MISSIONS

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  -Matthew 28:16-20

Missions Balanced: 

Reaching out to our neighborhood and to the uttermost parts of the earth.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” -Acts 1:8

Missions is not just reaching my friends; missions is also taking the gospel worldwide. It is a local, regional, national, and global effort. We desire to balance our efforts: 30% local; 10% regional; 10% national; 30% global, understanding that regional and national efforts in America will have many other churches supporting missions and will need less funding. The final 20% is used to compensation the part-time missions pastor who oversees the missions ministry and budget.

Missions Commanded: 

Understanding that making disciples is not optional.

Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” -Matthew 9:37-38

Everyone prays:

While we pray for many different things, all of us must devote time to praying that the Great Commission is fulfilled. This prayer includes requesting divine assistance in our personal sharing of the gospel as well as praying that God would mobilize and equip other believers around the world to make disciples, and specifically that He would work through the missionaries that the MACC supports and the missions events we organize. 

“You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” -2 Corinthians 9:11-12

Everyone gives:

The MACC devotes 10% of our income to missions. When a person gives to our church, they are giving to missions. In addition, some will give money to go on missions trips either for themselves or others in our body.

“I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” -Philemon 6

Everyone goes:

All of us will not to go Uganda or Turkey, but all of us must go somewhere with the Gospel. And, the truth is, wherever we are led by God to go, we should take the Gospel with us.

Neighbors

We must go and love our Neighbor. God has you exactly where you are for a purpose. In his sovereignty and providence, He has been instrumental in placing you exactly where the gospel needs to be. Have you thought about that? As a mom or a dad, a child, teen or single adult, your home, in your neighborhood is a mission field. Just out side your window you have neighbors that need a friend and need the gospel.

Jesus said:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39 

Think about your neighborhood, your circles of influence and what personal and intentional involvement, in those circles, will it take to engage your neighbors? How can we work to build a community that is redeeming? How does the church weave a thread through every ministry so that every person in the body knows it is not an option but a duty to reach our neighborhood?  Beyond your own neighborhood MACC partners with others who are helping to reach our neighbors like women in crisis, those escaping slavery, church plants, artists, homeless, the lonely and hurting. Come partner with us. Start in you home and your own neighborhood. Look down the street and around the block with us as we reach our neighborhood together.

Nations

We must go and love the Nations

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:19-20

As we engage to deliver justice, we must also deliver the gospel regardless of anyone’s status in a culture. St. Francis never said deliver the gospel and use words when you have to, nor would he have done so due to his membership in a preaching order. We are called to serve and proclaim the gospel, evangelizing the global lost, including our neighbors with both service and words. The end result in our obedience to God’s commands as we disciple the nations will be thriving Christians ready to produce more thriving Christians, producing more thriving Christians who produce more thriving Christians, who produce more thriving Christians.