Global Missions Impact….At Home?

If you have been a part of or visited a missions-engaged congregation, you've undoubtedly observed the remarkable impact a church can make on mission fields around the world. Whether congregants are mobilized to pray, give, or go, the resulting accomplishments on the field of ministry more than compensate for any sacrifice made by the folks involved. But you may have never considered the kind of impact global missions has on the engaging church. My experience and biblical examples seem to demonstrate that this impact may be more subtle, but is just as real and noteworthy.

At Cedar Lake Church, we have been supporting missionaries literally for as long as I can remember. My predecessor had a heart for global missions, and when I was privileged to step into the role of lead pastor, I inherited some long-term missionaries. We typically host a missionary who is in the US on furlough a few times a year. We are always encouraged and challenged by all the missionaries who share their lives and ministries with us, but those who have been on the field for more than 30 years present such phenomenal stories of fruitful ministry. Their lengthy terms provide them with the opportunity to see lasting fruit and effectiveness that typically extends far beyond their initial vision and purpose. Our congregation revels in the fact that often our church began supporting these missionaries at the very beginning of their tenure!

These experiences (1) provide a beautiful sense of joy and satisfaction. Every Christian wants to make an eternal difference in someone else's life, and when missionaries present the evidence of our doing just that, the "joy meter" goes through the roof. Additionally, these moments also (2) produce momentum in our missions engagement. In other words, congregants are basically saying, "Where is the next missionary we can support?" Finally, reports of our global outreach efforts (3) help to maintain a fire for evangelism in our hearts for our own community.

While working on my doctoral degree, I discovered that we can infer from Scripture that the Early Church experienced similar impact from missions engagement. Below is a quote from my dissertation that spells out this idea. Thanks to David Bosch, Transforming Mission, for this clarifying insight:

David Bosch (1991, 51) gives an example from Scripture of how global ministry can positively impact local churches with his discussion on the New Testament church fading into institutionalism. He explains that as the Church progressed through its early history it developed two self-understandings, one influenced by the past and the other by the future. “At an early stage there were indications of two separate types of ministry developing: the settled ministry of bishops (or elders) and deacons, and the mobile ministry of apostles, prophets, and evangelists” (Bosch 1991, 51). He saw the former as pushing the Church toward institutionalism, and the latter toward movement. Additionally, he compares the churches in the cities of Jerusalem and Antioch as a demonstration of this dichotomy. “It was clear that the Jerusalem party’s concern was not mission, but consolidation; not grace, but law; not crossing frontiers, but fixing them; not life, but doctrine; not movement, but institution” (Bosch 1991, 51). He states that Antioch remained dynamic longer because of the influence of Paul and Barnabas, who carried out their frontier missions and then served in the church between missionary journeys.....Relationships with missionaries serving in frontier fields and reporting on reaching UPGs would serve to inspire and mobilize individuals within the congregations to increase their spiritual fervor and become more missional. This type of initiative along with other contextual factors could not only generate greater missions mobilization among the church members but also provide a more complete view of global priorities. Murphy Matheny, 2020 DAIS

It seems evident to me that engagement with global missions closely resembles everything else we do for the sake of the Kingdom of God.....it gives back a much greater return than the investment. So often we engage in global missions for the sake of those we reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and undoubtedly this motivation glorifies the Lord; however, if we fail to consider the benefit to our own churches, both now and in eternity, we risk missing out on a remarkable harvest of our own. Unfortunately some pastors and missions leaders mistakenly believe that they must prioritize their local ministry to the detriment of global engagement; but, the Scripture seems to call for reaching out both near and abroad. ”But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”“

‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬. I like to call attention to all the "ands" in this verse: Jerusalem AND Judea AND Samaria AND the ends of the earth. God's ingenious plan serves to cause the church to increase in effectiveness in both fields, and experience tremendous joy and motivation at the same time.