Mission is rapidly changing. The world we live in has seen the spread of churches globally, the increased opportunity to travel, the advancement of communication methods, the rise of multicultural urbanisation, and the shift of Christianity from the west to the rest of the world. Now only 1 in 5 of all Christians reside in the west. All this requires us to rethink mission.
Send/Receive
In the past the predominant mode of mission was the “Send/Receive” model. Individuals were called, churches commended, and mission service organisations (like AMT) facilitated and supported the sending of people. Those sent were often involved in pioneering cross-cultural overseas mission, mostly residing overseas on a long-term expatriate basis. An incredible amount of valuable mission work has been done in this way.
Gather-and-Go
However, upon reflection this may have also been a factor in causing the gather-and-go mentality that is common in our churches. The churches have faithfully supported those who go through sending, supporting, and praying for them. But these same churches have often neglected active local mission, believing they have discharged their mission duty through the sending and supporting of those who serve overseas. And so, the temptation for those who remain behind is to focus on faithfully gathering, having sub-contracted out mission to those who go. If we are not careful we can fall into a mission situation where most gather while only some go. This must change.
Dynamic Mission
While the need for pioneering mission still remains there is now a great need for what we call “Dynamic Mission”. We need to move from the “Send/Receive” model to a more partnership-based approach. To generalise many mission initiatives will progress from a pioneer mission stage, through mission stages of conversion, discipleship, church planting, leadership development, through to mission partnering where the newly established church becomes an empowered and vital partner with others in dynamic mission (see illustration below). Through this growth process the mission stages should move from a highly supported basis (often from the sending country), through each phase to become an increasingly partnership-based approach which moves toward dynamic mission.
Dynamic mission is where all people, use all gifts, in all places, to reach all countries for Christ, together in mission.
Dynamic mission is mission engagement that is alive, fluid, collaborative, and takes place locally and globally.
Mission Partnering
Today, worldwide, 42% of people are unreached with the gospel. However, in 75% of countries people have access to the gospel through an effective established church witness. This means that the possibility of engaging in dynamic mission through collaboration with other countries can take place in the majority of places in the world. It also means that to reach the unreached the best approach would be to work with our sister churches in other countries to reach out to those unreached. In most cases our sister church networks will have greater cultural ability, language and communication adaptability, and be able to more effectively spread and incarnate the gospel in that context. However, they may need our humble mission engagement where we partner as equals in such dynamic mission. Likewise, the west has much to learn from the rest of the world. In many places in the west, we need their enthusiasm, joy, passion, and courage for Christ, to revive, encourage, and motivate us into greater local mission and church planting in our own countries, and to inspire expanded global mission together. This would be dynamic mission indeed.
The Challenge
This means that our churches now need to consider:
How we can transition from a send/receive model alone to move toward partnering with others near and far in dynamic mission.
Moving from a gather-and-go mentality to embrace becoming dynamic missional churches where all are involved in mission engagement both local and global.
How to best approach dynamic mission engagement with other countries and ensure that when we partner - we partner as equals for dynamic sustainable contextualised mission.