EQUIPPING FOR MISSIONS
Daniel W. Bacon
OMF, 1992, 219 pp. ISBN 1-929122-20-9
Dan Bacon was a church-planting missionary in Japan for 10 years. He
currently serves as the International Director for Mobilization for OMF
International. This book is an excellent introduction for anyone
considering the possibility of serving as an overseas missionary. It is "a
road map to help you grow in your commitment to global missions and find
concrete ways to explore options, make wise choices and discern your
potential contribution." (23) Throughout, it includes opportunities for
study and application of appropriate Bible passages, reflection and
response.
Chap 1. Aligning your life with the purpose of God (Biblical overview)
"The critical question we need to ask is, 'What is the purpose or plan of
God and is my life aligned with that?'" (6)
"It doesn't take long in reading Scripture to discover that God is a
missionary God and that the Bible is a missionary book. From Genesis to
Revelation we see a God who is seeking his lost creation." (7)
"The first eleven chapters of Genesis are foundational to understanding the
rest of the Bible. Here the stage is set for God's dealings with mankind.
Man is created in the image of God, and his main role is to glorify God by
exercising God's dominion over this planet (Gen. 1:27-28). However, man
rebels against God's rule over him, and this results in spiritual and
physical death entering the world and the human race (see Rom. 5:12). The
good news is that God didn't abandon man or leave him to suffer the eternal
consequences of his rebellion. The rest of the Bible is the story of God's
reconciliation of alienated man and the outworking of his redemptive
purpose." (8)
"Instead of being sent on a missionary journey, Israel was to attract other
nations by her godly and righteous living." "The Old Testament not only
contains missions but is missions." (11)
"God gives the very best to those who leave the choice with him." (18,
quoting Hudson Taylor)
"The New Testament makes it clear that the Great Commission is the
responsibility of the whole church. In this sense all of us are called to
missions, and the church itself is called to be a missionary church." (19)
"Obviously our plans for missionary work in the future should be an
outgrowth of our participation in the Great Commission now." (19)
"Not every vocation is equally strategic in building the church worldwide."
(22)
Chap 2. Putting Things into Perspective (a brief history of Christian
expansion)
Chap 3. Knowing the Game Plan (The missionary task and strategy)
"From a biblical perspective, however, the church may have many
responsibilities but only one mission, and that is the evangelization and
discipling of all nations." (47)
The evangelistic mission of the church occurs in steps: · Presence -
influencing by the lifestyle of the believe in word, deed, and attitude ·
Proclamation - preaching the good news of Christ · Persuasion - seeking to
bring a positive response · Planting - gathering the new believers into
congregations, a primary goal of evangelism · Propagation - planting
churches that will plant other churches and spread the gospel to their own
people and beyond (50-51)
Definition of a people group. "From the viewpoint of evangelization, a
people group is the largest group within which the gospel can spread as a
church-planting movement without encountering barriers of acceptance and
understanding." (52)
Chap 4. Sensing the Scene (the status of Christianity in the world,
progress, needs and issues) "Asia is the world's most unreached continent.
It holds over half the world 's population, yet less than five percent are
even nominally Christian!" Christianity is the number one religion in 5
continents, but it is 6th in Asia! (64)
The best resource tool for knowing what is happening in the world is
Operation World by Patrick Johnstone. (65)
The highest priority for missions today is cross-cultural evangelism to the
truly unreached people groups of the world. (68, citing Ralph Winter)
Chap 5. Understanding the Local Church, Missions, and You (the church's
sending role)
"Missionaries shouldn't just go, but be sent." (80)
"The ultimate authority for sending is Christ (Matt.28:19), but the local or
home church becomes the mediating authority through which the call may be
confirmed to you." (83) "The so-called missionary call is best recognized
and nurtured in a congregation." (84) Your church can give you the right
kind of counsel about your suitability and giftedness, help you get the best
equipping for ministry, take ownership of your decisions, and stand behind
you in support. (86)
"A coach does not build a football team by volunteers. He selects the best
players available." (86)
"Because most local churches aren't in a position to operate their own
mission work directly, they work through agencies. As a result, the agency
can be seen as the implementing authority in the chain." (88)
Chap 6. Developing a Personal Strategy for Missions Involvement (includes
steps, checklists, needs)
You can assess how far along you are and next steps by the excellent
questions about personal activities, missions awareness, church
relationship, and training and experience, p. 100-101.
Chap 7. Deciding if You Should Stay or Go (understanding the "missionary
call" and your suitability)
Factors bearing on suitability 1. Spiritual gifts 2. Interpersonal skills 3.
Communication skills 4. Spiritual maturity and experience 5. Training and
preparation (118-122)
How 'delicate' or 'hardy' are you? The Hardy Personality Rating on pp.
124-125 is particularly useful.
"The Great Commission was given to the whole church and not just to an elite
few. Not everyone can or should go, but all of us need to somehow partner
in the Great Commission process as a sender." (129)
Stages in Becoming a Global Christian 1. Initial exposure 2. Biblical and
global awareness 3. Vision of what can be done 4. General commitment to do
something 5. Specific commitment to a particular ministry 6. Strategic
involvement (go, send, mobilize) (13)
Chap 8. Praying for Missions - The Best Place to Begin "Prayer for missions
is God's way of giving us opportunities to join a ministry team-to become
part of what he is doing through the work of another." "We can multiply and
extend our ministries worldwide by praying!" (135)
"Do not expect God to do, apart from prayer, what he has said he would do
only if we pray." (139, quoting Arnold Geswein)
"If you're not yet convinced that God hears and answers prayer at home, don'
t expect to believe it on the field." (139)
Chap 9. Finding the Right Track
Chap 10. Finding the Right Mission Agency (It's a little bit like a
marriage.)
Suggestion: Contact three mission agencies. Make a file for each and
evaluate each in regard to their strategy, structure, ethos, financial
policy, personnel policy, relationships with national churches,
relationships with home churches, doctrinal emphases. (Note: Follow your
local church's guidance.)
Chap 11. Training and Preparation for Missions Some categories for
development: 1. Development as a person and a disciple 2. Development of
ministry skills and spiritual gifts 3. Biblical, theological, and
missiological education 4. Exposure to other cultures 5. Development of
relational and communication skills
Are you a likely candidate for doing church planting? Try the skills quiz
on pp. 194-96. You might be surprised.
Chap 12. Keeping a World Vision How do you keep the vision alive?
Suggested steps: 1. Pray daily for mission concerns. 2. Read one or more
books about world missions. 3. Support a missionary financially or share in
a missions project. 4. Stay available. 5. Investigate what's happening. 6.
Keep involved. 7. Consult godly leadership. 8. Prepare for what's ahead. 9.
Pray for guidance. 10. Make application when the time is right. 11. Be
commissioned by your church. (208-212)
"It is not a question of whether or not I should participate in the Great
Commission, but how and where." (212) *****
________________________ David Mays ACMC http://www.davidmays.org
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