Doing Missions Like Jesus Did Missions

I believe Jesus was the greatest church planter that ever lived. He came to earth and started a church that would become a movement of multiplying disciples. He did it with none of the things we think are essential for starting a church. He simply took a handful of people, gave them a mission, trained them for it, and then turned them loose to accomplish it. I am amazed at times how complicated we have made it.

This past week I have been blessed by being a witness to seeing missions done the way Jesus did it. It started with me spending two days with a pastor (Ray Parascondo) who planted a church in Staten Island New York. This man has two campuses meeting on the island with over 200 people in attendance in one of the hardest places in the nation to plant a church. Ray is committed to leading a church that makes disciples of all nations.

On Sunday morning of this past week I attended the one year anniversary service of a new church lead by Pastor Dwight Boone in South Fulton County. Dwight has developed a core group of believers that have joined him in a commitment to making disciples of all nations.

Sunday night I attended a Global Missions service at Crossroads Church in Newnan that highlighted dozens of mission opportunities designed to help make disciples of all nations. During that service we had prayer times for missionaries and locations that our church will have opportunity to connect with.

Needless to say, I have had an amazing week. I've actually been in awe of the way God allows us to join him in reaching the world for Christ. The process is really not very complicated. Reach Out, Lift Up, Plug In, Build Up, Send Out. It worked for Jesus, now we simply need to work the work!