounds that need much more healing. It is easy for us to take them some food and give them some fresh water but if it runs out then it doesn’t satisfy the need. These people groups operate on a need based system. They harvest what they need and don’t waste energy on things that are fleeting and not a necessity. This should be the heart and attitude of the church. There are so many people around us that are desperate to feel their needs being met. (Adam Grubb)
[edit] Opportunities
How can you personally get involved? See also Ministry Types.
[edit] A Sending Lifestyle
To put it simply, a sending lifestyle is one where a person deliberately chooses to live more simply in order to put more money into missions. While not all are called to go overseas, many (if not most) of the Church could adopt the lifestyle that allows more resources to go to the places that need them the most. Just as much as a missionary's calling, the task of being a sender sounds exciting and challenging. More people should be aware of this part of missions, of the importance and necessity of living these kind of lifestyles to win the world to Christ. First, there should be a raised awareness of this kind of lifestyle. People need to realize how they can use their own lifestyle to help missions because most people have never heard about this way to be involved in fulfilling the Church's commission. More churches should commit to developing sending congregations. Secondly, mission organizations need to build into their structure people who support field missionaries. Many sending organizations call for full-time missionaries, but most do not call for full-time missionary senders. Mission organizations need to build senders into their programs as much as they need missionaries and to raise the awareness of this way to be involved in missions. Thirdly, Christians need to find ways to become senders ourselves and to encourage each other to develop these kinds of lifestyles. We need to look at what we spend on food and find ways to eat more simply. We need to find what we spend money on, the nonessentials, and discover how to cut those out. We need to encourage our Sunday school group to adopt sending lives. We need to teach our children to build missionary-sending habits into their lives. We need to be praying about new ways to constantly be sacrificing and serving. Perhaps when more Christians finally wake up and live lives that send others, the gospel will finally find its way to the uttermost parts of the earth.--Katyhelena 08:28, 1 May 2008 (MDT)
[edit] Missional, Mobilizing Churches
Another way or opportunity to be involved in missions is to help your church become a missional, mobilizing congregation. Churches should be encouraged to hire both a minister of missions and a minister of mobilization. Both would be responsible, with teams under them, to organize and inform the church of what the Lord is doing in the world and of the incredible needs of the peoples. The minister of missions could help focus on local and global missions efforts. At the same time, a minister of mobilizers would be responsible for helping the church walk through the process of becoming a church that lives for the needs of others. The greatest impact could be made by combining the efforts of both these two ministers/teams. Classes, seminars, and basic information-spreading could be implemented to help people see the needs of the world and to learn more about the Biblical basis/mandate for missions. Other classes, seminars, etc., could teach people how to become involved in missions, to become a missionary themselves, and/or how to live mobilizing lifestyles. Churches could provide training for people in skills and knowledge/theology they would need to become missionaries. Training should also be made available to help couples learn to budget better, to live simpler lives, and then how to use these changed lifestyles to be involved in mobilizing efforts. Too few churches have missions ministers, and even less (none?) have ministers specifically geared to mobilizing the congregation. If these two focuses became a priority for churches, we would see a dramatic change in congregations. Not only would we see churches developing a heart for the nations, we would also be seeing lifestyles that prove that heart.--Katyhelena 08:37, 1 May 2008 (MDT)
[edit] Media/Technology
Benefits of and ways for people to use media and technology in missions. See also Electronic communications and Internet Evangelism.
[edit] Why are these missionaries always so preoccupied with money?
Why are these missionaries always so preoccupied with money? It seems to be the first consideration in every decision. It doesn't compute, does it? Faith mission and the preoccupation with money seem to be a rather glaring contradiction.
