The Missionary Task

 This is taken from a presentation by the IMB, but I LOVED how well it translated to everyday discipleship work. In Mattew 28, most translations say, "Therefore go and make disciples..." While not an inaccurate translation, I think it can be misleading. The "go" in that statement is in the present-progressive tense. For all of my non-literary majors that means that a better way of saying it would be, "As you are going, make disciples." So often, people think of  "Missionaries" as the elite branch of Christianity--the crazy ones who spend their lives traveling the world and telling people about Jesus. But we are ALL called to make disciples "as we are going." So as you are attending school, or going to work, or grocery shopping, or getting your tires replaced. "As you are going--make disciples."

 When talking about a long-term mission project to a culture that does not know Christ, the IMB has a flowchart of steps. 

Entry>Evangalism>Make Disciples>Church Formation>Train up Leaders>Transition to partnership.

Can you see the application to everyday life?

Entry: We need to find the people we want to reach so, where are the non-believers around me? Do I know any? Where can I meet them? Then, once we find them, we need to spend time with them and learn how to communicate with them. What "language" do they speak? What are their belief systems? What are their priorities? How do they see and interact with life? What is their culture? This is primarily about LISTENING and looking for ways to build bridges to the gospel. Finding ways to share it in their "language."

Evangelism: This is the part where we begin to share. We explain the "good news." We introduce them to Jesus (the real Jesus--in case they have a false idea in their head of who he is.)

Discipleship: The goal from the beginning needs to be disciples, NOT converts. This isn't about getting more church-goers! So here are some good (hard) questions: Right now, who are you discipling, AND who are you being discipled by? Who are you sharing with, being transparent with, being accountable to? We equip others for the task of discipleship, and we train ourselves to grow in discipleship. If you don't have one or both of these in your life, allow me to encourage you to find them. Who could you disciple? You don't need a lot of know-how to do this! Find someone who is newer or at the same place in the faith, and get together with them. Read the bible together and talk about what it says about who God is, and what he wants us to do. Then find a Christian you admire and meet with them to be mentored. 

Church Formation: Many of us will most likely never be part of a church plant, but I think that we could be of great benefit to our local churches. IMB has a definition of Church that I loved but also pierced my heart as I realized, I only know a handful of Churches that would fully fit this definition: "A group of baptized believers in Jesus who are committed to one another, meeting together to grow in evangelism, discipleship, leadership, teaching, worship, fellowship, prayer, accountability, giving, and missions." Maybe our part in church formation won't ever be in the foundation, but rather in the growth towards more wholeness. Maybe we need to ask ourselves if we notice something from this list missing in our local place of worship and be the ones to begin something.

Leadership Development: Healthy leaders should always strive to grow in knowledge, in love for God and others, and grow as an example to others through the example of Christ. This is an area we can grow and eventually mentor others to help them grow. 

Transition to Partnership: Once we've discipled an individual to the point of being a disciple maker, we transition to being fellow disciple makers and we go out and find a new person to disciple. Disciples making disciples making disciples. That's what it has been about since the beginning :)