Global Outreach - A Mission Of The Church

It has been a very encouraging year for missions at New Covenant. Our first ever mission conference was certainly the highlight. The Global Outreach Team (GO Team) was especially blessed by the response of the congregation to the conference, both in attendance at the events and also in the obvious “heart for missions” that became evident over the three days. That was followed by a Christmas offering for specific efforts to support training for new hospital personnel in Mango, Togo (Cindy McFarland) and a pastoral training summit in Africa (Doug Dunton). The total offering was nearly $24,000, and we were able to make a huge impact on both projects.

So, let me begin by thanking all of those who attended the mission conference and helped make that a success. And to those who contributed to the Christmas offering – just know that both Cindy and Doug were amazed at the resources we were able to provide. I trust that each of you found a way to connect or give to these two events, but whether you did or didn’t – read on. There is so much more that we can do together to advance the gospel and support those who labor every day in both local and foreign fields.

Nearly every church has some commitment to missions. If not, I would be so bold to question their true allegiance to the gospel. At New Covenant the Elders and the GO Team have determined that our mission focus should be driven by four primary biblical principles:

1. To fulfill the Great Commission of Christ (Matt 28:18-20). Drawing from the command in Matthew 28 we know that the church must be committed to making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded. This is an enormous work both locally and around the world and points directly to the centrality of the mission and ministry of the church. In the end, we hope every new believer will find a home in a church that can nurture and shepherd them in their walk with Christ.

2. To see men saved and brought to the knowledge of God (John 3:16; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:13-15). When Christ ascended into heaven, He told the disciples that they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the world. The whole world is a tremendous endeavor and the current missionaries we support help us make that happen. From right here in Kane County all the way to Indonesia and Africa, the gospel is shared. None of us can go and do that ourselves, so our missionary team is tasked with doing that for us.

I love the way Paul communicates this in Romans 10, “And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” So, we send twenty-four people out to do this work every day of the week. What a privilege!

3. To share Christ's heart for the world (Matt. 9:3-38; 18:10-14). At the end of Matthew 9, Jesus looks at the crowd and has compassion on them and then turns to his disciples and says, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Each of us heard the gospel from someone brave enough to share it with us. Maybe some of us were children hearing it from their parents, others from a friend, some from the church and many from an evangelist or missionary. The good news was planted in our hearts and minds, and we were drawn to our Heavenly Father. To be born again as His child.

This is not an easy message to deliver in many areas around the world. Some places where our missionaries minister, it is illegal according to the laws of the country, and they risk their own liberties, safety and homes as they share the gospel. In other places it is just as counter-cultural as it is for you in your own backyard! All of this is what we are compelled to support through our global outreach efforts.

4. To build up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12-16). Paul states that Christ “gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…” The ultimate goal of missions and all those appointed by God to serve as leaders is to build up the body of Christ. The church is the bride of Christ that is being prepared for His return. Our role is to make sure that priority is present in all of our outreach efforts and so we constantly encourage our missionaries to that end.

Getting Involved: Hopefully that sets the table for why we approach missions with such a strong emphasis at New Covenant. As I said at the beginning – there are many opportunities for each member to be involved. Here are a few:

• Support the work of your CareGroup to encourage and develop deeper relationships with our missionaries.
• Give directly to missions. Every year we present you with opportunities to give toward the cost of sending mission teams throughout the world. In a few weeks a team is heading to Poltava, Ukraine. Every little bit helps, so give as the Lord leads.
• Serve. The opportunities are endless. Talk to Tom Beatty or Luke Preussler about local opportunities that everyone can do. Join an outgoing team to serve abroad. We announce these regularly.
• Pray for our missionaries and then encourage them with an email or letter. They truly love to know that someone else is “holding the rope” for them and interceding on their behalf.
• Be a part of the GO Team. We are always looking for people who want to roll up their sleeves and work with us to advance our mission efforts.

May God continue to work through New Covenant to take His message of love and truth into the world. May each of you see yourselves as a part of this work!

GO Team Chairman,
Michael Jacoby