Matthew 28:18-20, Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Luke records the words of Jesus this way.
Acts 1:8-9, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
The Church's task is the same today. No one else is given this responsibility nor equipped to accept it, for whatever God is going to do, he will do through the Church - his people.
We are to lovingly, yet stridently, engage the people that share our context, those in the next community beyond, those across cultural lines, and those around the world with the reality and message of Jesus. We dare not backup, sidestep, or even causually redirect our primary efforts toward any other pursuit. The mission Jesus imparted to us must be what we are about and what we do.
Simply stated, focus upon an engagement in the mission must be our highest priority. Understanding the complexities and uniqueness of our local communities and the world around us, we believe that the ways and the methods we use to engage the mission must be lived out with flexibility. We must be steadfast in our commitment to follow Jesus in the mission while practicing fluidity in the methods if we are to realistically provide an opportunity for every man, woman, and child to hear and respond in some way to the Gospel message.
Thus we are asking ourselves two questions:
What does God want to see happen in and through the churches that are the Midwest District?
What will it look like if God gets what he wants?
We invite you to join and participate with us in Our Journey...