What if the Organizing Function of the Church is Missions?

"Michael Frost, Professor of Evangelism and Missions at Morling College, Sydney, Australia, spoke about the missional church.   He mentions that all churches have four main functions: worship, fellowship, discipleship, and mission. For most of its history, the Christian church has been organized around the worship function. Worship has been the central organizing idea from which the other functions radiate. What if, he says, the organizing function of the church is mission, rather than worship? What would the church look like then? Radically different and much more motivated."


We have been blessed for the past 25 years to be a part of a church such as the one described above.....one that has been, and continues to be, a church centered on missions, rather than worship.  Had it not been for the heart of a pastor whose heart beats 'missions', most likely we would not be in China today.  For as long as we can remember the emphasis at Grace Baptist Church, Dickson, Tennessee, has been 'Go reach the world'.  Many have left, many have never come twice because the 'worship' did not meet their expectations.  For us 'worship' was all the more sweet and precious as a result of the undying theme of our church....'go into all the world'.

As we read this article today about missions our hearts turned toward home......toward our church, Grace Baptist....toward our pastor, Bro Jeff Lankford, who has never lost focus of world missions....toward our Savior, Who left His home in glory to reach the world.

Happy Birthday, Bro Jeff (Feb 6).....and thank you for your devotion to keeping our hearts and the hearts of our children on world missions.

We love you,
Steve & Dee

From the pen of Familia Nunes:

I am result of MISSIONS and I believe the Bible teaches there are 2 kinds of people: a Missionary telling the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST and a person that needs to have a Missionary telling him or her the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST!

And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.  Mark 16:15

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;  Matthew 28:19,20a

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”  Acts 1:8