What is the mission?
One of the best things about the YFC Staff Conference is the opportunity to network with a huge variety of people who bring vastly different perspectives, experiences and methodologies to a united mission – the declaration and demonstration of the gospel to the young people of the Great Britain.
This year Martin met Nick Shepherd who is the Leader of the Centre for Youth Ministry and he provided some very interesting food for thought with a simple question,”Does the mission look like Superman or Robin Hood?” – The answer has some huge implications! As Martin continues:
Superman is a super hero whose mission is to save people from a corrupt world. He steps in and rescues people from their problems.
Robin Hood is a heroic rebel whose mission is to fight on behalf of justice, peace, freedom and truth. He provides for those in need and seeks to uphold the values of the kingdom against oppression until the king returns. He sets people free from the clutches of their corrupt masters in the process.
Jesus was, and is, both and the implied nature of Nick’s challenge was ‘are you sure Wirral YFC are both too?’
Wirral YFC are primarily Proclamational Evangelists, to put it simply we tell as many young people as possible the truth about themselves as people who were created by a loving God (Jesus and Paul often told people who and what they were in God’s eyes before they told them how to behave), the nature of sin, the relevance of Jesus and particularly the Atonement. As such we affirm, or engage, in something of a ‘Superman’ mission. We present Jesus a future, almost eschatological, means of salvation from a corrupt and sinful world and I think Paul did something similar – Paul’s gospel message was ‘I was a sinner who needed to be saved and because of my trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection I have been saved, I am saved and I will be saved’. I had always thought this was the gospel but now I need to reconsider – is the gospel more Robin Hood than this? Future salvation when the physical body dies is certainly gospel truth, but what of the ‘Kingdom Come’ now, is that part of the gospel too?
What would it mean if our thinking shifted to a Robin Hood style of mission; there are many who would suggest that this is more like the mission Jesus defined for the church? A Robin Hood style of mission would certainly see us sharing the gospel with less young people each year, of that I am certain. Proclamational Evangelism would still figure but it would also see us looking for ways to provide for young people who are from deprived families, or no families for that matter. It would mean more time spent fighting for youth justice perhaps by advocating or lobbying at local government level on young people’s behalf. It might also mean providing more drop in centers, diversionary activities, ASDAN support and one-to-one counseling.
But then the specific call God gave to the founders of Wirral YFC comes to mind. The call is not to be Superman, or Robin Hood, or any other analogy, metaphor or typology for describing mission. The call is obedience! Jesus I am sure does call the Church to a mission of massive scope, its paradigm not any task or calling but Christ himself… But Wirral YFC were never called to be the/a church, nor are we Parachurch I hasten to add; instead Wirral YFC are one part of the body of Christ – part of the Ecclesia. An evangelism focused, ‘superman mission’ styled part of a much bigger body that God has used mighty over the past 20 years to share the good news of the atonement with many many 1,000′s of Wirral’s young people.
I would love to hear what you think?
In the back of this months EA magazine there is an article/ad entitled ‘Mission Beyond Evangelism’ which briefly explores Paul’s approach mission. The point it makes is that while Paul’s first priority was the proclamation of the gospel, he appreciated the need to work with others who would nurture participation in the gospel.
As they suggest:
“And alongside Paul there was a whole network of other leaders whose primary task was in mission beyond evangelism. Here are some of them and what they did.
* Timothy (2 Tim. 2:2). His work was training others to be able to preach the truth of the Scriptures, as he himself had learned from Paul. Mentoring and training multiplies those who can handle the Bible well and teach it to others.
* Tertius (Who?) He was the one whose job was writing down the great letter of Paul to the Romans (Rom. 16:22).Writing was a special skill, and people with something to say needed the help of good writers. Peter needed Silas for that job too (I Pet. 5:12), and commended him as a faithful brother for doing it.
* Apollos (Acts 18:24-28). His work was teaching the church. He was already well-educated, but he received even better biblical instruction from Priscilla and Aquila and then he went and used his gifts for the strengthening of the church through Christ-centred biblical teaching.
Training, writing and teaching – all of it equally necessary. Paul did not think his work was more important than Apollos’s. “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants… I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow” (I Cor.3:5-6).”