Missions of Tomorrow

The other day I talked shortly about housing and tourism and how missions can use them. Today I want to continue the talk but go a different way.

The last few years have been an amazing time for church missions. We are finally understanding what missions really are, or are we?

What separates the church for the non-church? Community service is vogue again. President Obama has vowed to help community service projects across the country. Citizens are taking pride in serving their communities. Finally Americans are looking beyond themselves and helping others, not just locally but globally.

This is called community service, but the church calls it missions. Is there a difference between community service and missions?

The quick answer is yes because missions, well have a mission, to preach the gospel. But is that what we are really called to do. Shouldn't we do community service and let the Gospel shine through us? Do we only support sidewalk Sunday schools and building of churches or do we also support community service projects?

How does the future of missions interact with the rise of community service? For so long the church has taken pride in being the lighthouse of hope to its community. So what happens now when other lighthouses rise up? Can we look past our differences and open joint shelters, food pantries, after school programs, and cheap day cares? Can the Christians join with those of other faiths to help meet the needs of the community?

My fear is that for so long the church has found its identity in meeting needs, now that others are finally doing the same the church will slowly lose it identity. But aren't we called to a more extreme version of community service? The phrase 'they sold EVERYTHING and met EVERY need' always seems to haunt me. Can we truly do this? Could this community service upswing help the church find its original roots?

How can we provide hope outside of the basics of giving people food, clothes, shelter and Sunday morning church? How can we do missions the way God wants us too?