It used to be that those interested in global missions had to leave their communities and go to the nations to fulfill their calling.
But with the shrinking of the globe in terms of efficient travel, access between nation states, and the general ease of migration, coupled with the involuntary relocation of people groups due to war, famine and political unrest, the nations have gone into all the world. Now, missionaries do not just have the option to go—they can stay, and participate in the fulfilling of the Great Commission by reaching the nations on their doorsteps.
The end goal of sharing Christ with all peoples and making disciples of all nations is the same whether we go or stay, but the cultural tools and insights needed can vary by context. Eastern worldviews collide with Western cultures, community identity bumps up against individualism, and we have to learn to communicate Christ across cultural boundaries.
That may be a head-scratching endeavor for most of us, but thankfully there are some brilliant practitioners within our own Foursquare family—leaders such as Ted Vail (associate director, Foursquare Missions International); FMI’s area missionary to MENACA (name withheld for security reasons); Joe Sutton (senior pastor, Minneapolis Believers Foursquare Church in Minnesota); and Liz Doyle (Foursquare missionary, Nations Light Ministries)—all of whom have extensive experience with, and insight into, ministry across cultural divides.
Now, missionaries do not just have the option to go—they can stay, and participate in the fulfilling of the Great Commission by reaching the nations on their doorsteps.
Learn more about how to reach the different cultures and nations right around the corner from your church.
To see more from Connection 2015, click here.
