On Mission
This month is a significant one in the life of the church – it’s the month, this year, that we celebrate Resurrection Sunday! While such is at the core of our weekly celebrations throughout the year, during the Easter season we are reminded of the truth of Messiah that has the power to set captives free – and others are also more inclined to think about such things.
Because of what Jesus has accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection, we – who are in Christ – now have new life & a new purpose. Part of that new purpose involves being those who are in, but who are not of, the world in which we live (Jn. 17:14-16), and we are sent out as ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor. 5:20) to share the truth of the gospel & make disciples of all nations (Mt. 28:18-20)!
The LORD calls some of the body of Christ to long-term mission work, but how do those who are not do missions well? Thinking about this, I came across an article written by a guest writer for the Chuck Lawless website/blog (named Will who is a cross-cultural worker who trains leaders in another part of the world) [Six ways for your church to do short-term missions well, accessed at https://chucklawless.com/2015/08/six-ways-for-your-church-to-do-short-term-missions-well/ on 3/26/2026]. Take a look at what this worker writes...
“Short-term missions are a great way to get church members exposed to the spiritual needs in other parts of the world. Many times, these trips also motivate church members to be more active in sharing their faith once they return...here are six ways to strengthen your approach:
- Think strategically. Ideally, all short-term trips should work in conjunction with the overall strategy of a long-term missionary on the ground. In planning your trip, ask the missionary, ‘How can we help advance your work?’...If you think strategically, your trip can be a catalyst that enables the missionary to engage a new neighborhood, a new village, or possibly even start a new church.
- Partner with the same people. Since the lasting value of short-term mission trips come from partnering with field personnel, the best question to ask when planning...is: ‘Who do I trust and how can I invest in their work?’...partnering with people over a long period increases the strategic value of future trips – you have a relationship with the missionary, you are familiar with his strategy, and you know about the target culture.
- Start in your neighborhood. Before you get on a plane and fly halfway around the world, do some research on your own neighborhood. There may be some unreached people groups – or at least some people who have a different cultural background as you – in your own neighborhood. Get to know them. Share the gospel with them.
- Train your members. The best short-term teams arrive on the field already prepared and equipped. The most well-equipped person is the one who has a vibrant walk with the Lord, but churches should also equip their people to prayerwalk, tell their testimony, and share the gospel...
- Listen to the field personnel. Great short-term teams recognize that the goal of their trips is to assist the long-term missionary. To that end, they listen to and learn from the missionary in issues related to culture and strategy. They go as learners.
- Commit for the long-term. Few things encourage a missionary more than hearing a church say, ‘We care about your people/city as much as you do, and like you, we want to do whatever we can to reach them.’ Whether your church can send one team a year or ten teams, partner with the long-term missionaries and commit to support them for as long as they are there.”
We have the blessing of partnering with some amazing servants of the Lord. I would conclude that for some of these points we are doing well...and for others we still have much room to grow. What are your thoughts?
May we see the resurrected Jesus reign in us! And as we do, may He be magnified among us!
May the LORD bless & lead us as we seek Him.
Pastor loves you!
And I’m honored to serve HIM alongside you.