Going On Mission
People who follow Jesus are called to "GO ON MISSION" as a way of life. Wherever we go and wherever we live, we are "ON MISSION" to fulfill the calling that Jesus gave to share his story of love, forgiveness and transformation. We are called to go out and love others that way Jesus did. We are called to "GO" and not avoid the world but engage the world with this new message. This mission may ask us to go far away from home or to radically change our lifestyle at home so that we might connect with people that we are unfamiliar with. We are not asked to postpone the mission so we can go to school, get a job or raise our kids. There are innumerable issues that people use to avoid the mission. If only we would all recognize that the mission surrounds us daily and offers opportunities in every aspect of our life. Mission is not about staying with our friends or family. It's about leaving our comfort zones and sacrificing our regular rhythms to place ourselves into the lives of others so that the story of Jesus can be communicated.
Seth and Sarah Cartwright shared thoughts about their new mission last Sunday at Ekklesia. They will be leaving for China in a few weeks in order to work as Conversational English teachers in a university in China. They will make friends and speak with many people in their normal English language. They will invite people over to their apartment. They won't have a church to connect with but a new group of people to minister to. Their work will be challenging and very rewarding without the typical church body to surround them and to spiritually support them.
This endeavor, to connect with people and engage them with conversations, is what "BEING ON MISSION" is all about. We can do the very same activity here in the U.S.! The only way to connect with people and build the Kingdom is to strike up conversations and develop a relationship with them. Talking, sharing, serving and loving is what it means to be "ON MISSION!" Let us pray for Seth and Sarah and all of us as we "GO ON MISSION" to follow Jesus everyday!
Seth and Sarah Cartwright sharing about their new mission to China.
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