By Nathan
My church plans mission trips every year for the congregation to go around the country and the rest of the globe. They have sent groups to Mexico, Africa, and thousands of spots around the United States. All these week-long missions had the goal of helping others that were in need, usually by building a house, putting on a bible school for kids – something along those lines. This is something that I have been a part of, and loved doing, for many years. While I know we are doing a good thing by going on these trips around the globe, but sometimes I wonder why we can’t do the same thing were doing at a local level.
There are people living in the church community that might have as much of a need in their lives as others around the globe. My entire church life I have grown up thinking that we went on mission trips to other parts of the country because where I live doesn’t need any help. That’s, of course, baloney. The church, and people individually, should also be focused on helping out and living a Christian life in their own community more often. As Alan Hirsch said in his book, The Forgotton Ways, “we can engage our culture on its own turf.”
Living a missional life means to follow the missions of God and break barriers and reach out to people. God showed us how we should be living our life through Jesus and last time I checked, Jesus didn’t take one week out of the year to do missional work. I guess the gist of what I’m trying to say is that I think people in the church should think about the concept of a mission trip and ask themselves how they can apply that to their daily lives in their community.
-NW
Well put Nathan. I think that our generation has allot of potential for missions on our turf! Plus!!! Think about all of the money that used to be spent on gas and airfare… Theoretically that money will be spent in our local communities!!! All of the pollution would be reduced as well (thinking of the jet). I am all about moving our mission field closer to home!