Missions

One of our foundations at Risen is “Jesus Sends Us.” It is not our mission but Jesus’s, and he invites us into it. This means we don’t seek to initiate mission; rather, we see where Jesus is at work and we join with him in that work. And he has not left us alone but has given us his Holy Spirit to empower us to fulfill his mission (Acts 1:8).

Gospel.
Jesus’s mission focused on the gospel of the kingdom of God. He summarized his mission by saying, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also because that is why I was sent” (Luke 4:43). Paul echoes this conviction, claiming that as a church planter, he would “know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Communal.
Jesus does not send us on mission alone. Jesus sent his disciples out two-by-two (Mark 6:7-13), and he has placed his followers in gospel families (John 19:26-27). We desire for most of our mission work to take place in community, whether through Missional Communities or other community connections.

Flourishing.
Though the gospel message remains central, Jesus’s work also includes restoring human dignity and alleviating poverty. As Timothy Keller states, “The kingdom is the renewal of the whole world through the entrance of supernatural forces. As things are brought back under Christ’s rule and authority, they are restored to health, beauty, and freedom.” Jesus declares the kingdom by preaching the gospel, and he demonstrates the kingdom by healing the sick (see Luke 18:35-43). Charles Spurgeon is reputed to have said, “If you give a hungry man the gospel, wrap it in a sandwich. And if you give a hungry man a sandwich, wrap it in the gospel.”

Empowering.
We pursue sustainable missions through long term partnerships aimed at gospel transformation that sticks. We recognize that many missions and outreach efforts do more harm than good. Jesus warns against quick efforts without follow-through, stating that “the last state of that person is worse than the first” (see Matthew 12:43-45). We prioritize building relationships and empowering people. Instead of doing a task for someone else, we endeavor to equip that person to be able to do it themselves. For example, instead of giving poor people shoes, we donate
used shoes to micro-entrepreneurs to refurbish and sell. This provides shoes at a low cost to others and creates jobs for impoverished people. Instead of passing out tracts in Kenya, we provide theological training for pastors so that they can equip their local church members to share the gospel.