During youth Sunday school we have been learning about the mission of the Church. About 500 years ago the word “mission” entered the English language from the Latin word “missio,” meaning “the act of sending.” The Christian Church was largely responsible for giving the word its meaning. Under the influence of the Protestant Reformation a word was needed in English to communicate the sending of the Church into the world. After all, in Matthew 28 the resurrected Lord commanded the community of disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit teaching them everything that He commanded.
When we talk about the mission of the Church we are really talking about the mission of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the original one who was sent by the Father and the Son. We can consider the mission of the Church and Spirit under four headings: 1) Purpose 2) Practices 3) Proclamation and 4) Passion.
The Church’s mission is the Father’s grand plan to gather His people into one body. In this regard the Church’s mission cannot fail because God cannot fail. Paul’s message in Ephesians is that the calling and formation of the disciples into a church is all part of God’s great purpose for the world. It’s true that God has a purpose for every individual. However, He also has a purpose for the whole world. The Church is the point of the world according to Scripture. The Church is God’s purpose to exalt Christ “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this life but also in the one to come (Ephesians 1:21).” The implication of this is that the Church can feel safe in a hostile world because her mission cannot fail when it is the Father’s sovereign purpose.
The Church’s mission are her unique practices in the world sometimes called the means of grace: the Word, Sacraments, and Prayer. In Acts 2 it says that “they devoted themselves to the Apostle’s doctrine, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers.” Christians are to be involved in every facet of society. However, her practices of prayer, worship, sacraments, and fellowship (including mutual care) are what make her unique in the world. This is the Gospel life that we invite the nations to experience along with us. These practices are how the Church lives out the Gospel.
The Church’s proclamation is the message of Good News in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Church has a central message that she wants to clearly communicate to the world. This means that she should take care not to major in tangential or even legitimate political issues. The message that the Church wants to communicate is about the bad news of sin and the good news of grace in Jesus Christ. The message of Paul is that “I decided to know nothing among you excepted Christ and Him crucified.” The community of disciples never grow tired of throwing the good old “Gospel fastball” right down the middle.
The Church’s passion is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is the ultimate person that captures her heart more than ministry itself or anything else. In Luke 10 the disciples return rejoicing in the fact that they had this new ministry power to cast out demons. The Lord responds by saying “rejoice not that the demons are subject to you, but that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Translation: your ministry success should never be your ultimate joy, only the Lord goes there. What an awesome mission the Church has! Pray how God is calling you to take the next step in your participation in her mission.
