Like P's In A Pod, Part 2

In my last blog post I said that I would elaborate upon the first three of six total key areas of missions focus for our congregation I mentioned in my June 22 sermon. I just realized that something happened when I tried to post that discussion and it cut off part of focus number 2 and all of 3. So, because of that, I want to follow up in this post with repeating those two and then addressed the remaining three. Remember that our first area of missions focus I proposed was our proximate community. In addition to that focus here are the rest of the areas I am praying we will prioritize.

Present Missionaries

There are a number of missionaries our church supports and also others with whom the church has connections. With each of these God has orchestrated things such that he developed the relationship with them and the congregation and also led them to the place in the world he wanted them. One of the most important ways we carry out the missions call is to care for and to support these brothers and sisters on the front lines. Every missionary needs a home church and also supporters who are praying for them, encouraging them, and helping them carry what is often a heavy load.

I trust that in the future God will call others from our church into missions and will guide them to the places in the world where he wants them to serve. We have the privilege and the call from God to stand with them. May it never be said of us that we forget our missionaries. Instead, may they sense that we lavish love, encouragement, and grace upon them.

Peoples Unreached

One of the greatest needs in missions for our day and time is to send missionaries to reach those peoples who have no access to the gospel—some 27% of the world. We know that God has redeemed people from every tribe, language, nation, and people group (Rev. 5:9), we know that Jesus Christ will not return until the gospel is proclaimed throughout the whole world (Matthew 24:14), and we also know that for all people who never hear and/or respond positively to the gospel, they will face the eternal wrath of God (Mt. 10:28; Rom. 10:13-17; Rev. 20:14-15). For all of these reasons, one of the main areas of focus for us as a church should be to cast vision for sending people to unreached peoples and for supporting such missionaries.

One of the most strategic directions we can go in the future is to reach out to international students at UNK who can take the gospel back to their countries and who live among unreached peoples. This fall we will launch an outreach to UNK international students and you will have an opportunity to be involved. Be praying about this and be prepared for involvement.

Pastors Undertrained

In Ephesians 4 Paul teaches that grace has been given to each believer which can be used somehow in accordance with another gift Christ has given (7), and we find out later on that gift is leadership (11). If I understand this text correctly, pastors are tasked with equipping the saints for the work of ministry (12) and, as such, they help each saint live out the transforming grace given to each believer. Therefore, though each believer is empowered by the Spirit to live out the Christian life, they will be hindered or helped by those who are teaching and equipping them. I take all this to mean that a missions movement among any people group or in any location of the world will be helped or hindered by the leadership there. Are they teaching the Bible accurately (2 Tim. 2:15), which includes teaching the core of the Bible, the gospel and how it applies to believer and unbeliever alike (see Rom. 1:12-16; 16:25; Gal. 1:8-10)? Are they showing Christians how to share their faith and to make disciples (see Mt. 28:19-20; 2 Tim. 2:2)?

As I pray through the very helpful resource, Operation World (by Jason Mandryk), I discover that nation after nation and people group after people group is short on trained leaders or struggles in some way from poorly trained leaders.

All of this leads me to believe that helping to train the 3.2 untrained or undertrained pastors throughout the world (along with other leaders who lack basic training) can have a large impact upon the spread of the gospel throughout the world.

Parentless

This area of focus is one in which there is heart-wrenching need. There are 145 million orphans worldwide. This is also a mercy ministry in which the gospel is displayed in a strong way. After all, every person who truly trusts Jesus Christ as savior has been adopted into the family of God (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5-6; Eph. 1:5). Though at one time we were not part of the family, now we have received God’s mercy and are part of his family (1 Peter 2:9-10). What a great picture of the gospel adoption is and what a great opportunity to evangelize and disciple someone who may not otherwise hear about Jesus Christ!

So, for these reason alone this need is worthy of our attention, time, and resources. But, God is also doing a work in our congregation to give people a passion for orphans.  Some of this has come from God bringing families here who have adopted. Given what God is doing, this is also an area we will regularly focus upon here at MEFC.

Poor and Persecuted

This final area is also one that has been a passion of people who are part of our congregation and so seems to be a direction in which God is leading. This is true from Be The Gift Nebraska ministry to single parents here in Minden all the way to Mission II Haiti ministry with water wells and the Voice Of the Martyrs ministry to the persecuted.

Not only is it important to stand with those brothers and sisters around the world who are harmed and even face death because of their witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, but part and parcel of following Jesus Christ is ministering to the needs of those who hurt (Isaiah 58:1-12; Mt. 25:31-46; James 1:27).

And So…

Each of the six missions areas I have chosen to prioritize here at the MEFC is an area of great need, is also the passion of someone(s) else in the congregation, and finally each is a passion of mine.

With all this in mind, let me make just a few more points about application.

First, no one congregation can do everything and focus on all the missions needs. I realize that even the six I have set forth is more than enough for us. My desire is to teach upon them regularly, cast vision, see what God does with each, and I fully expect that some areas will emerge as valued by more in the congregation than others.

Second, when we can engage in ministries that combine multiple focus areas, these should become priorities among the priorities. For example, reaching out to international students in our area (proximate community) so the gospel can go back to unevangelized areas (peoples unreached), and then eventually to be part of training leaders among those peoples (pastors undertrained) should be a ministry that engages much of our time, prayer, and resources in the near and far future. Another example would be working in and through Mission II Haiti in such a way we not only help those in need (poor), but also partner with those helping orphans (parentless), and seek to encourage the training of leaders in Haiti who can make disciples and build up the Church to multiply there (pastors undertrained).

Finally, remember that in the June 22 sermon I mentioned the six ways we can get involved in one or more of these focus areas: Learning, sending, praying, welcoming internationals, mobilizing Christians to be involved in missions, and going ourselves. I encourage you to begin praying and asking God to direct you in the ways that he would have you be involved.