When We Go, We Go Together
When a group from Grace Church goes on a missions trip, it may be easy to think of it as something that others are doing.
They are the ones packing bags, getting on planes, riding in vans, sleeping in unfamiliar places, and sharing the gospel with people many of us may never meet.
But as a church family, we need to remember that when we go, we go together.
We exist to glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ across the street and around the world. That mission is not reserved for a few people with passports, flexible schedules, or an extra level of boldness. It belongs to all of us. Going as a disciple is not a special category for extra adventurous Christians. It is part of what it means to follow Jesus.
John Stott wrote, “The Church of the epistles is a missionary Church, a worldwide community with a worldwide vocation.”
That is a helpful reminder for all of us. Missions isn't just an isolated ministry among many. It is not a department of the church or a passion for a few people. The church is a missionary people. We have been saved by Christ, gathered into His family, and sent into the world with the good news of the gospel.
A missions trip is one visible expression of our collective mission.
Some of us physically go. Some will encourage. Some help send. Some care for families back home. Some ask good questions when the team returns. Some listen to the stories and let those stories stir their own hearts. But none of us should watch from a distance as if missions belongs to someone else.
When one team goes, the whole church family has a part to play.
That means prayer isn't a small role, and it isn't what we do because we aren't going. Prayer is one of the ways we go together.
We pray for unity, humility, endurance, and joy. We pray for boldness to speak clearly about Jesus. We pray for open doors, softened hearts, and lasting fruit. We pray for the churches and ministries our teams will serve alongside. We pray that God would strengthen His people and save the lost.
We should also let missions trips provoke our hearts. When we hear about a team being sent, we shouldn't only ask, “What's happening?” We should also ask, “How can I participate?” And maybe even, “Lord, would You have me go?”
Not everyone will go on every trip. Not everyone will serve in the same place or in the same way. But every disciple should live with open hands before the Lord. Every disciple should be willing to be sent. Every disciple should ask whether comfort, fear, busyness, or assumption has kept them from considering how God might use their life for His glory.
So as we send teams from Grace Church, let’s participate as a church family.
Pray faithfully. Encourage those who are going. Ask God to bear lasting fruit. And keep your own heart open to how He may be calling you to go as a disciple, wherever He sends you.
When we go, we go together. Because this is not just a trip. This is our Grace mission.