Our Mission

In light of being a chaperone for Grace Lutheran's mission trip this summer, I was asked to put something together to present to the church body on what mission work meant to me and why it is important.  The following is the result of pondering this question...


In a world filled with so much despair, poverty, and disease, the mission field offers a great opportunity for us to bring light into the darkest of places, to bring hope to those in the greatest need, and to be a physical representation of the hands and feet of Jesus Christ both at home and throughout the world.  Mission work is in God's plan for our lives, whether it be helping your neighbor rake the yard or following a call to West Africa to share the gospel with people have never heard the wondrous name of Christ.  God calls us into this field, to spread His word, to be a light, and to show this world that our younger generations have something to offer, as well as something to hope for and believe in.


1 Timothy 4:12, for example, says, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." As young people especially, God calls us to be that light and example to all who can see us; there are many things people associate with the youth of today, but being a Christian example isn't often one of them.  It is time we change that, and time to let our love for Christ and all of His people that blazes within us shine for all those around us to see as well.  Mission trip opportunities are one of many ways to allow that love that is within us to grow; a way in which we can grow in our own faith and personal relationship with Christ, but also a way to teach, love, and spread the gospel of Christ to others.


Further example of our call to mission work can be found in Matthew 28:19-20. It reads, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."


We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, to go out into the world and make disciples, to make a difference, and to effect change for the glory of God.  Living out this life according to the will of God is the desire of our hearts, and reaching out to His people is the first step in achieving this goal.  


Though mission work is all around us and we must be a continual light and example to all we come in contact with, the mission trips I have been able to attend have been life changing; they have taught me what it means to be a reflection of Jesus, to give and sacrifice a little of oneself for the benefit of others, to truly love God's people as we are called to do, and finally to delve deeper into my own relationship with Him.