Missionaries in the Middle
My colleagues do a good job each issue, writing about missionaries who are reaching unreached people. And the stories have impact because we see God’s hand at work.
But each story doesn’t actually start with a missionary. Nor does it end with a new believer. That’s only the middle part.
Missions Starts and Ends with the Church
In reality the story starts with the church. A local church sending a missionary to the field through Ethnos. Then other local churches and individuals jump on board, supporting that missionary to see those unreached people become reached.
And the story ends with the church, a new body of believers established among that people group, which in turn begins a new chapter of the story.
In 2019, we’re widening our vista to include that first part of the story — churches sending and supporting missionaries. That emphasis will be reflected in our prayer emails, website and magazine articles and on social media all year.
The missions committee spends a day in prayer for the missionaries.
Great Ideas to Do Missions Well
Wherever you are on the missions continuum, we hope that highlighting these missions-minded churches encourages you, maybe even challenges you, but definitely moves you forward on the path.
We kick off the year with an in-depth look at the missions focus of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California. Read the article to find out not just what they do in the realm of missions, but the mindset that makes missions such an integral part of the church.