Local Language, Local Ministry

Tracing the emergence of the Christian church in the New Testament from the beautiful simplicity of the first church in Jerusalem we read about in Acts 2, through the devastating intimidation, corruption and persecution that follow soon after, and eventually to the stunning expectation of a mature and united Church that Paul presents in Ephesians 4, we can sometimes wonder how the Christian church survived at all. And yet she did, surviving and indeed flourishing to this day.

Somehow, as the church scattered and grew and the challenges multiplied, Jesus continued to build his church from persecuted, beleaguered and bewildered believers, into secure church communities all over their known world. How did he do this? Through his first order apostles he gave instruction as to how the church was to be ordered: churches securely established with elders and deacons carrying their authority in a subversively godly way and not in the way of the world. Furthermore, in Ephesians 4 we read about the gifts of the ascended Christ to his church, men and women of ministry that serve the church and help bring her to maturity; teachers, pastors, evangelists, prophets and apostles.

Jesus continues to build his church today and we are deeply committed to playing our full part in bringing about this Ephesians 4 maturity and unity in the nations. In Europe at this time we are pursuing two strategies to achieve this: the first is to build a local-language model of our values DNA, a church that demonstrates the values to which we are committed build, then to multiply this model through church planting, and so create the environment for local-language five-fold ministry to emerge. The second is to partner and collaborate with other like-minded local-language ministries, sharing what we have learned with each-other.

Over the next few months I will be unpacking this theme further on the blog, alongside sharing with you our adventures and stories from across Europe . Go to onmissionineurope.info/blog to find out more.

Every Blessing

Maurice