Missions...

     We hear it a lot at church, we talk about it, we put it in the bulletin, and we even have a bulletin boards all over church that speak to missions. But what is it really? And what motivates people to be “mission minded?”

     First let’s consider that most churches today are “maintenance minded” not “missions minded.”

Someone has made a little chart up that shows the difference between the two...

Maintenance Minded Churches have the mind set of -

How many pastoral visits are made?

If this change proves upsetting to anyone we won’t do it!

How will this affect ME?

We have to be faithful to the past.

Seeks to avoid conflict at ALL costs.

Managerial in nature.

Concerned with only the “church’s” needs.

How do we get people to support the church?

How do we save our church?

  

Mission Minded Churches have the mind set of -

How many disciples are being made?

If this will help us reach people on the outside we will take the risk and do it!

How will this increase our ability to reach those on the outside?

We have to be faithful to the future.

Understands conflict will happen and deals with the issue.

Transformational in nature.

Concerned with meeting needs.

How can the church support the community?

How do we reach the community?

As you can see – the two are miles (and minds) apart.

 Let’s forget for a moment that God commanded us as HIS church to be future focused, to be mission minded, to be people pursuers, to be other oriented. Even if we put all that aside there is still a compelling reason to mission minded –

Because you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength – and your neighbor as yourself...

 If you love God, the One who saved you, in that way – frankly being mission minded would happen automatically. It would be nothing more than a manifestation of that deep rooted love.

 Webster’s defines mission as – “a continuing task or responsibility that one is destined or fitted to do or specially called upon to undertake.”(Merriam-Webster, Inc. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus. Previously published as: Webster's collegiate thesaurus. Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996, c1988.)

It would be safe to say that the God Lover is destined, specially called upon to reach up and out, not in a single mission event – but as a continual responsibility for the Kingdom of God.   The greatest motivation for mission mindedness is that fact that you love GOD with all that you are, and your neighbor as yourself. I believe that there is no greater motivation than this.

Love’s a mission – let’s live it!