One Mission of Local Churches

A picture of Nepalese taken in our recent mission trip to Nepal.

Recently, I went on a mission trip to Nepal along with my brothers in Christ. We saw tremendous needs in this land. There are places without gospel and churches. There is no proper community development and growth. There are no sound moral values. People are living in utter darkness, for there is no Christ in them.  

I know this pathetic situation is obvious also in many parts my nation, India. It is apparent in other countries too. As I think about the plight of the nations, my heart painfully questions, “What are the local churches doing for Christ in their nations and beyond? What is their mission?”

It seems many local churches are absorbed in their own programs, events and formal services. A couple of them are wallowing in doctrines without having passion for missions. Some churches are passionately focused on gaining more numbers and making their church appear big.

All these local churches are forgetting their one significant mission, and that mission is to send missionaries to the unreached and needy places. Of course, there is a need even to send missionaries to the affluent nations which are spiritual dry and dead.

Are the local churches realizing this great privilege and responsibility?

Sending missionaries is not just the responsibility of mission agencies. In fact, in the early church, if we carefully study the book of Acts, we don’t find mission agencies. We see only local churches. These local churches were missional, sending missionaries to spread the gospel of Christ and planting more churches.

For instance, we see the believers who were scattered from the church in Jerusalem, travelling as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the gospel of Christ and paving way for church planting (Acts 8:1, 4; 11:19ff). Now when multitudes of people turned to the Lord in Antioch, ready for church planting, it is written, “The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch” (Acts 11:22). It was the local church in Jerusalem which played an active role in spreading the gospel and in planting churches.

We also learn that the Holy Spirit spoke and the church in Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:1ff). And there might be many missionaries sent out from the early local churches which were not recorded, for the book of Acts is essentially a historical record of the Acts of the Apostles.

One thing we observe reading the book of Acts—the early churches were missional. Sadly, the modern churches have become ceremonial.

Considering the tremendous needs around us, I wonder, “What if every local church endeavors to send one missionary once in every year? If it is difficult, sending one missionary at least once in every two or three years?” How much of the gospel would spread! How many churches would be planted! How many communities would be transformed! O, there would be incredible results on earth and joy in heaven!

May God have mercy on the local churches and send revival in them to awaken them to see the needs around and send missionaries to spread the gospel, to plant churches and to develop communities. What great things can be accomplished for Christ if the believers in the local churches are equipped for ministry and from among them, some are sent as missionaries!

I understand, pastors play a key role in triggering such missional movement in the churches. So I plead with them in the Name of Jesus Christ to take the task of missions seriously and commit themselves to make their local churches missional for the glory of God.

To share as an encouragement to you about the grace of God in our lives—just after finishing a year of planting our local church, Assembly of Living Witnesses, the Lord has given us the grace to send our first missionary couple to a needy place in Maharashtra, a state in the western region of India.

We are a small community but we are praying and planning to send many missionaries from our local church. By God’s grace, some of the brothers are already willing and expressed their desire to go as missionaries. I know there is a huge price to be paid. It calls for sacrifice, suffering and self-denial. But let us remember—the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is inimitably greater than all our sacrifices. Moreover, greater the sacrifice for Christ greater the reward in the kingdom of God. Hallelujah!

Our local church is committed to missions. Life is short and lived only once in this world and we don’t want to waste it. Our passion as a local church is to spread the glory of God among the nations by sending missionaries to the nations. Even the elders of our church are willing and ready to go as missionaries wherever God sends and enables them to go. Soli Deo Gloria!

We believe, every local church is called to be missional. Are we, the local churches, willing to become what God has called us to be, making a difference in the nations for the glory of God?

When there are so many places and peoples without Christ and hope of eternal life, this is not the time for the local churches to settle in their own world and snore in their comforts. Let us rise and shine by sending missionaries for Christ!

Do not forget, one primary mission of local churches is to send missionaries. Are we willing to equip the saints and send them as missionaries?

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Enquiries: 

cstephendavid@gmail.com (or) messageforourage@gmail.com