Ask TEAM: What is the Most Important Thing in Christian Mission Work?

TEAM – The Evangelical Alliance Mission • Sep 04, 2020

With each generation, the Church learns (and forgets) vital factors of success in missions. We want to lead ministries that are authentic, culturally sensitive, holistic in care, empowering to local believers, effective in planting churches — the list goes on and on.

All of these are important things, worthy of deep, rich discussion.

But what is the most important thing in Christian mission work?

The answer is simple: Jesus.

As cliché as it sounds, Jesus really is the most important part of mission work. He’s at the center of it all, He’s the reason for it all, and He’s the one who enables us to do it all. Without Him, the rest of it is impossible to achieve.

We’ll break this down into three points.

1. Jesus is the most important part because He is the message the missionaries are sharing.

Christian mission work may involve humanitarian efforts in medicine , education and other forms of community development. But a missionary’s ultimate goal isn’t simply to elevate people out of poverty. Their work is to share the Gospel with people around the world so they can be transformed by the love of Christ.

The Gospel is the story of God’s redemptive plan throughout history, and Jesus is the central figure of this plan. He’s first mentioned in Genesis 3:15 , and then the rest of the Bible continues to point to Him. Jesus is central to the Gospel, and, therefore, He is central to missionary work.

A ministry that doesn’t keep Jesus at its center may produce good works, but it will fall short of its ultimate goal . Good works cannot compare to Christ’s message of eternal hope, redemption and union with Him.

2. Jesus is the One who makes missionary work possible at all.

The thing all missionaries have in common is their humanity. They all experience exhaustion and are prone to burnout. The thing about God is that He tends to give us humans tasks that are impossible for humans to do, but force us to rely on Him.

Missionary work is one of those tasks.

We can go to the mission field with all the charisma and persuasive speaking skills in the world, but without love, we’re like a clanging symbol ( 1 Cor. 13:1 ). And love — our ability to love — comes from God (1 John 4:7). Not only that, but Christ served on this earth as our example of how to love ( John 15:12 ).

We can declare all of God’s commandments, but if we don’t live them ourselves, our message will ring hollow ( Rom. 2:21–24 ). And the Bible says that it is the Lord who continually transforms us into His image ( 2 Cor. 3:18 , 2 Cor. 5:17 ), giving us the ability to obey His commands. To live by faith, it must not be us who live, but Christ who lives within us (Gal. 2:20).

Finally, we can deliver the best evangelistic message, but it is God who changes hearts ( Jer. 24:7 , Eze. 36:26 ). In fact, Jesus warns that people will come to heaven’s gates believing there are saved, only to be told, “I never knew you” ( Matt. 7:21–23 ). Therefore, it is vital that we depend on the Holy Spirit to lead people to Christ, and on Christ to intercede on their behalf ( Heb. 7:25 ).

There is much more we could touch on here, but hopefully it’s clear that true success in missions is impossible on our own. That’s why Jesus is the most important part of the work. Through Him people can do the impossible, including missionary work.

3. Jesus is the reason to do missionary work in the first place.

In Matthew 28:19–20 , Jesus gives His followers the charge to go and make disciples of all nations. This is known as the Great Commission, and it’s an important part of what it means to follow Jesus. Jesus tells us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments ( John 14:15 ).

But also, as believers, we should want to share the Gospel. Who Jesus is and what He did is should be so important to us that we have to let everyone know ! And that’s what missionaries do as their vocation. So, of course, Jesus is central to their work.

TEAM puts a lot of value and work into training and preparing missionaries. We do everything we can to ensure missionaries have everything they need to succeed on the mission field. And at the center of all of it is Jesus, because we know that without Him, nothing we do would be possible.

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Loving Like Jesus Cross-Culturally (Part 1)

By Megan Lunsford • 23 Apr, 2024

When seeking to serve cross-culturally with an authentic love for others, there’s no better example for us than Jesus. If we sat around a table and threw out the question, “How do we love like Jesus?” I think we would have several commonalities as we respond. For example, Jesus loved all people right where they were. He loved those who were deemed the least, those hardest to love, or those who were His enemies. These are all beautiful realities of the heart of Jesus. When we step into relationships, it can be easier to take on the warmer, more gracious gestures of Jesus’ love, especially in cross-cultural relationships. Think about it––when doing life with those who look and act differently than us, we are already out of our comfort zones and would rather keep things as simple and familiar as possible. But there are other facets of Jesus’ heart we often overlook that can transform us and others even more into His likeness. Jesus is love because God is love. Everything Jesus did was out of love; it’s the mere definition of who He is. As followers of Jesus, He calls us to the same: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John:7-12) Every display of love we offer to others is an opportunity for them to encounter the ultimate love of the Father. That’s a pretty big deal! In this article, we’ll look at three expressions of Jesus’ love that we tend to overlook when engaging others cross-culturally. (Next month, we’ll look at three more.) 1. Jesus loved sacrificially. Everywhere Jesus went, crowds followed Him. We even see times in Scripture where Jesus had plans to step away for time alone but those who were hurting found Him and He had compassion on them and stayed with them. Can you imagine rarely having any time to yourself but, instead, constantly being surrounded by crowds of people wanting help from you? Jesus loved sacrificially. He welcomed all who came to Him with love and compassion, never turning anyone away. “When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) In the same way, we can make room in our lives for Jesus to bring sacrificial interruptions which, in His eyes, are orchestrated encounters to transfer His love to others. It can be tempting to be so “on mission” that we are full steam ahead and find ourselves frustrated when the Holy Spirit sends an interruption into our path that we feel we don’t have time for. Or, perhaps, we have scheduled a meet-up but it’s the norm in another culture to be 30 minutes or an hour late. We anxiously think through how it will affect whatever we have planned next. While it’s normal to feel a little stressed, what if the very "interruption” standing in front of you was really a divine appointment sent by God? Or what if that person running late experiences how peaceful and gracious you are in adapting to their culture and therefore, they can encounter a beautiful display of Jesus’ love? To truly represent Christ, we should remain ready and willing for each assignment the Lord sends into our path, no matter the cost or how much we will have to re-route our day. He is always a hundred steps ahead and will work all things for His glory and our good. 2. Jesus loved by discerning each situation well. Think about how many situations Jesus had to respond to on a daily basis. We read in Scripture that there were lines of people waiting to be healed by Him, talk to Him, hear His teachings, or simply touch the hem of His robe. Jesus was fully dependent on His Father to discern each situation before addressing it. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) Another temptation we can have when in a relationship with those God has sent us to is to think we already know the solution or what God wants to do before we’ve even asked Him. We believe we are full of knowledge, so we just pull from the bank we have stored within and go with it. However, when we access what is familiar to us as our default, we risk missing out on a God-given solution that might truly be the key to unlocking whatever challenge is in front of us. What does this look like when interacting with others? We can simply ask, “God, what is on Your heart for the person standing in front of me?” Then we listen and respond as He speaks. When we make it a daily habit to pause and hear God’s heart for each situation before responding, we are guaranteed to be effective in loving those around us. He knows the heart of every person that will cross our paths. Imagine how impactful we can be if we first lean on His wisdom and discernment before moving forward. 3. Jesus loved by speaking truth. Most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. If we are honest, this conversation makes us a bit nervous as none of us would be comfortable with Jesus calling out intimate details of our lives that we would prefer to hide. But Jesus went further than just airing her dirty laundry. He offered her the hope of the Gospel and a relationship with Him - a divine fulfillment that could never be found in an earthly relationship. Jesus modeled a powerful example of loving others well cross-culturally. He took the low place and spoke truth, truly out of love––speaking to her heart from His. Like Jesus, our goal in sharing the truths about Him and His Word is to bring hope and satisfaction through Him alone. When we speak truth from Scripture, we are calling others higher into all God has for them. The tricky part here is we should avoid speaking truth if it isn’t first fueled by compassion. If it merely comes from a place of judgment, condemnation, or self-righteousness, it will fall flat 100% of the time. But if it truly comes from love, you are likely to not only win a heart back to the Father but, like the story of the Samaritan woman, even an entire village! If you see someone living outside of God’s best for their lives, ask God to show you your heart before engaging theirs. Once your heart is properly postured, you can speak truth out of an overflow of God’s love and trust Him for a transformation in their lives.

Hospitality, Help, and the Hope of the Gospel

By Suzanne Pearson • 16 Apr, 2024

TEAM Canada provides warm welcome and trusted friendships for diaspora populations living far from their native countries. As TEAM Canada workers Peter and Ruth (names changed) drive from their home to a nearby community center, they pass numerous apartment buildings and townhouses. Most of the families who live there are immigrants. They’ve left their countries of origin due to political unrest, trauma, and other difficulties. They’ve left family, friends, homes, jobs, and personal wealth behind. They search for peace, justice for the oppressed, and rest from fear and weariness. And as they adjust to a new country and a new language, they are often very isolated from others around them. “The sad reality is most immigrants are never even invited inside a Canadian home,” says Ruth. Peter and Ruth and their team try to change that reality. For the last nine years, the team, which includes workers from partner organizations as well as volunteers, has held English classes at the community center. Three days a week, over 60 students from more than 20 countries come together to learn English as well as to fellowship together and receive practical help in assimilating to a new normal. Meeting Needs and Building Trust That practical help may come in the form of procuring furniture, clothes, or dishes for newcomers, assistance with creating a resume and finding a job, or teaching people how to navigate Canadian laws and the medical system. As these tangible needs are met, relationships are built. “We invite them into our homes for meals and games,” Ruth shares. “We take them on hiking trips, picnics, outings, and out for coffee.” This is particularly important in this type of ministry because most immigrants come to Canada from cultures that value hospitality. Conversely, Canadians do not typically prioritize hospitality and consequently many newcomers feel lonely and isolated. Inviting folks to various gatherings and outings allows the team to spend extended time hearing people’s stories, struggles, hopes, and dreams. When she speaks about building friendships, Ruth’s heart for the people she serves is evident. “Hearing their stories, it’s easy to love them, and many have become close friends,” Ruth says. “We recognize the value of steady one-on-one relationships.”