A Christian commentator has laid out the reasons why he thinks the focus of Christian mission should make a shift.
Matthew Skirton writes at Christian Today that Christians need to change their ministry focus from short term to long term. He breaks his case down with an eye on the role of the church and missionaries in light of what they should be doing or thinking as they get involved in ministry.
But mission isn’t a unique calling for the few, but rather a command given to every Christian. Scripture clearly teaches that all disciples are called to make disciples. Speaking to his followers in Acts 1:8 Jesus tells them, “…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” We are witnesses to the saving grace of God, we are all commissioned to a life of mission, mission should never be seen as short term for a follower of Jesus.
So, if mission is about witnessing with our whole lives, why bother with short-term outreaches?
Skirton’s point is to give readers a different look at something that has been around for hundreds of years, asking, “Can it be changed? Should it?”
Perhaps too often, our idea of mission can be limited to a specific time or person. You ‘do’ mission for a short stint and then get on with the rest of your life, or someone is ‘called to the mission-field’. Whilst it is true that some have a specific calling to full-time ministry or overseas mission, the danger many of us can fall into is viewing mission as an exclusive and elevated activity for a very committed few.
But mission isn’t a unique calling for the few, but rather a command given to every Christian. Scripture clearly teaches that all disciples are called to make disciples. Speaking to his followers in Acts 1:8 Jesus tells them, “…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” We are witnesses to the saving grace of God, we are all commissioned to a life of mission, mission should never be seen as short term for a follower of Jesus.
Read the full article here.
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