On Wednesday, Pastor Jae Shin Park, the chairman of GMS (Global Mission Society), its Missionary Secretary General, and Executive Director had dinner at a Korean restaurant with the president and vice-president of LCM (London City Mission), Britain’s leading missionary organisation, after which we all attended our church’s Wednesday service together.
The president and vice-president of LCM were surprised that so many young people gathered during the weekdays. The Mission Secretary General of GMS also asked me how this is possible, saying that no other church in the mission field, including the US, would be this revived. Since I was never asked such a question before, I was not able to answer at that moment, but when I think about it now, I think our church loves a place for prayer. It seems that upon our decision to evangelise, though nothing special, God pours incomprehensible grace onto our church.
Having to spent so much time thinking about world mission until now, personally I have identified three important trends happening globally. The first mission is for the unexplored, unreached tribes. On every Mission Sundays, our church is sending our mission giving to India exactly for this first mission. This mission is for the tribes that are completely missing missionaries’ reach so people who will never have the opportunity to hear the gospel without a special measure. We focus on India, which is the country with the largest number of such tribes. As a result of our dedication to this mission over the past 15 years, the good news was preached to most of the tribes and new family churches have been founded.
The second important mission is a mission for city. This can be interpreted in many ways, although it can be thought of as the evangelism and building churches for those various people who have gathered to cities. According to an UN report, 70% of the world population will live in cities by 2050, hence today’s city is characterised by foreigners with various languages and cultures living together. That is why we first unite with various churches in the country to help founding new churches for the local tribes. Our church’s pursuit of the foundation of multiculrual church and mission for diaspora are exactly for this second mission.
The third important mission is a mission to raise influential people of God who know the value of establishing God’s kingdom at all levels of society. Our church’s Christians at Work meetings are exactly for this third mission. With our commitment to these work and meetings, our entire church community is following the mission trends that the world deems as important. There were many times when I attended any meetings passively because I always thought of myself as weak and incompetent. However, as I see how God has built and led our church so far, I think that I should more actively participate in missionary work, not with arrogance but with courage based on faith. I do not know the Holy Spirit can drive our church, but I hope to be used valuably for mission.
“Lord, please help me get the prestige and courage that God’s co-worker deserves.”
