Preparing To Participate in God’s Mission

Paul E. Pierson, Emeritus Dean of Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of World Mission, asserts that "Mission has normally come out of renewal.” We can firmly agree with his claim because the history of Christian mission demonstrates that the mission movement is always intertwined with the renewal of God’s people, both individually and congregationally. This connection also proves that when God renews his people, they begin to live on mission for Him.

However, a sad reality in the history of Christianity is that the mission and renewal movement remain peripheral to the church’s main activities. As renewal is absent among God’s people, we often see various movements and programs instead of mission work in the life of the church. To change this norm, we must understand and follow two key factors to foster the renewal and mission movement in our personal and community life.

1. The first factor is the faith illustrated in the Bible. When our faith is not aligned with the Bible, the renewal is ceased in our life and community, resulting in the mission becoming forgotten. Also, we forget our God’s given spiritual gifts and ability in order to bless the world. Most of the time, we think that doing mission is just for the pastors, ministers, professors, and evangelists, even though we know that ministry is for all of us and the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 makes clear that all of us are called to make disciples to all nations. Therefore, we need sound biblical and theological breakthroughs to grow our faith and recognize our unique gift for His mission.
2. The second factor is to explore the historical context of Christian mission, which provides valuable insights into the connection between mission and renewal. Christians in non-Christian countries often attribute that their ancestors became Christians due to the efforts of missionaries. It is important to examine the motivation that inspired missionaries to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, crossing the geographical and cultural boundaries, despite encountering many difficulties and obstacles in their labour. Therefore, the historical context in which missionaries operated is necessary to evaluate both their mission and renewal movements, as well as contemporary context and movements.

In closing, God has a specific purpose for each of us, and we are called to participate in God’s mission. Many Christians mistakenly think that the gospel of Jesus Christ and the mission of God can be altered by the historical context we live in, which is changing constantly. However, despite the world is changing so fast, the truth of the gospel and the essence of God’s mission remain true. It is essential that we should discover how we can participate in the unfinished task of mission as the history continues. In upcoming letters, we will continue to consider the role of faith, spiritual gifts, and historical study which will facilitate increased renewal and mission at Gracepointe Church and beyond.