In Acts 8, a great persecution rises against the early church, which drives them outward from the familiarity and ‘religious safety’ of Jerusalem and the temple to Judea and Samaria. It marks the first geographical movement of the Gospel, as promised by Jesus back in Acts 1:8; “… you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
And the gospel has continued to go out to the ends of the earth, often at great pain and sacrifice, until eventually it has reached your ears. God has been in the business of Gospel propulsion up to today. And as a follower of Christ, you have been let in on the work; incredibly, you’re a part of the mission.
We follow, after all, a savior who died for the sins of the world; who has been resurrected and glorified as Lord of all nations; who is bringing us to a place where He will be praised by people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.
And the model given us by the early church is one of partnership. We know the churches in Antioch, Corinth, and Philippi sent those they (or sometimes others) had set aside outwards, enabling them to continue to spread the Gospel beyond the confines of what we might now call their parish.
These churches weren’t outsourcing something they knew needed doing but were too lazy to do themselves. They did more than just support mission; they were partners. Which I want to suggest, is exactly what we as a church want to be. Not just mission supporters, but mission partners.
So, with that in mind, here are 3 ways that mission partnership plays out at St Michael’s: (and a specific action point/next step for each!)
Deeply
Chris Adams describes ‘mission compulsion’ as: “A willingness and conviction of the truth of the gospel of Jesus, and the desire to make him known to others”. That’s a compulsion worth desiring; and it means that we don’t settle for knowing that some of our offertory goes to mission people and organizations. Instead, we want to care deeply for those we are sending out; at the very minimum being aware of who they are and what they do. We want to care about them personally, being regularly informed and updated as to where their joys and struggles are. Each congregation has 2 mission partners – hopefully you know who yours are. I encourage you to sign up for their prayer newsletters and updates to keep them on your mind and in your heart.
Practically
We are of course, not to neglect the physical needs of those on mission. For them to be freed up and set aside for Gospel work, people and churches need to set them aside. For our mission partners at church, those financial decisions are made by Parish council and the wardens. But practical partnership has a wider scope than simply money. There are many creative ways to practically support your mission partners, from letters to a short-term visit; your only limitations are what can realistically be achieved in life!
If you ask your mission champion how you could best practically support your mission partners, I’m sure there’d be a way that they have thought of.
Prayerfully
We know that while mission people and organizations can plant and water, only God can give growth. And so, it’s only right that we come regularly before him in prayer, asking for the sustenance of his workers that we partner with. Picture a church where every member is praying weekly for their mission partners by name. Then imagine being on mission, and the encouragement of hundreds of weekly prayers offered up on your behalf. So, my encouragement is to use our new church Prayer Resource, along with a prayer app or paper diary, to commit to praying for your congregation’s mission partners weekly by name.
We’re partners after all, in the propulsion of the good news of salvation.
What a privilege! What a joy.
Justin Blanch
Ministry Trainee
