Engaging in God’s mission

Rev. Prince Devanandan

What is Mission?

Mission

Mission› an important assignment given to a person

or group of people.

Mission – in religious term› the vocation or calling of a religious

organization, especially a Christian one, to go out and serve.

What is a Christian’s mission? Mission is the participation of Christians in the

liberating mission of Jesus. It is the good news of God’s love, incarnated in

the witness of a community for the sake of the world. David Bosch Transforming Mission

What is the mission of a church?

Is there a mission of the church?

Church exists to serve Godin God’s mission

“It’s not the church that has a mission. It’s the God of mission who has a church.”

Tim Dearbourne

If the church is worried about itself, it cannot be a church but a club of like-minded people trying to exist for their own pleasure and needs.

What is God’s mission? John 3:15 – “Indeed, God did not send

the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

What is God’s mission?

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

How do we perceive our mission?

Locally Regionally Globally

As smaller congregations w

hat is

our missi

on?

LOCALLY

In our local context – mission is being the embodiment of Christ’s Love.

How Can we

do this?

Mission is...

1. Caring For Individual People and Communities

2. Building Partnerships With Other Churches And Groups Who Share Some Of Our Mission

3. Sharing the Task of Education and Social and Spiritual Development

4. Struggling for a just world. 5. Being alongside the poor

Mission is...

6. Becoming friends with people of different cultures and faiths

7. Caring for the Earth 8. Telling the good news of Jesus 9. Calling people to faith in Jesus

Christ and Christian Discipleship

What is required for mission?

Compassion Commitment Cost (time – availability)

How do we find resources for God’s mission in our village / suburb?

What are the resources we need? › People who know God’s love to make God’s

love known› Inspiration through preaching and teaching

to do God’s mission› Prayerful discernment of what God wants

us to do

Partnership

With other Churches Apostolic faith, evangelism, discipline,

preaching of the word, class meetings, personal and social holiness

Committed to the reign of God and the proclamation of the good news for all

Condemnation of world economic system that exploits the poor for the benefit of the rich

Go out into God’s mission to

Do what you canWhere you are

With what you have

You supply the willingnessGod supplies the power - Anon

God’s Mission – Biblical descriptionLuke 4: 18,19

Good news to the poor Proclaim release to the captives Recovery of sight to the blind Let the oppressed go free Proclaim the year of the Lord

Worship – is where the people come to know God’s mission The church’s role is to increase awareness of God’s presence among the people, to obey God’s call to serve and to celebrate God’s love. Once the people are aware – they go out to live out what they have experienced.

Why should we engage in mission?

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…1Peter 2: 9

Therefore we must engage in God’s mission

How do we engage in God’s mission?

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.   No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

› Matthew 5:13 – 16

TIMEFRAME for MISSION

Any mission we engage in needs to be reviewed.

One year or two or three years

Why?

Yesterday’s missions are today’s maintenance

We must not get caught in the structure

Mission Machine

Monument

If you have some work to do,Start this very hour;

You supply the willingness,God supplies the power.

— Anon.