This is life-on-life and it has to extend beyond Sunday gatherings, small groups, and assessments of spiritual gifts. Equipping God’s people for ministry encompasses the church’s responsibility to foster and encourage its members to serve within the local community.
Churches that empower their people to effectively participate in God’s redemptive mission extend God’s kingdom, claiming ever-expanding territory and establishing new centers where more messengers can spread Christ’s message of reconciliation, multiplying themselves and gospel truth in an empty and devious world.
Conclusion
The challenges of the emerging paradigms in mission—globalization, the recentering of Christianity to the global South, the threat of fanaticism and fundamentalist ideologies, and more—present to us both challenges and opportunities for which we must be like the sons of Issachar—discern the times we’re in to know what to do.
It is through this process of mutual discernment and collaborative strategy that we cultivate a global Church where there’s “no Jew or Greek,” not because those differences are erased, but because they’re brought together in Christ and formed into our greatest strength. It is through this process that together we can shine the light of Christ on the shadow side of mission. But this process necessitates an underlying ethic of missional participation that intentionally fosters mutuality and collaboration.
The urgency and significance of illuminating the shadow side of mission becomes evident when we consider the transformative power and ethical responsibilities associated with our missional calling. As people generally hold a deep sense of reverence for the final words of those they love and value, we ought to similarly prioritize Jesus’ last words, which resonate through the ages.
Amid the evolving cultural climate, the church is entrusted with upholding the timeless truths of the Christian faith, resisting the allure of relativism and embracing the enduring message of Christ’s mission.
Echoing Christ’s command in Acts 1:8, evangelicals are propelled to engage in both the paths of “sentness” and “nations”—reaching out to their own communities and extending their reach globally. However, this approach is incomplete without acknowledging the shadow side of mission, which encompasses the tensions surrounding race, ethnicity, and the historical complexities of missionary expansion.
So much of what we do to overcome the shadow side—the failures that come with our efforts—takes place in community. As we engage the mission, we do it with others—people who need, and people who need to help others in need. As we do so, we see one another’s blind spots, and the beauty of biblical community.
To remain faithful to our calling, we must confront both the accomplishments and challenges of our missional endeavors. And, we do that best in community and conversation.
