by Pastor Patrick Cho

If you have been following this Missions Monday series, you know that Lighthouse San Diego is going to be sending two teams out this summer to do gospel ministry in the Czech Republic and Argentina. You have been walked through the missions philosophy of the church. You also know that the Czech team also includes members from the Lighthouse churches in Los Angeles and San Jose. You have been introduced to each of the team members, and you ought to know at least some of the details of each trip.

One thing to keep in mind is that in the Bible, the work of missions is not seen as the responsibility of a chosen few. It is meant to involve a whole church effort. The ministry of the Apostle Paul helps to demonstrate this. While he was the one who was sent out to go from city to city to spread the message of the gospel to the ends of the earth, he and his partners in ministry were sent out by the church in Antioch (Acts 14:1-3). It is important to note that Paul and his companions were not self-appointed. The Spirit of God worked through the people of the church to set them apart and to send them out.

Not only was the church a big part in sending out the “missions team,” Paul also relied upon the support of the churches to continue his ministry. There are passages in the epistles where he thanks various churches for their generosity and support. He informs the church at Corinth about his intent to stay with them and seeks not only their hospitality and but also their support to carry on his work (1 Cor. 16:5-6). He recognizes the Philippians’ gracious giving to support his ministry during a time when other churches shared with him (Phil. 4:15-16). On numerous occasions, he also expresses thanksgiving for individuals from the various churches who cared for him along the way.

The church sent Paul out on his missionary journeys, they supported him in his work, and they also held him accountable in the work. This is seen in his reporting to the church in Antioch at the end of his first missionary journey (Acts 14:26-27). He returned to his sending church to tell of all the amazing things God had done to include the Gentiles in the grace of the gospel. This was appropriate because Paul was not a lone Christian going about his ministry independently. He was send out and supported by the church such that his ministry was really the church’s ministry.

From the Apostle Paul’s ministry, then, we can conclude that missions is the work of the church. Whether the members of the church are actively going or sending, the entire church participates. This is mainly because every believer is called to be a witness for Christ. The command and call of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) applies to every follower of Jesus. Wherever you find yourself, you should consider how you can be part of the disciple making process of helping people come to the point of salvation and also helping them grow with respect to their salvation. Since God’s plan has always been to have a people for His own possession from the ends of the earth, the church’s goal should also be to take the gospel even to the ends of the earth (cf. Acts 1:8).

Our hope is that the members of Lighthouse at least desire to be involved in some way because they believe in what the teams to the Czech Republic and Argentina are doing. There is a great need for the support ministry of summer missions in both the areas of Beroun and Tucumán. It has been really encouraging throughout the years to see the support of the members of the church and their active participation to send the teams to the Czech Republic and Argentina. By God’s grace, we will continue to send teams to help fulfill the Great Commission by working with like-minded local churches to propagate the gospel. As a member of Lighthouse Bible Church, how does this apply to you? How can you be involved in the work of summer missions even if you are not part of the team that is going?

1. Pray. We fully recognize that missions is God’s work. The Holy Spirit is the one who sets apart those who will go and works in the lives of the members of the church to make missions effective. God is gracious and desires all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). Independent of God, the team cannot be successful and nothing the team does will bring Him honor. Just as each team seeks to depend on the Lord in every step of the preparation and planning, in the travel, and in the trip itself, so the church should pray that God would mightily use the teams to bless the churches and leaders we work with and save many by His grace. Please commit to praying that God would be gracious to provide for the teams to go, that the time spent overseas would be profitable and a blessing, and that He would protect the team along the way.
2. Support. Ever since we sent our first team in 2000 to the Czech Republic, we have been amazed by the generosity of the members of Lighthouse to send our teams on these summer missions. This demonstrates at least in part that the church understands its responsibility to help send those who are available to go. By now, the members of the Lighthouse churches should have received informational support letters for each team. Would you consider helping to send these teams through your giving?
3. Participate. There are several opportunities to be involved with the team’s work even if you are not part of the groups going to the Czech Republic and Argentina. You can help plan and run a fundraiser, host a garage sale, and even promote the missions trips to those outside the church. Aside from fundraising, there may be opportunities to help in some of the logistics and planning. There are shirts that need to be designed and ordered, gifts that need to be purchased, etc. You can be involved with the planning to help the team best prepare to go.
4. Encourage. Each year, when the teams return from their trips, there can be a sense of let down as they are excited to tell about all that took place. Sometimes it seems there is a lack of interest and enthusiasm to hear of all God did. This is somewhat understandable because only those that go on these trips will know about the blessings of the trips from experience. But one way you can be a blessing to the teams is to encourage the team members, hear about what the Lord was able to do, and demonstrate genuine interest in the work. This is tremendously encouraging to the team that the church at home keeps the trips in mind, actively seeks to support the work, and wants to hear testimonies of God’s grace from the teams’ time overseas. Some specific ways to encourage include writing notes of encouragement to the team members, writing notes of greeting to the people of the foreign churches that the teams can take with them, or grab a meal with a team member when they return to hear about the trip.
5. Serve. While the teams are away, there will be a need for the church to fill some of the gaps in ministry that are left behind. Anytime a significant number of members are gone, the rest of the church may need to increase their participation and stretch themselves to see that the ministry at home continues healthily and effectively. While you can and should be praying for the teams that go, please do not forget to also pray for the church at home to continue to faithfully perform the work of ministry to the glory of God.
6. Go. Considering all God has already accomplished through Lighthouse in Argentina and the Czech Republic, perhaps consider being a part of the teams that go in the years to come. By the will and grace of God, opportunities may arise to go to other parts of the world as well. People need to hear the gospel, and churches, pastors, and missionaries need our support. As God opens these doors to go and be part of the global work of the gospel, pray about whether you can viably be part of the teams that go.

As you can see, even though you might not be part of the “going team,” there is still a significant work to be done by the “sending team.” Prayerfully consider how you can be involved in the church-wide effort of summer missions. This is in line with the biblical idea that the entire church is the missions team. Think of ways you can apply these principles to be a faithful part of that team.