Page 21 - Cross Booklet Draft ver1

CENTRALITY OF THE CHURCH

Sometimes the rather it is the heart of what we are ence the mountain climbing anal- approach these missions leaders or
statement is to be about in missions and in the ogy, you are attempting to establish elders and ask them if they would
said, ?Jesus Christian life. Disciples rise and fall a future ?Base Camp? like to commission
called us to most often in one life span, a well (church plant) at the you. With a willing and
make disciples, planted Bible believing and teaching top of the mountain. It humble heart, ask
t
not to plant church will build up those disciples won? look exactly like them if they see any
churches.? That and last generations, not just years. the base camp you red flags in your life
statement though is not accurate came out of, but it will that would inhibit you
and it leads to a diminishing of the So if the church is the heart of what carry all the key from serving
church here or wherever missionar- we are trying to accomplish over- markers. overseas.
ies go to work. Matthew 28:19 says seas, it would be wise to get to
As one interested in 3. Spend time devel-
church planting, here oping a genuine love
are some ways you for your church. Pull
can be developing a weeds (without pay),
close relationship carry sound equip-
with your base camp, ment, work in Sunday
your local church at School classes, ask to
home: sit in on Elder meet-
ings, take the key leaders to lunch
1. Become a member at your local (or coffee if your budget is tight)
church. If you are already a mem- and have at least seven questions
ber, make sure you have a clear un- to ask them. In short, make every
derstanding of what membership is effort to get to know and appreciate
and why it is important.
your home church, and let them get
2. Get to know the leadership that to know you.
?Go, therefore and make disciples know and be a part of the church are most closely involved with mis-
t
of all nations.? But don? stop there. here, in your home country, before sions. Spend time getting to know Before they leave for the field, good
Jesus continues in verse 20 and you go overseas. Unfortunately it is your church's missiology (theology missionaries know their home
says ?teaching them to obey all that somewhat common for someone to of missions), and when you are church, and their church knows
I have commanded you.? Part of get burdened about missions but ready to commit to going overseas, them.
what Jesus com- have no local church
manded us to do is that knows them, can
make disciples, but to speak to their character,
gather those disciples and would recommend
into churches and them for being mission- RESOURCES
teach them (Eph- aries. If you don? know
t
esians 4:11), nurture the local church, and
them (Ephesians 5:29- that local church doesn't 1. https://ssmfi.org/resources/
32) and guard them know you, who will send 2. https://www.9marks.org/article/missions-
(Acts 20:28). The you (Biblically), who will partnerships-home-churchs-perspective/
church should never be your authority, and
be viewed as an ?ex- how will you know what 3. What Is the Mission of the Church? by Kevin
tra? or optional thing a good church overseas DeYoung and Greg Gilbert
for us to consider, will look like?