Plan for Missions

Introduction

The purpose and mission of the Highland Church are the foundation for the ideas we present in the strategic plan for missions.  The purpose of our congregation is to "call all people to God" and our mission is to "make disciples of Jesus Christ."  In this strategic plan we (1) celebrate the work of God through the congregation during the last 5 years, (2) articulate a way to view "mission work" that is grounded in biblical principles and speaks to the post-Christian society of Abilene, the USA, and the world, and (3) suggest goals that reflect Highland's mission and embody Highland's purpose.

Celebrating the Work of God

Climate.  As We look back over the last five years we can see that God has been working in and through the Highland church and enabling us to grow into our awareness of His mission to redeem the fallen world.  The Spirit of God has been at work bringing about a "ferment," a stirring within the congregation.  This is evident in the increased level of giving to missions, the growth in the number of Highland members (youth and adults) who have taken the Gospel to the world, the financial support for new missionaries who have been sent out by the congregation, and the initiation of new pathways to reaching into our local community to touch lives with the Gospel.

Full-time Missionaries.  During the last five years, Highland has supported several full-time missionaries: Antenor and Phyllis Goncalves in Itu, Brazil; Tony Fernandez in Cuba; Juan Monroy in Spain; and Robert and Rosa Reid in Abilene.  In 2002, the congregation sent Malissa Endsley to New York City as a member of a mission team to the Bronx.  Jonathan and Jessica Goudou served as full-time interns in Itu for 1 1/2 years, working primarily with youth.  And recently, we sent Robert and Rosa Reid to Lisbon, Portugal.  Others have gone out from the congregation but received their primary support elsewhere, including the Penningtons, Kondrups, and Crittendons.

Youth.  The last five years has seen a steady growth in the numbe rof our youth who are involved in various mission trips.  During 2001, 83 youth participated in mission activities.  In 2002, 118 Highland youth went on mission trips to various places.  Last year, 168 middle school and high school youth went on trips to Colorado, Houston, and Mexico.  In addition, there has been a growing commitment to serve and teach the people in Abilene who are on the "margins" of our community.

Adults.  Highland adults are a multi-talented group who share their gifts with many people around the world.  Missions funds have enabled our adults to teach and serve in New Zealand, Swaziland, Zambia, Thailand, Brazil, New York City, Cuba, Ukraine, and elsewhere.

The commitment to missions of adult groups is notable.  First, a group of Highland’s older members have taken a mission trip to Mexico for the last seven years and have served in such places as Monclova, Monterrey, Torreon, Guadalahara, Mazalan, and elsewhere. Each trip is about 5-6 days in length and serves the purpose of encouraging and strengthening the Christians of indigenous congregations. Between 10-18 of our members have participated each year.

A second outreach of the Highland body has been two mission trips to Itu, Brazil.  In the year 2000, 41 adults and youth worked in Itu.  In 2002, 117 adults and youth participated.  The purpose was to encourage the Itu church and to assist Antenor and Phyllis Goncalves in outreach and evangelism. In each case, the group stayed about 10 days.

Other Highland adults have lead trips to Guatemala, Zambia, and El Salvador. Other members of the congregation regularly “go throughout the world,” sometimes with financial support from Highland, other times with support from elsewhere. Examples are the Broom, Curtis, Reese, and Willis families.

University Students. Every year we provide partial support for 20-30 of our university students who participate in Spring Break trips. They are sent to points both within the U.S. and occasionally to other countries.  In addition, several students receive financial support every summer to serve as missions interns to other countries.  These internships range in length from 3-10 weeks.

Local Missions.  Many members of the congregation have renewed their commitment to share the Good News with people who live in the immediate neighborhood surrounding the Highland facilities. Outreach has taken several forms. First, the Colonial Apartments ministry was initiated. Classes and worship occur regularly at the apartments. Adults and children from the apartments have responded to the Gospel and are involved in ministries of the congregation. Second, neighbors receive regular visits from members of the congregation who pray with them regarding spiritual and physical needs. They are invited and welcomed to special events. With the establishment of the Highland Boys and Girls Club, we are able to serve children (and their families) from the area of the city near Highland. The parents and children come to know and appreciate the congregation and see the Gospel through the members who serve them. Other Highland community ministries (e.g., FaithWorks) also see their work as sharing the light of the Gospel (redemption and hope for the soul and the body) with those who are trapped in darkness. Through field experiences, our youth are learning more about how to teach and minister to the poor, homeless, and disadvantaged of our community. They are also learning to be more intentional about sharing their faith with peers. Finally, Highland members regularly visit the prisons in the area to teach classes and mentor inmates.  Hundreds of these inmates have been baptized during the last five years.

Becoming a Missional Church

We believe the way that Highland members implicitly think about “missions” is changing. Subtle changes are occurring in the way we think and talk because we are re-examining our view of the world and the culture in which we live as well as our view of the nature of the Gospel. We are becoming more “missional” in the way we think and talk.  What does this mean?

Highland as a Missional Church. Our vision for the future calls for the Highland Church to truly become a “missional church.” A missional church is more than a “mission-minded church” or a “mission-oriented church.” A church is not a place but a people who participate in the mission of God in the world. Highland as a missional church would represent the reign of God as a community of faith (a distinct koinonia), living as a servant (diakonia) to the world, and as a messenger (kerygma) of light to the darkness.

To be “missional” means that we are in partnership with God, focused on spiritual realities, accepting the agenda set by Christ for His church as a community of believers sent out to change the world in which we live. As emissaries of light we live in stark contrast to the powers of darkness and the standards of morality of the culture around us. “Missional” means we are a body who is regenerated and regenerating as opposed to a body who simply receives what is given by grace. Quite to the contrary, we receive and we in turn share with the world. A missional church sees the world at its doorstep, whether in Abilene or in Brazil, and does not “circle the wagons” and only talk to itself. “Missional” means that we are in tune with the God who is calling the nations to His kingdom, restoring what has been undone by Satanic interference. “Missional” means seeking partnership with other bodies of believers and championing the movements of God in the world. A missional church has a clear vision of what is wrong with fallen creation and how the Gospel can transform the world. “Missional” means accepting the roles of prophet and priest to the world.

Culture and Gospel.  The Gospel is preached in a culture.  The Gospel must speak to the culture of its time (Paul said we must “become” like the other in order to be heard). The culture of the 21st century is post-modern. The emerging, post-modern culture “hears” and “speaks” differently than the receding, modern culture.  The nature of truth, the form of arguments, the type of evidence, and the role of experience differentiate the two.

In every age we must address the fallen culture in which we live. If we do not address the depths of the fallenness of humans and the catastrophic effects of this fall on all human relationships, we can never hope to have sustainable, significant solutions to the problem of darkness in the world. If we do not understand who our enemy is and what his strategies are, we cannot effectively attack his kingdom and bring the needed reconciliation. At least one reason that culture overwhelms us is because we do not recognize in our culture the footprints of Satan.

For a congregation to be “missional” she must be blessed with spiritual discernment and a comprehensive understanding of why we are where we are in history and in culture.

Local, Regional, National, and International. The world is “shrinking” and “borderless.” God sees no boundaries, races, or nationalities. All are created in His image. Therefore, as a missional church, the Highland congregation should engage the ideas presented in the two previous sections as we consider how to reach the world that is “near” as well as “far off.” The missional principles will be the same wherever the Gospel is at work, whether in Abilene, New York, or Itu. As emissaries of light, we address the dominions of darkness. With the Gospel we proactively touch the dark, shattered, hungry lives of the world rather than reactively flinch and build walls to protect ourselves from an evil world. Prayerfully we seek God's guidance on how He wants this church to serve and lead as we discern where God is at work in the world, what doors are opening, where the light is penetrating the darkness. A congregation may have many ministries and be recognized for the “good” she does in a community. But the key question regarding ministries—whether 1 or10 or 100—is: “What is the church doing to make a substantial difference in the war to break down the falls of Satan’s kingdom and to advance the work of God in this world?” We must focus, not on skirmishes, but on the major battlefield where the hearts and minds of people and all of God’s creation are currently being held captive by Satan. The church is called by God to redeem all of creation and culture.

The abundance of ministries in the church and by the church may be good, but what is the church doing to make a strategic difference in the war to break down the walls of Satan's kingdom? Ministries may fight in skirmishes, but the war is waged on major battlefields where the kingdom must breach the walls of Satan's strongholds in the world. The church is called by God to redeem all of creation and culture.

Conclusion

As we move into the future, the Highland Church needs to understand more clearly—in principle and practice— what it means to be a “missional church.” Of course, “doing missions” (“sending” people to other countries) is biblical and must continue. But rethinking who we are in terms of “being missional”—whether “afar” or “near”—may send us into the world in new and exciting ways.