Be honest: When you think about “missions,” you think AFRICA, right? You think about people far, far away. People that speak strange languages. That wear strange clothes.
As we’ve written before, Watermark talks about “missions” differently than some churches. Why? Because we want to change how we think about missions.
The word “mission” comes from the Latin missio, which simply refers to “sending.” The reality is that we are all sent. We are all “on mission” – every day, to the people that God places in our path. When we talk about mission, we should start where Jesus started when He was asked what the greatest command was. In essence, His answer in Matthew 22:35-40 was that we are to LOVE GOD and LOVE OTHERS.
These two commands go hand-in-hand. So as “everyday missionaries” we are called to love and serve those around us, the people that God has placed us near – our neighbors, our co-workers, and others… right here in our city where we live, work, and play.
“Missional Engagement” Starts at Home
So, while we do hope that you have opportunities to join God’s work overseas, in places like Africa or Haiti, we don’t start there. Some of us might end there, but we start elsewhere.
We are rooted, planted, and living in Dallas, Plano, and Fort Worth. So whatever our calling might be internationally, we know we are called to be on mission right HERE. That means proclaiming and demonstrating the gospel with people you know – people who know you, who live where you live, who speak your language, whose culture you understand (because it’s yours), and who in many ways are just like you.
In fact, your next “missional engagement” step might be to simply take your dog on a walk! Yes, that’s right – intentionally getting out and meeting your neighbors, saying hello, and beginning to develop relationships right in your neighborhood.
Start there… but don’t end there!
While missional engagement starts outside your front door, we hope that it doesn’t end there. We have a large city with many needs, a God who loves and wants people across our city to know Him, and the Church which is His plan to engage the city. (Watch for a future post that will explain how we do this as a church body.)
So what’s your next missional step?
Wherever you go, whether around the block or around the world, your call is to LOVE GOD and LOVE OTHERS, intentionally engaging those whom God places in your path, wherever you live, work, and play! Let’s get after it!