My View

Missiology comes before ecclesiology. Have heard it said, but it seems more and more to the point the more I think about it, and the more I experience it.

Jesus had a very practical take on building his church. He called workers for the harvest. He commissioned them, gave them authority to drive out demons, heal the sick, forgive sins. He sent them out before him, and sometimes after him. But he sent them.

He finished his work on earth with what we call “the Great Commission”. And then he left. With hardly a mention of the church (2 times in Matthew’s gospel, that’s all). He was concerned with the Kingdom of God. And to advance the Kingdom, he sent his people. The word ‘mission’ comes from the latin ‘missio’ which means ’sent’. And yet we find it so difficult being sent out into the world. We’d rather lock ourselves up. Of course people are welcome to join us in our churches if they want to. But they have to find us first…

But now something is happening. God is sounding the Mission Bell