Cross-cultural Ministry: Only for Church Planters and Orphanage Staffers?
by Brandy Lauer
Missions or cross-cultural ministry is often described as a career path only for the brave and highly gifted followers of Jesus… but what about the rest of us?
When we hear the word “missionary,” we often think of either a strong couple planting a church in the mountains of South America, a courageous single person playing soccer at an orphanage in a savanna in Africa, or a seasoned pastor preaching to a group of thousands in a city in Asia. Yet, if Jesus truly called all of us to go and make disciples of all nations, why are we only sending out church planters, evangelists, and orphanage workers?
Hatian School Students (2019). Image courtesy of Zach Vessels on Unsplash.
Don’t get me wrong; church planting, evangelism, and compassion ministry are all highly effective mission strategies, and I know some incredible individuals that are doing this type of ministry and are changing nations. But not all of us are gifted and passionate about those areas of ministry.
Being called to the mission field at a young age of thirteen, I had no idea what that meant for me. As someone who enjoys the supportive roles of the church, I constantly struggled with the question,
“What can I bring to this world with the little gifts that I have?”
Although hearing missionary stories inspired me, those stories also made me feel completely insecure, knowing that I could never be like those incredible missionaries like Hudson Taylor, Elisabeth Elliot, or Mother Teresa.
So, if you’re like me, you may be asking the question,
“Where does that put me and the rest of the world in this great commission”?
The Bible gives us two great passages that answer this question:
The first passage comes from 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. Paul encourages the church, telling them that there isn’t a gift or person that is better than the other. He says in verse 22,
“In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.”
Wow! That encourages and gets me thinking that He might be able to use my “least important” gifts for His Kingdom.
Missionaries and locals gathering together (2017). Image courtesy of Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash.
Using Your Non-Preaching Gifts
So, how can you use your non-preaching and soccer-playing giftings in this world?
In recent years, cross-cultural ministries have taken a new approach to the Great Commission. Churches and mission agencies realize that instead of just sending out their brave pastors to go and teach, they must also send out “everyone else” as well. Because of this new strategy, people from all over the world have been getting excited about missions. We have cross-cultural workers in creative access nations (nations that are not yet open to the Gospel) starting up “third place” locations like coffee shops, CrossFit gyms, and book stores. This allows workers to intentionally love people while creating a safe space to share the Gospel.
There are also passionate people working in IT companies, administrative roles, construction companies, and sewing ministries. Having workers in these roles allows them to bridge the gap between the unchurched and the Church.
These cross-cultural workers have simply answered the call to use their gifts and passions creatively and uniquely to those in which traditional missions and ministry can’t reach.
The second passage that I believe answers this question of “what about me?” comes from Acts 1:8. It says,
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
He has already equipped us and empowered us. How is that possible if you don’t even know what you're doing, you might ask? Because of the Holy Spirit. Through His empowerment and guidance, He has already trained you for the job of being His witness!
You may also be saying right now, “I get what you’re saying, but I’m not called to go overseas.” Well, guess what? Most people aren’t. When we think of Acts 1:8, we mostly hear the “ends of the earth” statement, but Jesus also called His disciples to Jerusalem, which is right where they were.
Global Frontier Missions shares that 1 out of every 1,800 believers in western society become missionaries overseas. So, what about the other 1,799 that’s called to stay in their Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria?
Since being called to the mission field over ten years ago, I constantly pursued getting to the mission field, yet the Lord reminded me that my mission field was right where I am- whether that was in my hometown, my home country, or the ends of the earth. The Lord has asked me to stay in my Jerusalem, and He has also asked me to go to the ends of the earth, but no matter where I am, He asks me to be on mission, to be His witness.
Community Service Project (2019). Image courtesy of Victoria Kubia on Unsplash.
Not everyone is called to live in a different country, but everyone is invited to missions and cross-cultural ministry in one way or another. By engaging in our own communities, states, and nation, we get to be on mission and be His witness right where we are. Whether that’s by doing service projects with your home church, making friends with the international students at your local university, or just sharing a cup of coffee with your neighbor. Go out and be the hands and feet of Jesus in a tangible way, by being His witness!
So, whether you’re called to your home town or the literal ends of the earth- you are empowered by the Holy Spirit to use your gifts and passions to be a missionary.
Resources
We’ve created a free downloadable PDF to explore the article deeper. It contains discussion questions about the topic in general terms that will give you a jumping-off point for beginning a conversation.
The second page contains a way to see the topic from a biblical perspective.
And finally, to go deeper into the subject, we have chosen a few curated resources to explore from other authors’ and thinkers’ research or perspectives.
Read. Engage. Enjoy!
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Depending on how a gem is held, light refracts differently. At B+PC we engage in Pop Culture topics to see ideas from a new angle, to bring us to a deeper understanding. And like Pastor Shane Willard notes, we want “…Jesus to get bigger, the cross to get clearer, the Resurrection to be central…” Instead of approaching a topic from “I don’t want to be wrong,“ we strive for the alternative “I want to expand my perspective.”
So, we invite you to engage with us here. What piqued your curiosity to dig deeper? What line inspired you to action? What idea made you ask, “Hmmm?” Let’s join with our community to wrestle with our thoughts in love in the Comment Section! See you there!