More often than not, “partnering in missions,” means small churches give what little money they think they can afford to a larger church or a missions sending agency that will handle mobilization, screening, indoctrination, training, sending, and maintenance of missionaries on the field. This is not “partnering,” it’s outsourcing.

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It’s Your Fault

Posted February 9th, 2009 by Ernest

air.jpgWeek-long tourist mission trips that have suburban American teenagers staying in five-star hotels and complaining about the food.

Missions done more for adventure than out of obedience.

The Sunday-school class that passes out American flags and money.

Culturally inappropriate choir tours, drama troupes, youth musicals, puppet shows, clowns, mimes in the park.

Attractional replications of “what works” back home.

One-off drive-by mission trips that assuage the guilt and give a feeling of superiority.

Missionary, these you might roll your eyes at the thought of including short-term groups in your strategic approach to ministry. Church people can be consumeristic, naive, fickle. Their well-intentioned attempts to help can build unhealthy dependency. Their ignorance can jeopardize the ministry you’ve worked hard to build. You may swear off hosting church groups. I know- you didn’t come here to be a baby-sitter and tour guide. But the popular missiology that perpetuates missions-as-event is a result of your interaction (or, lack thereof) with the local church.

It’s your fault.

Those of you who scoff at the involvement of a local church (the same churches that send and support you), it’s time for you to take responsibility. If churches have a bad understanding of what missions is and should be, it’s your fault. How else will they know the reality of what God is doing among people around the world? What church members know about missions is what you’ve taught them. Or what you’ve failed to teach them.

The church is God’s design. Leadership. Accountability. Gifting. Community. Fellowship. Worship. It’s His design for His people, and you don’t get to bypass that structure just because you’re embarrassed by a church group that shows up in your part of the world wearing matching T-shirts. The church cannot be replaced. You can be her servant, but not her substitute.

Romans 12:3 warns us not to think too highly of ourselves. You are expendable. Any Spirit-led “volunteer” missionary can replace your language ability and cultural insight with a google search and a few hours in a smoky bar with a national. You’re not special. And you won’t get far without the direct involvement of the churches that send you.

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Filed under:Church, Missiology, Missions

9 Responses to “It’s Your Fault”

  • Kari Says:
    February 9th, 2009 at 9:16 pm

    I agree. The description you gave of the missionary too self-absorbed to see the gift in front of them is just a little too accurate for comfort.

    One of the wisest things our supervisor did was to remind us that we are replaceable – a good reminder still.

  • Michael Says:
    February 10th, 2009 at 2:57 am

    Now, tell us what you really think!

  • Grady Bauer Says:
    February 10th, 2009 at 11:29 am

    I love that we live with a double standard. We complain that the church forgets us and doesn’t have a heart for missions but then we fail to communicate (other than in time for the annual Christmas offering), and we don’t stay relevant to them. We seem to want relationships with them…but we want our organization to “date” them on our behalf.

    Those of us that live overseas study our host culture, learning their language, seeking to build relationships with them….but we fail to do so with our host culture….but somehow we expect them to be excited for us and commited to us…it’s all about relationships.

  • Alan Cross Says:
    February 11th, 2009 at 4:31 am

    Absolutely. This post is right on. I do think that churches can do a better job, but that will only come with relationships. As a stateside pastor, I have encountered missionaries who just assumed that I had no idea what to do in a cross-cultral setting. I don’t take the time to refute them. I just immediately know that they are not someone that I would want to work with. Their previous bad experiences has caused them to treat everyone with disdain and from that, I know that they are not being led by the Spirit, but instead, are being led by their own past experiences.

    Show me a missionary that is hopeful and excited about what God is doing, and that is someone that I would love to work with. We are not all perfect and we will all make mistakes. But, if missionaries do not need any partnership with the local church back in the States, then I wonder what they are birthing overseas? Of course, this requires humility on our part as well. Basically, all pride needs to go out the window here and we need to learn how to serve one another in the greater task of seeing God’s Kingdom come.

  • stepchild Says:
    February 15th, 2009 at 8:11 pm

    Thanks for sharing from your experience, Alan. I recently had an exchange with a church planter/missionary-type who was very much against involving local churches in missions because, according to him, it gave churches the impression that they were capable of doing missions on their own.

    I’m hoping that sort of attitude will change when churches take responsibility and the missionaries realize that they don’t have a monopoly on the Great Commission.

  • Tim Patterson Says:
    February 17th, 2009 at 5:57 pm

    Good post. We often forget that missionaries (sent ones), along with pastors/teachers, are given to the church to “equip God’s people for works of service (including mission)” (Eph. 4:11-12).

  • Strider Says:
    February 18th, 2009 at 9:18 am

    This problem has been identified by the IMB for some time. They have told us to be much more active in educating and including the Churches but this problem wont go away in a hurry. The problem really does center in Romans 12. We do not ‘outdo one another in showing honor’. M’s are failing to honor the Churches and Churches for all their talk of us being heroes do not listen to the M’s. Churches don’t plant churches, apostles plant churches. But the apostles are discipled and sent out by the churches! I know things, and am empowered to do things that no one else knows or can do here in Middle Earth but I can do nothing alone. This is how the Lord has made us- we must depend on each other. Until we act like the Body of Christ and recognize our different parts we will continue to be dysfunctional.

  • stepchild Says:
    February 18th, 2009 at 6:12 pm

    Strider,
    Thanks for your comment. I think you’re right about the lack of mutual submission and respect between missionaries and churches.

    I’m not sure I agree with you that “Churches don’t plant churches, apostles plant churches.” I understand the role of the apostle (gifting), but I think churches plant churches. I think we’ve come to see the apostle as some kind of Lone Ranger, and I think it’s detrimental to both the church and the mission.

    The “sent out ones” are always meant to come back- their role necessarily includes involving the sending church directly in the work. Apostles lead the church on mission, they’re not to do it for her.

    Thoughts?

  • stepchild Says:
    February 18th, 2009 at 6:14 pm

    Tim,
    Sorry, for some reason, your post got caught in moderation.

    You said what I was trying to say to Strider just now. Thanks.

    I’d add that I believe that all of the “offices” and roles have their place in the local church, not just in the universal Church.

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