Philosophy of Missions
Our Commitment
Our greatest and ultimate goal in missions is the same as in everything we do: That the glory of God would be exalted and His name would be praised (Rom 9:17; Isa 66:19; 12:4; Rom 1:5; 3 John 7; Acts 15:14; Matt 19:29; Rom 15:9). We share God's desire to see Christ worshipped, honored, and praised among all nations.
We believe that the most loving thing we can do for others is to help them to see that their primary reason for existence is to worship God. When people trust Jesus, God is glorified and they are saved, and God's intention for his creation is fulfilled.
We also believe that God is most glorified and life is most meaningful, abundant, and fulfilling when we are obeying God in reaching out to others and laying down our lives for them (Ps 63:3; Mark 8:34-35; Rom 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17).
"I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt 16:18)
Our Confidence
Our confidence in missions comes from God's promises that our missionary efforts are empowered and assured by His power, authority, presence, and sovereignty (Job 42:2; Isa 48:9-11; Matt 16:18; 24:14, 35; 28:19; Rev 5:9).
People from every nation will one day bow the knee to Jesus (Rev 5:9). Therefore, our mission will be finished one day. Because of this, we believe that church planting among un-reached people is the greatest need of missions (Rom 15:19-23). Frontier missions that reach people groups that do not yet have access to the gospel are our priority.
We believe that the primary battle of missions is spiritual, and therefore prayer is the foundational discipline of our missionary efforts (Matt 6:9-10; Luke 14:33; John 15:16; 2 Thess 3:1; James 4:2-4).
Because our mission is a spiritual battle, our lifestyles should reflect a willingness to sacrifice and suffer for the cause of Christ (Mark 10:28-30; Phil 2:29-30, 3:7-11; Col 1:24).
Christians must either be missionaries, senders of missionaries, or disobedient. Let us strive to obey.
Our Financial Emphasis
How we spend the money God entrusts to us at Grace will mean more than what we say. Our values are reflected in the way we spend our money. At Grace, we have resolved that a full 25% of our annual budget will be spent on missions. Our church must model self-sacrificial giving if we expect individuals in our flock to give in this way.
Essentials and Priorities for Missions Support at Grace
Essentials
- The missionaries must possess strong Christ-like character and hold our theological commitments.
- The sending organization must be one that reflects our theological commitments and one that we trust.
- The ministry must have a holistic focus, but with a strong emphasis on evangelism.
High Priorities
- The ministry should be seeking to reach unreached people groups and/or closed countries. Church planting should be a goal of the ministry.
- The missionaries shall have been accepted to membership at Grace for a minimum of three years prior to their missionary service.
- The missionaries shall have demonstrated significant participation in a ministry at Grace for a minimum of two years prior to their missionary service, so that the Missions Committee can evaluate their level of participation for such service.
- The location should be strategic for reaching the world.
- The emphasis of the ministry should be on training and empowering indigeneous workers.
- The missionaries should be committed to long-term ministry.
