BRETT-OWEN-My-Personal-Theology-of-Mission

REGENT UNIVERSITY MY PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF MISSIONS SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR CUARTAS IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENTS OF WORLD CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES PMIS 500 DE FALL 2009 SCHOOL OF DIVINITY BY BRETT OWEN NOVEMBER 20, 2009 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………….1 MY PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF MISSIONS ………………………………………………1 MY PERSONAL STRATEGY OF MISSIONS…… ……………………………………… CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………… … BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………………….9 iii INTRODUCTION For many Christians when they hear the word “missions” they think of missionaries and appeals for financial support Missions have often been reduced to whether you will be a missionary or not However, after taking the course World Christian Perspectives, I realize that there is so much more to missions than that I can live for God’s global purposes without being a missionary I am convinced that God has called every Christian to become missional believers in order to fulfill God’s global purpose The purpose of this paper is to present my personal theology of missions and the strategies that I will employ to live out that theology the rest of my life MY PERSONAL THEOLOGY OF MISSIONS God is a God of Mission Those words resonate in my heart from Dr Cuartas’ lectures and the readings from Perspectives on the World Christian Movement An often forgotten attribute of God, my personal theology of missions begins with the fact that the God whom I love and serve is a God with a mission God has a mission in creation God is the creator, architect and builder of all creation Man is the apex of his creation and is made in his image and likeness.1 All of creation is for God’s glory According to Christopher Wright, “Creation exists for the praise and glory of its Creator God, and for mutual enjoyment between the Creator and the created.”2 God is on mission to be loved and worshiped by all people I summarize God’s Dr Cuartas, “Harvest Connection” (Class Lecture and PowerPoint, World Christian Perspectives, October 2009) Christopher J H Wright, “Mission and God’s Earth,” in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader, eds Ralph D Winters and Steven C Hawthorne (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009), 28 purpose this way: “For His Glory in global worship, God purposes to overcome evil by redeeming a people who will love and obey Him within every people.”3 God’s mission is seen in his redemptive work Redemption is restoration and through Jesus Christ, God has bought back what was stolen by satan “He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13-14).4 As a believer in Jesus Christ, I am “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (2 Pt 2:9) in order that I may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called me out of darkness into his marvelous light I believe God’s promise to Abraham becomes my mandate for missions God made a promise to Abraham, which was effectively a promise to the world He said he would not only bless Abram, but that Abram would become a blessing God told Abram, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3) This promise if fulfilled in Christ “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise” (Gal 3:29) Paul declares, “Those who believe are the descendants of Abraham And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.’ For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.” (Gal 3:7-9) Therefore, through Christ anyone on earth can inherit the full family heritage of being blessed in order to be a blessing to the nations.5 According to Gallager and Hawthorne, “The promise so clearly reveals God’s purpose, that Christians rightly consider it to convey God’s mandate to serve as His agents of blessing among all the peoples of Steven C Hawthorne, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: Study Guide, (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009), 4 All Bible quotations are from the NRSV Sarita D Gallager and Steven C Hawthorne, “Blessing as Transformation,” in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader, eds Ralph D Winters and Steven C Hawthorne (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009), 38 the earth We are blessed in Christ in order to bring forth the blessing of Christ among all the nations.”6 Another way to put it is I once was in darkness, but now I am in the light (Eph 5:8) Now my mandate is “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:18).7 The Bible is indispensable to my theology of missions The Bible contains our mandate for missions John R W Stott believes we need this Biblical mandate now more than ever He reminds us, “Two phenomena are everywhere on the increase, One is religious fanaticism, and the other, religious pluralism.”8 In this post-modern world, I need the Bible now more than ever to stay true to the truth and God’s mission Stott also points out how the Bible gives us the message, the model and the power for world evangelization Without the Bible missions and world evangelism is impossible My theology of missions is dynamic and ever growing as I diligently study the Word of God I choose to “heed its summons, grasp its message, follow its directions and trust its power.”9 I am a disciple of Jesus As his disciple, I follow his example and commands Jesus was a missionary so I follow his example He came from heaven to earth to show us the way Therefore, I show others the way Jesus gives his disciples a clear command, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15) My assignment is to “go into all the world,” my task is to “preach the gospel,” and my target is “all of creation.”10 Blackaby and Willis remind me that “Jesus was on mission with the Father, and He calls every Gallager and Hawthorne, 38 Dr Cuartas, “Harvest Connection” (Class Lecture and PowerPoint, World Christian Perspectives, October 2009) John R W Stott, “The Bible in World Evangelization,” in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader, eds Ralph D Winters and Steven C Hawthorne (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009), 21 Ibid., 26 10 Dr Cuartas, “Harvest Connection” (Class Lecture and PowerPoint, World Christian Perspectives, October 2009) one of His followers to join Him in that relationship of Love, power and purpose Never get over how amazing this really is Nothing could be more precious than to follow God on mission in the same way that Jesus did.”11 I love Jesus and I am on mission with Him This fact is foundational to my personal theology of missions because “the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all” (2 Cor 5:14) While on mission with Jesus, I know I have the promise of power Jesus tells us, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) The Holy Spirit anoints me with power to the work of the kingdom Jesus said, “Peace be with you As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21) According to Newbigin, “With that commissioning goes also the empowering of the Holy Spirit – so that, by the same Spirit whose anointing enabled Jesus to works of healing and deliverance, the Church could likewise be empowered.”12 One of my favorite verses is Acts 10:38 which reads, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:38) As encouragement to my work here on earth, I say it to myself this way: How God anointed me with the Holy Spirit and with power; how I go around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God is with me I am an anointed missionary and I have all the resources of heaven to back me up 11 Henry T Blackaby and Avery T Willis, “On Mission with God,” in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader, eds Ralph D Winters and Steven C Hawthorne (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009), 77 12 Lesslie Newbigin, “The Kingdom of God in the Life of the World,” in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader, eds Ralph D Winters and Steven C Hawthorne (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009), 77 MY PERSONAL STRATEGY OF MISSIONS I am a children’s pastor at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas Cornerstone Church is a large non-denominational church led by senior pastor John Hagee I have a pastoral heart and my ministry gifts have given me the ability to minister to children in a creative and fun way I minister to children 1st – 8th grade I am a unique children’s pastor because I have been given oversight to middle school as well This has provided more opportunities to share the gospel and I realize that a child’s middle school years can be some of the most important formative years I love to teach children and youth and make church fun I lead a children’s ministry called GenerationWon Our vision is to see this generation won for Jesus Christ Our mission is to create a place where children 1) experience the Fathers love, 2) discover their identity in Christ, and 3) demonstrate that love toward others My life, ministry and profession have direction because of my relationship with Jesus Christ As I grow in relationship with Him, He leads me and guides me I am amazed by the calling I have upon my life and I will fulfill all that I am called to if I continue to put Jesus first and seek him wholeheartedly My personal theology of missions will continue to be developed the rest of my life I am sure God will continue to give even greater opportunities to lead and share the gospel If I always remember how I am blessed in Christ in order to be a blessing to others, then I know nothing will stop me from accomplishing great things for the kingdom of God I have prayer and the Word of God as my weapons and Holy Spirit power to back me up As a young pastor, I believe my present strategies will help me build a fruitful ministry for years to come Presently, I see my mission statement of experience, discover and demonstrate to be a good strategy for my theology of mission It is my mission to help others experience the Father’s Love I accomplish that by demonstrating God’s love in my words and actions Through my ministry, I have many opportunities to share the gospel to children and nothing gives me more joy than to lead a child to Christ I have been on many short-term mission trips and I will continue to participate in them as the Lord leads me My mission also includes helping others discover their identity in Christ I accomplish this through teaching and discipleship Through weekly teachings and ministry events such as Vacation Bible School, retreats and camps I help children discover their identity as children of God I teach them spiritual disciplines and help them grow in the knowledge of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pt 3:18) I also provide biblical counseling to children and youth who need guidance and direction My mission does not stop there; it is my desire to help others demonstrate the love of God towards others I accomplish this not only through teaching and being an example, but also by providing opportunities for children and youth to participate in outreaches, mission projects, and mission trips I pray that every child that GenerationWon ministers to is shown how to become and be a fully devoted disciple of Christ As they grow closer to God, they demonstrate His love and help others to the same During modular week, Professor Cuartas shared the concept of “Glocal” and Professor Hill shared a presentation on strategies for being witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.13 I have taken these ideas and applied them to GenerationWon Children’s Ministries We have always had missions giving and projects, but I have recently reformatted our strategies and cast new vision to the ministry GenerationWon has gone glocal The children experience glocal missions through a variety of local and global mission projects Each Sunday school class participates in global missions by supporting a World Vision child from the 10/40 window This gives children exposure to global missions and their teachers share updates from 13 Dr Hill, “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth” (Class Lecture and PowerPoint, World Christian Perspectives, October 2009) the sponsored children During our Sunday evening programs, we have partnered with Cornerstone’s evangelistic center and launched a series of local mission projects Last month, the children donated over 100 new blankets to homeless families in San Antonio We took pictures of the blankets being handed out to the homeless and the children saw the impact of their giving This month we are collecting can food and in the spring, the children will minister to the elderly at a retirement home For middle school, we have partnered with the youth and college ministries in a program called Servolution Servolution is an exiting new program with the goal of sharing God’s love and changing lives through simple acts of kindness Middle School students will be given opportunities to participate in service projects both locally and globally I am excited about this new vision There is already glocal missions buzz around the ministry and the staff is excited about the direction we are going These strategies are one way that I will continue to carry out my theology of mission Another way I will carry out my theology of mission is by demonstrating God’s love in my everyday life and relationships My wife and I have learned a great deal about witnessing and evangelism this past year In the past, like many Christians, we were quick to judge rather than love Today, we realize love is a much more powerful tool of evangelism For example, we found out that my wife’s cousin Nick, who was once a strong Christian, was living with his girlfriend and we knew his girlfriend was not a good influence in his life Instead of judging and confronting his sin, we decided to show love and invite them over for dinner Little did we know, but that that simple act of love was what he needed to realize the sin he was in and where his life was headed He told my wife that after visiting our home, he realized that he wanted the love and faith that Leslee and I shared and he would never find that if he continued to live the way he did His life is changed simply through prayer and a demonstration of Christ’s love This will always be one of my primary strategies to fulfill my theology of mission CONCLUSION After completing this course, I will never look at missions the same way I recognize the missional heart of God and I have discovered a life of purpose I am blessed in Christ in order to be a blessing to others God has given me an amazing ministry and the strategies to see great things accomplished for the kingdom of God I am a Christian with a theology of missions and I will live out the theology the rest of my life BIBLIOGRAPHY Blackaby, Henry T and Avery T Willis “On Mission with God.” Quoted in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader, eds Ralph D Winters and Steven C Hawthorne Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009 Cuartas “Harvest Connection.” Class Lecture and PowerPoint, World Christian Perspectives, October 2009) Gallager, Sarita D and Steven C Hawthorne “Blessing as Transformation.” Quoted in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader, eds Ralph D Winters and Steven C Hawthorne Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009 Hawthorne, Steven C Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: Study Guide Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009 Hill “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.” Class Lecture and PowerPoint, World Christian Perspectives, October 2009 Newbigin, Lesslie “The Kingdom of God in the Life of the World.” Quoted in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader, eds Ralph D Winters and Steven C Hawthorne Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009 Stott, John R W “The Bible in World Evangelization.” Quoted in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader, eds Ralph D Winters and Steven C Hawthorne Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009 Wright, Christopher J H “Mission and God’s Earth.” Quoted in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader, eds Ralph D Winters and Steven C Hawthorne Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009