Many
churches nowadays express frustration with the workers they support. Why? In
two simple words: accountability and communication. The churches want (and
have a right) to know the details of their overseas worker’s life and ministry.
This is essential for prayers to be current, vision to be building within the
church, and for determining whether or not the people are being good stewards
of the Lord's time and money. Many overseas workers (mission workers) feel that
they have no time for such detailed communication and record-keeping.
Having
completed 30 years of service overseas, I have come to the conclusion that the
churches are right - the mission workers are wrong. There is time... if we make
it. Overseas workers (OWs) must make accountability and communication a
priority with their sending church. We cannot expect people back home to pray
and support us if they do not know what we are doing. However, at the same
time, the churches have a responsibility to faithfully fulfill the commitments
they make to their workers. In many ways, it is similar to a pastor's
relationship with his church. Most pastors expect certain commitments to be
fulfilled by their church members regarding both himself (such as a monthly
salary) and his ministry (such as participation in programs). In return, the
church also places certain expectations on the pastor (such as preaching and
visitation). The church and the pastor hold one another accountable for the
sake of Christ's kingdom. I believe this is the biblical model and should be
the same for a church and its workers overseas.
Jerry
Daley, my mentor, asked me to consider three questions and write up my thoughts as
they might pertain to the local church and sending out overseas workers. The
questions are:
1.
How can the local church do
missions better?
2.
What is the role for of a mission agency in the process?
3.
What should be the
expectations of a church who sends out an overseas worker?
This
week I’ll answer Jerry’s first question and next week I’ll cover questions 2
& 3. These are some of the things I believe need to happen in churches who wish
to do missions better. I am not referencing verses as I believe most of these
things are obvious and this is not meant to be a theological treatise. I look
forward to hearing from others too.
1. How can the local church do
missions better?
I
believe missions needs to be centered out of the local church. What does this
mean? It means churches need to reclaim what they have given away to mission
agencies. I believe Jesus gave the church, not the para-church the assignment
of reaching all peoples. Para-church ministries sprang up to come alongside
churches simply because the churches were either deficient or distracted in
raising up and sending out their own workers. There are two places I see the
church can do missions better; before a person is sent out and after the person
arrives overseas.
a. Before workers depart for
overseas the local church should be the center point for training and discipling
those headed overseas. In God’s plan, training and discipling are central to the
church, not seminaries or missionary training centers. Such places of learning
are usually out of the flow of normal, everyday life. Jesus trained His
disciples while doing life. We are commanded to make disciples as we are going through life. Discipleship
and modeling of the Gospel needs to first happen in the church member’s daily
life before s/he is sent out to do the same in another country. Courses studied
and experiences checked off a list are helpful but they are not Jesus’ criteria
for selecting workers. Jesus’ criteria centered on relationships; relationship
with God and relationship with others. This was measured not by grades but by a
person’s obedience to God and their character as lived out and observed by the
local the community. Church members need to be trained to be lights in their
daily life and work before they qualify for being sent overseas to be lights in
their daily life and work.
b. After workers are living
overseas the church who knows the worker and equipped the worker needs to
continue to be actively involved in ministering to and with the worker(s) they
have sent out. Though miles away, s/he is still a member of the church. There
should be regular, monthly or more, communication between the worker and the
church. Each overseas worker (OW) should have a mentor or coach in the church
who is their advocate in their home fellowship. This advocate should be working
to provide for the needs of the OW whether this be in prayer, funding,
coaching, etc. The local church should
have an active role in the work of the OW even when s/he is overseas.
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