BY SCOT, International worker in Europe
One of the most common comments I hear while promoting Alliance Missions comes from long-time missions partners observing the changing way the next generation of church members view and do missions. They are not wrong.
A Barna/IMB report titled The Future of Missions[1] shares findings on the changing face of missions engagement. While there is no space to summarize the study here, we can reflect on a few of the interesting aspects and encouraging prospects.
The Value of Missions
Interesting Aspect: Seven out of ten engaged churchgoing Christians in every age grouping consider missionary work “very valuable.” That also means that three out of every ten engaged churchgoers do not.
Encouraging Prospect: Most engaged churchgoers do consider missions work “very valuable.” So, if we sense that interest in missions is dwindling, it may be more related to the way we are engaging missions. Our task may be less about winning hearts and minds to missions, and more about seeking to engage our people in ways that are meaningful to them.
The History of Missions
Interesting Aspect: Many Christians, especially younger ones, are concerned about missions’ problematic history, including links to colonialism, concerns about racism, and paternalism.
Encouraging Prospect: This implies an interest in how missions has been done and is being done, and increased sensitivity to things like justice and righteousness. That interest provides an opportunity to talk and study about the history of missions and how we can be getting it right today.
Great Commission
Interesting Aspect: A majority of all groups surveyed were convinced that Jesus’ call to go and make disciples of all nations is a calling for all Christ-followers. For those not convinced about their personal Great Commission responsibility, there was lower engagement in all missions partnership activities. A plurality of all age groups believe that gospel witness should include proclamation and compassion.
Encouraging Prospect: This suggests that most engaged members of our church communities take the Great Commission seriously and personally. And “for many engaged Christian young adults, humanitarian work is and must be an essential aspect of 21st-century missions.”[2] That’s a point of alignment since Alliance international workers are sharing the whole Gospel in wholistic ways.
Praying for Workers
Interesting Aspect: Only about half of all engaged teens and young adults say they are likely to pray for international workers in the future, versus about 63% of older adults.
Encouraging Prospect: This may point to a need for greater teaching on prayer and a need for more dynamic practices of prayer. There are few things that stimulate prayer like tangible needs. Could renewed commitment to personal engagement with our international workers in prayer help overcome reluctance to put prayer into practice?
Call to Serve
Interesting Aspect: Half of all engaged young adults are open to God’s call to serve overseas, but they are not planning on it. Many, however, are interested in short-term missions.
Encouraging Prospect: Short-term mission remains a strategic entry point if we are ready to invest in it. For many, it is where long-term calling begins. People need to be invited.
Connection
Interesting Aspect: Many of the engaged would like greater communication and accountability with sent ones, including hearing more about their life and work.
Encouraging Prospect: Engaged churchgoers really do want deeper connections with their sent ones. In fact, the importance of relationships may be the major takeaway from this study for me. It found that “knowing a missionary has an impact on a variety of missionary engagement attitudes and behaviors – and always for the positive.”[3]
When young people especially know an international worker, they are more likely to give, to pray, and to go on short-term or longer-term mission trips. So “knowing a missionary … is transformative when it comes to missions engagement.”[4]
Need a Champion
In The Alliance, we often talk about 5 Partner Activities:
Partner Care (Building Nurturing Relationships)
Strategic Prayer (Interceding)
Doing our Share (Supporting Work and Workers)
Going There (Sending and Going)
Staying Aware (Connecting and Promoting)
These are all relational. We have good reason to believe that our church members will be more likely to engage in any or all partner activities if they have personal connections with international workers. And engaging in these activities presents some of the best opportunities for our church members to begin to connect with international workers. It is a virtuous cycle.
But this type of engagement rarely happens without intentionality. Missions needs a champion, and pastors and other key church leaders who stand as gatekeepers in our congregations are best positioned to be that champion; the future of missions depends on it.