THE
PRESENT
Over the last
30 years our
expectations about serving cross-culturally have
changed almost as rapidly as the world around us.
There has been much written about the phenomenal
shift in Western mission. We seemed to have moved
from a long-term approach to sharing the message
of Jesus to a short, time-limited method that suits our
skills. Back to Mark Holt, “It’s unusual for Aussies to
think long-term, particularly when it comes to mission.
We want to make an impact now, see results quickly
and can become easily discouraged when the process
seems slow.”
In this shift to a short-term focus, intentions have
been good as many organisations and churches have
endeavoured to make mission more accessible to a
wider group. People who might never have had the
opportunity for a mission experience have been able to
dip their toe in the water, using their hard-earned skills
around the world. However, this short-term emphasis
has seen a large drop in the number of people who are
willing to dedicate their lives to cross‑cultural mission.
This means that we can be in danger of adopting an
approach that is light on relationships and heavy with
expectations of outcomes.
It’s an exciting future. But what might
it signal for people who are discerning
their part in cross-cultural mission?
Despite all the change over the last
few decades in mission, the need
has remained constant. In the past,
present and future, the need has
and will always be for people willing
to share their life and faith with
THE FUTURE
While we know the future doesn’t rest in our hands,
there are some trends emerging that may give us
a sneak peek into the next big shift on the mission
scene. The church in Asia, Africa and South America
is also undergoing rapid change. They are growing
exponentially as people meet Jesus through friends,
families, dreams and local church communities.
Countries and regions who were once labelled as
‘receiving’ countries for missionaries from the West,
are now reorientating as ‘sending’ countries as they
send out their own missionaries to places like Europe,
Asia and Australia.
A final thought from Mark Holt as we look to the
future, “If the rapid growth of faith in developing
countries continues (which we pray it does), then the
role of the traditional Western mission agency is going
to have to change. Partnerships between different
cultural communities will become paramo unt and
multicultural teams will be the norm as people from all
nations respond to the call of Jesus.”
others who have not yet heard the
message of Jesus. People who can
commit to give their all to building
authentic relationships with a deep
commitment to sharing their faith
through being, doing and saying.
At the risk of sounding unbelievably
cliché, it would seem the more things
change, the more things stay the same.
So, while we may have begun our
conversation looking back at a not-so-
great 80’s movie, we end by looking
forward to a future of mission that we
know God continues to weave and
craft. A future of mission that each of
us can truly be part of.
resonate · issue 30 · page 4