Changing World

The whole American mission movement is in the midst of rethinking how to best do mission today. It's probably not so different than the issues facing many U.S. churches, or even U.S. businesses. Change is faster than it used to be, much faster. One mission leader, Steve Moore, who I consider a "futurist" (one who is good at analyzing the times), said it well. He said that any organization that was set up before the 1990s, in how it operates under the hood (principles, policies and so on) was set up for a world that no longer exists.

Some of big picture issues in the world are:

• The growing mission force arising from the non-West is doing most of the pioneer mission work.
• It used to be that the richer nations did mission, but now it's from everywhere to everywhere. For example, one new mission force is Christian Filipino maids working in homes in the Middle East.
• Not long ago only experts really knew what was going on in mission. But as people travel more and communication is so much easier, anyone can visit non-Western leaders and be their Facebook friend. This makes many more players in the field: some of that is good, and some isn't if you stop to evaluate what the results are.
• More American organizations have learned that we need to work in partnership with the non-West. Indigenous organizations aren't waiting for us to show up with our pre-packaged ideas that worked in our country. They want relationships first and to see in us a willingness to listen.  

Some of the big-picture issues in the U.S. are:

• The U.S. church base is changing as traditional churches decline and ethnic, house, multi-site and other new forms arise.
• The word "missional" now can mean anything, anywhere, which is good in some respects but downplays the significant intentionality it takes to reach the hard places of the world.
• Many feel that we haven't figured out how to capture the interest of those 35 and younger.
• The "new normal" of the current economy is affecting many efforts. But, in international partnership, can that be healthier, if one partner doesn't have vastly more financial resources available than another?
• Many are looking to be part of a cause, to invest themselves in something meaningful.

I think about these things a lot, and so do many of our staff here. Partners International was way out in front, practicing partnership in indigneous mission organizations long before others were. We are still viewed as an example of how to do it well. Yet, we aren't exempt from the changes going on. We too need to be ready to listen to God and to be flexible and adapt. I want to be like the men of Issachar in the book of 1 Chronicles "who understood the times and knew what Israel should do."

All these changes in our world aren't a surprise to God. I think there are hard, but also exciting, times ahead as we see Him working in new ways that we didn't imagine before.