Goals for Local Churches

Goals for Local Churches (From the book Discovering Missions by Charles R. Gailey / Howard Culbertson)

Some local churches set very audacious global mission goals for themselves. An example is the West Covina (California) Christian Church, whose leadership came up with the following goal statement:

“Because our blessings have brought equal responsibilities, we therefore set the following goals:

• World evangelization permeates church life throughout the year.
• Every member expects to have some role in the global harvest.
• God’s heart for the nations is heard in almost every service.
• Church leadership continually challenges couples and singles to consider
  going overseas.
• Going on short-term mission trips is the expected norm.
• The average lay member of this congregation, knowing God’s heart for
  all nations is a major theme of the Bible, can name several scripture passages about world evangelism.
• Global mission needs will be met even before the local church electric
  bill is paid.
• Most members will know the church’s adopted missionaries, where they
  serve, and what their needs are.
• Mission information and prayer times are mainstream.
• The church aims to give no less than 25% of its income to world missions.
• World evangelization is seen as half the reason that local church exists.”

Because the essence of the gospel—the Good News—is such that it must be shared with all people everywhere, mission cannot be left to a few missionary-minded people. Because global mission is on the heart of the triune God, it must be on the heart of the local church.