JARGONOLOGY: MISSIONS

SP Mag presents the second in a regular series explaining Christian terms that you hear, but have no clue what they mean.

You hear about missions all the time in church. But, really, what is mission?

When I was at Uni, we used to go for ‘missions’ over to the Mount to spend the day at the beach. Sometimes we’d do a ‘mission’ down to the service station to get a pie at 2A.M. (Why is it that service station pies always taste like diesel? Might explain why I only want them at two in the morning…)

Well, in many ways, a Christian mission is similar – a mission has a purpose, a goal and a plan of how to do it (although you’re less likely to end up with the taste of diesel in your mouth.) The purpose of a Christian mission is to do what Jesus commanded His followers to do 2000 years ago – “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15, Matt 28:18-19)

It involves doing something, and means getting off of your couch/ pew/ bean-bag/ bean-pew. It requires active participation. But does it mean you have to ship out to the jungles of South-east Asia? Or to the Wanyamwezi tribes of deepest Africa? Is it all living in grass huts bringing bibles to undiscovered tribes who’ve never seen white people before? Not necessarily.

One of the last things Jesus said to his followers was “… you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). Now, at the time they were hanging out in Jerusalem – so the command was to be witnesses in their home town, their local region, the neighbouring area and overseas. Which pretty much covers everyone, from your neighbours to the Wanyamwezi.

Here’s some ideas on how you can get involved in mission:

• Summer beach missions over Christmas/New Years
• Join a street evangelism team out in town on Friday nights
• Prison ministry – bringing Jesus to jail

- Volunteer as a cabin leader at a youth camp

- Short-term mission to help out long-term SIM missionaries

- overseas

- Work in an orphanage in Romania, India or Turkey.

- Use your skills in a practical way to help a community build

- a church or school.

- Do a month in the Middle East with Interserve

If you don’t feel up to going on mission right now, you can still help out. Missionaries need your prayers and sometimes financial support to be able to do their work. How about writing your church’s missionaries a letter of encouragement? They might appreciate a package of goodies from NZ – after all, they’re bound to miss Vegemite (although check first – in some countries it costs them to receive parcels… and they might be Marmite people.)

Got any thoughts or questions about missions? Why not share them on the Soul Purpose Message Boards – www.soulpurpose.co.nz