Mobilizing the Local Church
While each individual Christian must take personal responsibility for Kingdom activity, the Great Commission is not to be accomplished alone. Missions mobilization should be ingrained in the DNA of each healthy local church.
Missions
Mobilizing the Local Church
While each individual Christian must take personal responsibility for Kingdom activity, the Great Commission is not to be accomplished alone. Missions mobilization should be ingrained in the DNA of each healthy local church.
Local Church
- The early church understood the need to care for their own while not losing sight of the mission at hand. (Acts 2:42-47)
- A local church without a desire to mobilize its members is nothing more than a religious country club.
- From the overflow of the local church, the nations will hear about God.
Missions Convictions
Prayer
- Both corporate and private prayer should be driven by a desire to intercede on behalf of the lost, the messengers, the Church, and for our own personal holiness.
- While strategy is important, prayer is foundational to missions.
People
- All people are created in the image of God and are worthy of love and compassion, no matter the circumstance.
- From the womb to the tomb, we must love, care, reach, teach, encourage, send, and serve our neighbor as ourselves.
Proclaim
- Followers of Jesus are called to proclaim the good news at all times.
- The local church must preach, train, equip, and mobilize people to share the gospel in their homes, schools, workplaces, and beyond.
Partner
- Partnership must be founded in a common desire to see the Great Commission advanced.
- Members, missionaries, fellow churches, and partnering churches all play a part in seeing people come to Jesus.
- While partnering organizations assist the local church significantly, they are the bridesmaid, not the bride.
- If the local church were doing what it was supposed to, parachurch organizations and other partners we know today, would not be needed.
Purpose
- All missions efforts, partnerships, and pursuits should seek to declare God’s glory, as a part of God’s mission, in light of God’s Word.
- When anchored in these truths, the purpose of the local church will align with God’s purpose.
Mobilization Opportunities
The role of the local church is to provide practical avenues for individual participation in missions engagement.
Pray – This integral piece of missions mobilization is founded in a desire to see what seems impossible be accomplished by the Spirit.
Give – Sacrificial giving is about more than writing checks. While some can financially support missions, others have time, talents, and experience to give to the cause.
Go – Whether, through local, national, or international missions service, some are led to engage darkness on the front lines.
Know – Missions knowledge is often overlooked as a practical way to engage in missions activity, yet it is a necessary piece of the plan.