The Mission Centric Church

1. The Mission Centric Church Developing a Mission Oriented Church

2. Overview 1. Presuppositions 2. Some Positive Trends 3. Barriers to Missions 4. Overcoming Barriers 5. Going Beyond Your Own Church

3. Presuppositions #1 • The Church is called to do Missions . • Acts 13:1-4 • Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." • Acts 13:3-4 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

4. Presuppositions #1 • The Church is called to do Missions Continued. • Matthew 16:18-19 18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. 19 • "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

5. Presupposition #2 • IMB (SBC) • NAMB (SBC) • State Conventions • Associations • Para Church Groups • These are partners • They are not necessarily to be the only one leading in missions. • They are resources. • They develop expertise to lead us. • Churches can develop this expertise also.

6. Presupposition #3 • My Personal heart is with UPG’s • Better yet UUPG’s ( Unengaged Unreached People groups) • 90% of the world’s mission force serves in areas that have the gospel. • 10% serve in places that have no real access to the gospel. • 95% of the world’s pastors are seeking to reach 5% of population.

7. Key verses : Romans 15:20-21 20 And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man's foundation; 21 but as it is written, "They who had no news of Him shall see, And they who have not heard shall understand."

8. Presupposition #3 Continued • UPG’s Continued . • ~87% goes for work among those already Christian, World C. ~12% for work among already Evangelized but Non-Christian, World B.~1% for work among still Unevangelized and Unreached people groups, World C. Source AD 2002 web site.

9. Presupposition #4 • I make distinctions between Missions and Ministry. • We call missions… • Missions is to the unreached. • Ministry is to areas that have the gospel. • Some are cross cultural ministries. • Both are biblical mandates. • Both must be done by the local church.

10. Presupposition #4 • Reasons we make the distinction: • Churches will say they are missions minded. • They may give & talk about missions. • They usually do some local ministry project. • But…most times that becomes the extent that they will do “missions” . • The local ministry is their only “missions” work. • Therefore since they do local “missions” they feel they have fulfilled the idea of church do missions requirement.

11. Positive Trends in Church Missions PowerPoint has new layouts that give you more ways to present your words, images and media. Positive

12. Churches Are Catching on to Missions Activity • Many more churches are showing up to mission meetings meaning there is more interest in missions work. • Short term missions participation has grown. • Lottie Moon giving is up.

13. Positive Trends in Church Missions PowerPoint has new layouts that give you more ways to present your words, images and media. Positive

14. Positive Trends in Church Missions PowerPoint has new layouts that give you more ways to present your words, images and media. Positive

15. Positive Trends in Church Missions PowerPoint has new layouts that give you more ways to present your words, images and media. Positive

16. Hurdles in Church Missions Life Why talk about hurdles?

17. Hurdle #1 • Many churches have old ideas of church mission involvement to denominational entities. • They allow the denominations to missions for them. • Jerry Rankin • “It is not the job of the IMB to do missions on behalf of Southern Baptist”

18. Hurdle #1 Continued • Turned over their responsibility to Para Church organizations • 80% of CCCI support comes from SBC churches and people. • Many Para church groups come expecting churches to implement their program. • Many churches comply.

19. Hurdle #1 Continued • Missionaries sometimes foster this attitude of turning it over to the agency. • Re: They do not desire to work with the church. • It can be messy. • Churches may not “get it” • Churches have an agenda not related to the work on the field.

20. Hurdle #2: Theological Hurdle • Most churches do not have a basic theology of missions.

21. Hurdle #2: Theological Hurdle Most do not understand the idea of nations equal ethic groups. Most do not understand the whole promise in Genesis 12:1-4 . They do not understand God’s missions emphasis through the OT where His glory will be proclaimed among all people groups . Verses like this….

22. Hurdle #2: Theological Hurdle Psalm 22:27 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations will worship before Thee. Isaiah 11:1010 Then it will come about in that day That the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. Isaiah 12:4 And in that day you will say, "Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted."

23. Hurdle #2: Theological Hurdle Most do not understand how missions can relate to the second coming as related in Matthew 24:14. 14 "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.

24. Hurdle #2: Theological Hurdle Many are not aware of how the great commission in Matt. 28:19 is to make disciples among the “ethnos” Many are not aware of Revelation 5:9 or Rev. 7:9 how every tribe and tongue will be represented around the throne and WE can have a role in seeing that happen !

25. Hurdle #3: Fort VS Outpost Mentality • Characteristics: • Inward focused. • Seeking to build lots of buildings • Seeing the buildings as very important to church growth. • Developing self serving philosophies of church outreach.

26. Hurdle #4 Listening to Lies about Missions Ken Perkins: 10 Lies about Missions

27. Hurdle #4: Pastoral Hurdle • Many Pastors are way too over loaded. • They cannot add something new to the mix. • Expectations on pastors is crazy. • Consumer models of church have not helped this. • People expect the pastors to do it all. • Consumer church. More on this later.

28. Hurdle #4: Pastoral Hurdle • Holding to a numbers based mission ideas. • How Many trips have you done? • We need to have a team out every week of the year. • How much money have you given

29. Hurdle #4: Pastoral Hurdle • Having a missions strategy that only involves giving to the CP and leave that work to the professionals. • Idea was fostered in pastors for years. • We have thus created this huge disconnect with the churches. • This worked well in generations that were strong denominationally • Missions education was good. • We have not done a very good job of keeping up with the culture.

30. Hurdle #4: Pastoral Hurdle • Holding to a harvest focus in missions. • Looking to be able to have something to share with the people as to why they spent “ all that money” • Business models of missions. • More ROI minded that biblically minded.

31. Hurdle #4: Pastoral Hurdle • Doing local VS UPG mindset in missions.

32. Hurdle #4: Pastoral Hurdle • Primarily focused on their local area. • “We consider our neighborhood our missions focus area”

33. Hurdle #4: Pastoral Hurdle • Having a fear that international work will take away from buildings that the church desires to build. • We cannot teach our people that they cannot out give God and then turn around and practice some thing different when it comes to church finances. • Francis Schaeffer: • 2 Highest ethics in America. • Personal Peace • Prosperity.

34. Hurdle #4: Pastoral Hurdle • Many are afraid to send people to hard places in the world. • Churches and pastors lack a theology of suffering and understanding of what the scriptures teach on suffering.

35. Other Hurdles • Having consumer church model. • Walmart example: • The needs of the witnesser outweighs the needs of the lost.

36. Other Hurdles • Missions ideas that say missions is about a trip. • Once I have done a trip , I have done missions. • This is a part of mission not an end in itself.

37. Other Hurdles • Pinging Model of missions strategy. • We go wherever we can. • We go as often as we can.

38. Other Hurdles • Humanitarian missions • Becomes more about financial support than the gospel.

39. Moving toward a Mission Centric Church

40. #1: We Must develop a good Theology of Mission in our churches. Changing Ideas

41. Developing a Theology of Missions in the local church. • Sermons from the pulpit. • Few are doing this. • Discipleship Class: • Develop a class to teach these principles. • Perspectives Course

42. Developing a Theology of Missions in the local church. • Teach Mission Theology through trip training. • Every trip participant hears about UPG’s • They hear why we do what we do. • They hear scripture verses about the nations. • They do not get the full strategy.

43. Developing a Theology of Missions in the local church. • Use Training Tools: • CD’s • Books • Examples • Video’s • Info Bytes • Web • www.lbcmin.com

44. Developing a Theology of Missions in the local church. • Bring in special guests: • David Garrison • CPM Ideas. • Ken P. • Persecuted church seminar. • Did more to move our people along than most of the seminars we have attended. • What if I am in a church that cannot afford a guest speaker?

45. Developing a Theology of Missions in the local church. • See about taking people to meetings and conferences where they can connect. • Networking is huge in training people . • The more people you can connect with the better training you can bring to your people.

46. Developing a Theology of Missions in the local church. • See about taking other staff on a trip. • Provide money to go. • Take them with you. • Send them with another church. • Some state conventions give scholarships.

47. Developing a Theology of Missions in the local church. • Educating Children • Some materials out there • Also do special nights • Passport night • Meet the missionary night • Expose kids to our mission center • A Great number of the M’s they are seeing coming through the IMB went through GA’s /RA’s years.

48. Developing a Theology of Missions in the local church. • Educating Children • Tap home schoolers for future missionaries.

49. Developing a Theology of Missions in the local church. • Educating students. • Missionary Development program • 1 Year • Training • 3 Options: • One year @ Word of Life • One month with one of our missionaries. • Regular two week trip.

50. Further Ideas in Training the Body of Christ.