The Missions Dilemma is a 7-session series by Steve Saint that examines the current model of North American missions and compares it to the Biblical approach that Christ modeled for us. Our goal in this series is to provide anyone interested in missions with the opportunity to understand what our role in the Great Commission is, and how that role fits into the larger, global community of believers.
How have we, as North Americans, done missions in the past and how we can improve going forward? Will we be going to “fix” people or go in with the aim to partner with the National believers in an interdependent relationship?
In order to truly partner with the local church we must learn to separate our culture from the Gospel, so that we do not give them our container, just the water (Jesus).
Dependency is a crippling and debilitating disease that, once contracted, is almost impossible to get rid of. And yet, it is a social and spiritual disease that almost all North Americans carry when we go to places in the world where the people have less, materially, than we do.
When we go with an attitude of listening, we earn respect and learn what other parts of the worldwide church bring to the body. We all need the other parts of the body to function effectively. We are all equal.
Are short-term mission trips, as a whole, the most profitable way for us to pour our time, energy, and resources into missions? We really need to have the courage to go back to the drawing table and ask, isn’t there a better way of doing missions?
We need to Know God’s will and be in it before we can teach others. We need to Go to where people do not know the Good News or where they need to be equipped to share it. We need to Show others what we have learned. Then, we need to Blow away (leave).
Understand the receiver’s point of view, see how they see. Our purpose in missions is not to evangelize the whole world, it is to disciple Christ’s church so that together the church can evangelize the whole world.
Missions Dilemma can be bought, rented digitally, or watched for FREE if you sign-up for ITEC email updates.
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