Activating a church for missions: Don’t nag. Listen, equip and release

Rather than plead for people to get involved in mission work, Mary Carpenter, assistant professor of Christian studies at Howard Payne University, believes churches would benefit by listening, equipping and releasing members for service.

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FORT WORTH—Rather than plead for people to get involved in mission work, Mary Carpenter, assistant professor of Christian studies at Howard Payne University , believes churches would benefit by listening, equipping and releasing members for service.

Carpenter led a workshop on “igniting all the church for missions” during the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting.

The traditional model for missions outreach involves a church-centered, institutional method, Carpenter said. A specific ministry is formulated and continued for years, and the church tries to fill volunteer slots. Too often, slots remained unfilled due to lack of volunteers.

Carpenter suggested a different approach. Instead of beginning with the program, begin with the people. She believes all of the abilities a church needs to do the mission God has for that church are sitting in the pews. The church just needs to listen.

Process of discovery 

The church needs to undertake a process of discovery, beginning with a discussion of the distinctive role of the church within its neighborhood and in the nations, she suggested. Ask, “Who has God gifted you with?” Perhaps the congregation is filled with teachers or business professionals or lawyers or mechanics or homemakers. By discovering the make-up of the congregation, the church can better understand its role.

Next, locate resources in the church. “Some of the best resources are those who come to church and do very little but have an amazing life outside of the church,” she said.

Carpenter told about a businessman whose work took him into the Middle East, where he found himself in front of a classroom of Islamic school children.

Unfortunately, the man never was encouraged to see his work as being kingdom-oriented. Instead of greeting the group on behalf of Jesus, he greeted them only on behalf of the state of Texas. His failure to witness was a failing of the church, Carpenter said.


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“Nobody told him,” she lamented. “Nobody empowered him. Nobody released him.”

Celebrating the diversity of gifts

A key to empowering and releasing people comes by affirming and celebrating the diversity of gifts outside of the vocational ministry.

Carpenter encouraged workshop participants to return to their churches and have special times in worship services, praying specifically for teachers or lawyers or nurses or mothers or whoever is in the pews.

In so doing, the church will work to break down the perspective that classifies some jobs as holy and others as secular, she said.

Finally, the church should expect new and sometimes unexpected initiatives.

But, Carpenter warned, the church should not be too quick to discourage these new directions, placing a hold on them so that years of training come ahead of any actual activity.

Understandably, some element of guidance and equipping should come from the church. But in the end, the work needs to be handed over to the people to take as they feel led, she said.

“We need to be free to release people and let the Holy Spirit train and guide,” Carpenter explained.

 

 


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