by Donnie Jackson
Missions must sit at the very heart of the local church because the heart of God has always been set on making His glory known among all peoples. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture reveals a God who sends, who saves, and who gathers worshipers from every tribe and language and nation. When a church lifts its eyes beyond its own walls and labors for the spread of the gospel, it aligns itself with God’s redemptive purposes in the world. Missions is not a program added to church life, it is a natural overflow of a church that loves Christ, treasures the gospel, and longs to see Him honored everywhere His name is still unknown.
Alexander Duff captured this well when he said, “A missionary church is a spiritually flourishing church.” Churches that prioritize missions are reminded regularly that the gospel is powerful, urgent, and worth giving our lives for. Missions guards the church from becoming inward focused and spiritually complacent, and it fuels prayer, generosity, and obedience. When a local church sends, supports, and prays for the work of the gospel among the nations, it is strengthened, not diminished. As the church participates in God’s global mission, it grows in humility, faith, and joy, and Christ is magnified both at home and to the ends of the earth.
This is where every believer has a part to play. You may not be called to cross an ocean, but you are called to care, to pray, to give, and to go in whatever ways the Lord provides. Get to know your church’s missionaries, commit to praying for them by name, give generously to the work of the gospel, and be willing to say yes if God opens the door for you to serve or be sent. As you engage in the mission of God through your local church, you will find that your faith is strengthened and your joy in Christ deepened, as you take part in what He is doing to make His name known among the nations.