MISSIONS IN THE LOCAL CHURCH

III         Doing missions in a local Church

1. Christians need to understand their positi­on

Howard Snyder worked this out during the first Lausanne Con­gress and showed the exciting fact that the church does effect the world and the heavenly regions, as Paul shows especially in the letter to the Ephesians. But the average christian is not aware of the great implications of his christian living. He does not see the effects and for that reason he cannot get enthusiastic about it.

            Imagine John Peterson working in the Rolls Royce factory in England. When people ask John what work he is doing, he can answer: My work is put­ting pieces of iron in a corner on a facto­ry-site. This answer never impresses people and it does not give John a sense of con­tentment.

            The reaction is totally different when John answers that he is involved in the production of Rolls Royces. When he answers that, he cannot help but feel a little proud and he is better motivated to do a good job the next day.

A good director of a company will make sure that alle workers have a sense of producing an important product. So does good church-leadership make sure that each and every churchmember is aware that we are part of God's Strategy in Human Histo­ry (title of an excellent book by R.T.Forster and V.P.Marston).

The community should hear regularly  that the church is made for world-wide outreach.

2. A Central Task Force needs to be set up.

This is just another way of saying that a committee needs to be installed, but this wording (which I owe to Stoesz) sounds more active and is therefore more accurate. Its task will be to fur­the­r missi­ons-awareness.

There is the real danger that the moment a committee is for­med, all other members will think that they are not actively needed any more. The main purpose of the Central Task Force should be to achieve the opposite: to make sure that every church­member becomes connected to the missionary enterprise.

The seize of the committee should fit proportionally to the seize of the local community, but if possible, people of different age-groups and from both sexes should be involved.

Ideally this Task Force is interlinked with the Leadership-team, the Youth Group, the Men's group etc.

The Central Task Force will have to write a Local Church Policy that, among others:

- prevents decisions based on personality or momentary whims
- defines responsibilities of church, missionary and the mission agency

This committee will be in contact with the denomination's missions headquarters, and/or with other organisations.

Members of the Task Force can divide the responsibilities so that all following aspects are given attention by at least one member.

3. The church must become globally active.

In order to achieve this the follo­wing actions need to be taken:

3.1 Pray.

The church must learn how it can Touch the World through Prayer. This is the title of Wesley L. Duewel's very instruc­tive book. Innumerable and strongly motivating are the stories from the mission-field about what God can do in answer to prayer.

            It is of the greatest importance that prayer for missions is not relegated to a prayer-group only.

It should be normal that mission is an integral part in all different meetings; for youth, elderly members, or whoever meets. Especially the sunday worship-service is crucial, for it is the only moment that all members are gathered at one place.

3.2 Inform the church about the world-scene

Regularly the community should get information on developments on the fields. This can be transmitted through reports during the service and through the church-bulletin. This information can be obtained by reading (for instance Alliance life and Alliance World, Pulse, or publications from the national Evange­lical Missionary Association). One of the best compre­hensive sources of information is Patrick Johnstone's Operati­on World.

3.3 Inform the church about missiona­ries.

Missionaries prayer-letters are essential reading. Correspon­dance with the people on the field assures accurate and up-to-date information. In the NT we see that Paul considered it important to inform the churches about his doings and he implored them to use that information for prayer.

3.4 Care for missionaries on the field.

A mature and reliable link person should be appointed to assure that the church is aware of the needs of a certain missionary. Together with the Special Task Force, this person can make sure that the community will let a missionary concre­tely expe­rience its care. This could be in the form of:

- sending teaching tapes or sermons every no and then
- sending newspapers
- having "an open ear" when they are frustrated
- taking care of special needs
- remembering birthdays

3.5 Care for missionaries on Home Assignment.

The wording Home Assignment expresses better than the word furlough what it means to be in the home-country. Most missi­onaries have a rather heavy workload during their time 'home'. It is very important that the local church "prot­ects" the missionaries for too much activity.

Give them time to relax, to get used emotionally to living in their own country again, because they have gotten alienated from it and need to re-adjust.

Give them time to get used to their own church.

Give credit to their experience. If possible, let  missiona­ries participate in board-meetings.

Have them go to retreats and/or conferences for spritual refreshment.

The Local Church can play a vital role as to:

·        Arrival and travel.

            Make sure the missionary is met at the airport and try to arrange transportation (a car) for the furlough-period.

·        Accomodation.

            Make sure that they have a good place to stay. Do not automa­tically assume that single missionaries want to live with relatives. Check out their wishes in advan­ce.

·        Food.

            It is a very nice and encouraging gesture when the missi­onary finds the cupboards filled with first-needed items­.

·        Finan­ces.

            Make sure that the missionary has enough financi­al means (check with the mission's office). Offer help on how to handle finances; this is one of the fas­test changing as­pects of our society and often you feel like a child when coming back after a few years abroad.

·        Pastoral needs.

            Be sensitive to special emotional needs and check with the mission's office if specialist help should be sought.

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