This weekend, I’ve been speaking and leading workshops at a local church in the Great Pacific Northwest. As I wrap up the weekend, I’m left with the question — Why does this one local church seem to “get it,” without even much help? Their elders understand unreached peoples and cities and have arranged the budget in such a way that they are giving them priority. Their minister just finished a four-Sunday sermon series on the church’s responsibility for the lost. They’ve set up a special fund to adopt an unreached people group and they plan to send a survey group, in conjunction with a prayer journey initiative, in the next 90 days. There are at least 5 people who will probably step forward to volunteer to be sent full-time, even though the church hasn’t yet fully decided on which people group or city they’ll go reach. Ever since they’ve started pursuing this course, they’ve run ahead of budget — so much so that they’re now $15K ahead, which was enough to cover the cost of hosting the Wall of Unreached Peoples
as well as a special focus weekend on unreached peoples and cities. (They flew me all the way in from Louisville to speak there — in 7 sessions over the weekend, with various groups, including the elders and staff, select missions families, and 3 sessions with the entire congregation.) My guess is, Lord willing, they’ll have “boots on the ground” in a new unreached people group or city within 18 months from now.
All of which prompts me to ask — why? Why does this one church get it so well, while so many others lag behind, losing their chance to flourish and make a deep impact, both at home and abroad? Whatever they’re doing right, it makes me want to bottle it up and release it worldwide. Because if we only had more of this spirit, within one generation, the entire globe would have been exposed to the Good News of Jesus Christ.
So what’s your theory? Why do some churches ‘get it’ and others don’t? If you have an insight, please click “Comment” below the online version of this item. (And by the way, before you ask, I should probably guard the identity of the church I’m describing lest they receive 1000 requests for support from thousands of Brigada readers who are raising support. Let’s give them a chance to get out of the gate first. :-) )
Doug
Great question. Why not ask them and let us know?
I did. They replied that a lot of it had to do with the fact that their senior pastor was on board. I guess that does make a difference, eh?
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I appreciate your comments. I have known a couple of churches who, as you say, “get it”. They have a profound commitment to God’s command to “go into all the world and preach the gospel”. The term I usually use to describe such fellowships is that they seem to be “missions-driven”. They take the command to “Go into all the world and make disciples” very seriously.
Doug, They live in the PNW. Full of Missions vibrancy. You visited one church that “gets it” there are many others.
Full Disclosure: My family is sent out by one of those vibrant churches working among UPGs in India.
In a word, leadership. Leadership with vision for UPG’s and commitment to them in fulfilling the GC rather than just trying to keep people coming back to church.
When God and His commands and teachings become more than just words on a page, when we recognize and allow the Spirit to lead us, when we are in love with God and not ourselves, when we get out of His way and allow Him past all our reasons and excuses, THEN we start to “get it”.
I grew up in a mission minded church that also loved all manner of people in our community. In the PNW you couldn’t escape the mission emphasis.
We had guest missionaries in every camp, Missions in most conferences; great Week of Missions, a month where most churches cooperated and coordinated mission visits so all churches regardless of size could have the benefit of hearing a missionary. Been away since 1980 so don’t what happens now.
Because so few people in the PNW cared about God, life was good for most, only people with commitment went.
Missions was also an important subject in the curriculum of all the then 5 West Co. Colleges, many went on short term trips.