Missional Task
As the snow flies and we begin to head into the Advent and Christmas holiday season, we ask ourselves again, "Why did Christ exchange the comforts of heaven for a wallow in the mud of fallen humanity?" Answer: to bring reconciliation, to offer to the lost a way of redemption, to effect rescue for those who could not save themselves. It is our prayer that over these next six weeks or so, this story would grip us afresh with all the attendant emotions and motivations.
One such motivation might be toward extending the good news of this rescue to those who remain wandering. Last week I attended a gathering of PCA folks representing what they call the Midwest. It includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, North/South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan (I guess the people in Atlanta came up with the "midwest" for that group?). It is 13 States totaling 72,439,000 which is 21% of the U.S. population. As a region it is the world's 15th largest mission field, having in excess of 60 million people who are not connected to a church, and many of whom are not in relationship with the Lord. It is the mission of our churches to reach these lost or dechurched people with the good news of the gospel. To put that in perspective, the midwest region is right behind Turkey and Germany for unreached.
Our goal as a denomination, as a midwest alliance, as presbyteries, and as individual churches is to proliferate the light of the gospel in the darkness of peoples' wanderings. At a regional level, we would love to see over 500 churches where we currently have 244. Closer to home, our desire is to see our West MI PCA double from our current 9 churches to 18 by 2035. Our recent Muskegon church plant and our enfolding of New City Fellowship are the first two of the 9. But we are still praying for cities like Benton Harbor, Allegan, Grand Haven/Spring Lake, and seeking for wisdom as to our own Grand Rapids daughter plant.
While it can be easy to get lost in goals and numbers of churches, all of these endeavors have people in mind. If we were to plant or enfold 250 new churches across the region and each new church reached only 20 people who were either lost or dechurched, that would be over 5,000 souls connected to the gospel, in addition to all the other good work being done through the churches.
Planting churches and seeing people won to the gospel is the same mission that Paul so earnestly pursued until the very end of his life. This week we will take up the very last words that we have recorded from this ordinary man who God used to do extraordinary things in 2 Tim 4:9-22. May our hearts be as galvanized as Paul's was to see the gospel go forth!