What Role Do Local Church Play In God's Mission

God’s mission has been in existence since the beginning of time. His church however came in after He established His domain and earthly kingdom. The question of concern addressed here will be what the relation of the local church is to the mission of God. God’s mission is fulfilled in many ways, the local church being one of them. This question is not new per say, although I believe it is an important question to grasp when the local church has become such a large part of a Christian’s walk with the Lord. The question will be filtered through scholar’s perspective, biblical perspective, positions in relevant literature and my own perspective on the question at hand. Firstly, what is the mission of God? The latin word, missio means “sending”

The reason for the church’s existence, and the relation between the church and God’s mission is clear however some believe the church is failing to create and keep the church a mission driving organization. “What Christians want for the nation should first be a witnessed reality in their local church. Until that local church embodies that desire for the nation, the church’s witness has no credibility.” Ouch. Politics and hypocrisy therefore play a larger role in the church than they should.

Fear may be a leading factor in the church’s lack of drive and plan to reach goals and people. Hastings says that churches in the west have come to look extremely “fear-filled, retreated, and walled-up, not-very-influential.” Christian witness is at ebb. Mission activity has slowed from the west to the world, to the west and a six continents. “Mission now is the movement of those with faith to those seeking faith.” Hastings wraps up his point about churches and their responsibility by saying, the church, or gathered body of believers is to be the church where Christ “lives by the spirit” and when they do, they will be missional like He was and is and will forever be. However, this will look