The age-old debate continues to rage and has since the apostles in Jerusalem called Paul to account for his missionary work among the Gentiles… should the church prioritize local missions or travel to meet needs that are beyond the geographic locale of its membership? According to the Great Commission, the full range from local (Jerusalem, Judea) to regional and global (Samaria, ends-of-the-earth) should be given effort and resources. This progression from near to far would have been a natural progression in the ancient world. However, in a modern context, ministry can be accomplished far, near, and back again with greater ease of travel, communication, and established ministry partners already at work around the world. It could also be argued that we have reached the “ends of the earth” and our calling should be limited in scope.
The heart of the conversations may then be considered through a couple of lenses. One: What is the need that mission work seeks to address? Two: How does participation in a mission effort develop the participant to further engage those needs? Three: Is all mission work equally valuable for meeting the goals that are defined by the first two questions?
The goal of mission work is to bring God’s kingdom to earth as it is in heaven. Jesus’ ministry is a model of the kind of work that we should find ourselves invested in. Healing those who are sick, feeding the hungry, humanizing those who have been marginalized by society, and restoring opportunities for education, work, and worship to those who have been cut off through injustice or life circumstances. Jesus’ holistic approach gives hope that abundant life is possible while rooting that new life in connection with the Father who created humanity in His image and calls those who are being restored into partnership to reach those still in need.
Since hurting people and difficult situations exist in communities everywhere, local missions are an obvious outlet to serve. Resources can be directed to known needs, relationships can be cultivated with an ongoing dynamic, and communities can witness the church as the “city on a hill” that it can be at its best. Why then would a local church with local needs venture beyond its neighborhoods to bring God’s kingdom to a far-away place? Should not the local church in that far-off community be responsible for meeting those specific needs?
Jesus gives us reason to reflect on this notion as well. Jesus worked with young people. Despite the common portrayal in movies and children’s Bibles, the disciples were far more likely to be teenagers than middle-aged men with full beards. Jesus knew that despite most of them coming from devout Jewish families and having been raised religiously in the synagogue, they needed to see ministry in a variety of contexts and cultures if they were to develop the Father’s heart for people near and far. Jesus walked with them in his hometown and the greater area of Galilee. He also took them on road trips through Samaria, the Decapolis, and Jerusalem (not local to Nazareth). Each location brought a new need and often stigmas and stereotypes that were attached to the people who came from that place. Jesus’ mission to provide healing, hope, and restoration was unwavering but his methods changed in a variety of settings.
Though modern disciples have the example of Jesus and his first students, reading stories rarely produces the kind of life transformation that real-world experience elicits. People of all ages (and especially young people who are forming their priorities and identities) need opportunities to minister in a variety of contexts so they can share the mind of Christ as members of his body. Students Living a Mission was founded in 2001 with the goal that students would not simply go on a mission trip but have the kind of experience that would lead them to live it out on the day-to-day throughout a lifetime. This means that local ministry is a top priority since that is the place where teenagers are going to spend 95% of their time in the rhythms of family, school, activities, and normal life. At yet, SLAM is convinced that intentional time away from the local setting (the other 5%) has the potential to uncover new possibilities for students to discover how they are called to engage their communities.
In this way, domestic and international missions can achieve something that local missions struggle to do… give a young person the kind of perspective that makes the routine of daily ministry a calling to pursue rather than a task to complete. As it did with the disciples and others like Paul and Barnabas during their journeys, missions in an unfamiliar setting unlock a new kind of faith. It requires a larger vision of God’s work in the world. It demands a response from the participant on whether to continue to engage in this kingdom effort or abandon the hard work and return to a life of familiarity and ease. Young people from both the first century and the 21st century are not inclined to do hard things unprompted. They must be invited and even coaxed out of their comfort zones to experience the fringes where God’s kingdom work is often most tangible.
So, to the question of local vs. “far-away” missions, SLAM says “YES!” Local is the bread-and-butter of ministry where students can engage with consistency and repetition. To spark this kind of mindset, it is helpful to take students on a mission “road trip” (or by airplane) where they can experience God’s heart for people away from the familiar and have the kind of disruption to their routine that gives them space to imagine themselves in partnership with God in a life-changing way. Serving people that they don’t regularly pass during their daily routines can open their eyes to the needs that have existed all along back home. Engaging cultures that are foreign to their upbringing allows students to recognize God’s work is for the benefit of all people and not simply those who look and talk like them. Time away from the comforts of one’s bed, food, and routines stirs a desire to either satisfy those cravings or allow God to meet those needs even as young people seek the needs of others ahead of their own. The nature of a road trip means extended time for leaders to build the kind of relational dynamic that young people need to accept encouragement and challenge to develop further.
If you find yourself longing for these experiences for your students, Students Living a Mission would love to hear from you. Let’s collaborate on a plan that broadens your group’s horizons while prioritizing a mindset that brings your local community into focus as a mission field. Whether through a trip away to Nashville, one of our international ministry locations, or a hometown SLAM in which we travel to you to provide leadership and missions experience for engaging the needs of your city, we want to see young people given meaningful moments to practice their faith and deepen a commitment to living a life in imitation of Jesus Christ. What better way to do so than to do as he did by gathering as a group, studying God’s word together, and engaging the needs of those who are most vulnerable? As we do this near and far, we will see lives transformed for both the giver and receiver.
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