Tod Bolsinger

What Long-Term Good comes from Short Term Missions?

This picture sits on my desk top of my computer.  I see it everyday and it makes me think about and pray for the people I met while on a trip to Malawi, Africa earlier this year. 

That trip was huge for me. 

Not only did it allow me and our church to be part of a new partnership working together to make a difference in one small corner of the world, but it also was a tremendous time of bonding with church members, making new friends with other Christians from both the US and in Africa, a shared adventure and spiritual experience for me and my son, together and perhaps most significantly, a greater sense of conviction that my role as a pastor includes leading the church and particularly my church to be, in the famous words of Tom Wright, “Jesus for the whole world."

Since I have been back I have been far more aware of the world, needs in the world, and especially the great need in Africa.  I watched “Hotel Rwanda” with a sense of embarrassment and shame for how little I new of the tragedies of that time.  I have read more about both globalization and global poverty, and have blogged more about poverty, the environment and involvement in larger experiences like the ONE campaign.

Interestingly for me, in the shadow of the discussion of the G8, Live 8 and the ONE campaign, a set of articles were posted by Christianity Today questioning the effectiveness of Short Term Missions.  This is not only a topic of personal and pastoral interest, but also fitting topic for a mid-summer reflection. (An estimated 1-4 million North American Christians will take part in an STM during this season of school-free activity.  According to the study nearly 30% of all teenagers will take part in an STM at least once in their lives, and 10% will be repeat short-term missionaries.) 

And these articles are very challenging indeed.  Because according to the study behind these articles, short-term missions they way they are currently led in most cases, are no more effective at furthering the work of Christ in the world than the average summer camp or a personal New Year’s Resolution.   In short, they are a quick “spiritual high” that makes little difference in the life of a person, a congregation or the very people the mission trip sought to serve for the long haul.

That is, "the way they are currently led in most cases".

Over the next few posts I would like to take up some of the criticisms (the vast majority of which I agree with, by the way) and suggest some ways from the article that short-term mission can in fact be part of the long-term mission of Christ in the world in a genuinely life-transforming way.  (I also want to make some connections to the conversation about Christian involvment in the ONE campaign and some of my broader concerns for the Church's calling to be the "provisional demonstration" of the Kingdom of heaven on earth. (Ambitious, yes....but we'll see.)

I hope some of you will indeed read the articles and chime in.  But first, let me ask those of you out there who have been on STMs:  What demonstrable difference did the experience make in your life?

GodBlogCon, Blogging ADD and a Big World Out There.

In October there is a conference taking place at Biola Universtity that will bring Christian bloggers together for a series of discussions on how to use blogging for the purposes of the Kingdom.  I have been meaning to put up some posts encouraging involvement in the conference but have found myself pulled in other directions. 

It dawned on me that this is exactly one of the challenges with blogging per se, and why some more intentional conversation about blogging as a “spiritual discipline” or missional exercise would be a benefit for most of us. 

One of the most challenging parts of trying to maintain an updated blog has been keeping a sense of focus on a subject to do it justice.  While some bloggers do an exceptional job at it, most of us tend to jump from subject to subject based on what catches our attention, or our current interests. 

While I have been convicted about keeping the focus of my blog on encouraging the church to be an authentic, missional community, my own entries have been interrupted--and enhanced?—by a trip to Africa, another to Belize, a speaking engagement in Texas, a new sermon series, following and responding to this, my addiction to this, and preparing for this.  Most of the time I try to weave these things into a rich fabric that centers around these questions: What, then, should we do?  What does it mean to be the people of God in the world today? But sometimes, it is just tempting to chime in about anything I find interesting.  But does it help?  Do we really need another voice on every topic?

(This was exactly why I haven’t written much about the Iraq War, Terri Schiavo, or even the recent bombings in London—far more informed people than I have written far more eloquently and helpfully--on both sides--of every issue.)

Also, as my friend, Rob Asghar pointed out to me over lunch, the very way of reading blogs contributes to this tendency to “blogging attention deficit disorder”.  Every topic leads us to another link, to another post, to another blogger.  It is an interesting and almost overwhelming way of reading where the possibilities for input are endless. 

But, like most people, I want people to read my posts.  And so quickly, my various interests get shaped by feedback.  It is tempting to leave behind a topic where I actually have some degree of expertise and might even contribute meaningfully, to instead join in conversations that are popular but where I am not really that knowledgeable or competent to comment.  And instead of contributing I can become part of the problem, adding my voice where silence would actually enhance understanding by letting those “speak” who actually “know”.

Ultimately, I believe it is best for us God Bloggers to consider blogging a community endeavor where each of us contributes to the overall conversation as part of the body of Christ.  While I have many interests and am curious about many things, I believe my blog serves best by keeping a more limited scope and contributing with a larger goal than my blog.  Of course that is the same goal for every Christian—blogger or not. 

I believe these kinds of conversations are exactly why we need something like GodBlogCon.  If you blog or are an avid reader of blogs, consider joining us in October.

Weekend Reading: What in Christ's Name Should We do about the World?

On Monday, I am going to tie in some of the discussion about what Christians should do about Africa to some other thoughts I have been working on regarding the church, the kingdom and mission. I mean it to be an extension of my current ruminations on the church as "Heaven Here Now".

In the meantime, let me offer a letter, some links and a series of articles on short term missions as "Weekend Reading".

First the letter.  I wrote to a friend who has been involved pretty deeply in the discussions about the ONE Campaign, G8 and the larger discussion about Africa. He asked me to read this. I asked him to read this. At the same time, I read this and this.  My friend asked me to clarify some of my view on a Christian response to Africa, ONE and the G8 gatherings.  The truth be told I am not as clear on all of ins and outs as many others.  But this is what I wrote...

Dear _____

I am not an economist, obviously, but the perspective that I am trying to encourage on my blog is that of Christian involvement in the African crisis.  For me that means encouraging things like ONE and makepovertyhistory.org when I see that our partners like World Vision are also involved and encouraging Christians to speak to governments about both their responsibilities and limitations.

I also want the Church to recognize that the crises of the world are the responsibility and opportunity for the church to become more directly involved, more personally aware and more sacrificially invested in developing the kinds of relationships and partnerships that will be empowering to the Africans.

In essence, I want to work for as wholistic and realistic a set of solutions as possible.  And while that may mean that the government leaders need to do something about debt relief, trade reform and increasing aid for things like vaccinations, most of the genuine transformation of the nation is more likely going to come as groups of Christians empower Africans to solve their own problems.   

I also think that it will probably take the "sword" of nations (ala Rom 13) combined with the good news offered by the body of Christ to touch the hearts and change the ways of the "rich Africans" (and rich Americans and other westerners, frankly) to bring change.

When I see a Malawian child, I am honored to have experienced partners like World Vision and local Malawians lead the way in teaching us how to respond.

As a pastor, I want to encourage more and more Christian economists, aid workers, government leaders (and rock stars, too) to live out thier vocations by bringing genuine solutions to these areas of need.  I will also keep trying to encourage the church to look beyond our own personal needs and keep ask what we should do in response.

To that end, I will pray and encourage Christians to work with and hold accountable government leaders and teach our children through our VBS of God's concern for the poor.

Tod

Now the Links. This is a very interesting and worthwhile approach to both understanding and doing something about poverty. See ipaid.org.  Here is some reading about what it's like to live on one dollar a day. (HT: Kenny Tomlin)

Finally, the articles. CT has a fascinating and challenging set of articles on some studies that have questioned the long-term benefits of short-term missions.  For those like me who would like the solution to the world's needs to be "government-free" these articles remind me to be more strategic, intentional and sober about the church's involvement in places of need.

I am also updating my reading lists on the blog. If anyone wants to read along with me and make comments, feel free.

Jesus at the G8

CT Article points the growing awareness amongst evangelicals about the need to be a prophetic voice for the people of Africa.  While the political specifics can be a source of debate, the need is so great in Africa that in beckons us to work together in every good way possible.

This video is pretty powerful, too.

Let's pray for the G8 leaders and then continue to seek God about how the church can do much more than just ask governments to solve this problem. (HT: Derek Simmons for the article.)

I believe the body of Christ is supposed to be the salt and light, right?

The Problem Viewed from Both Pew and Pulpit

"For many of us, religion is like an artificial limb. It has neither warmth nor life, and though it helps us stumble along, it never becomes a part of us. We strap it on once a week and take it off after Sunday lunch to limp through the ordinary demands of daily living."

William Boggs, Sin Boldly: But Trust God More Boldly Still
(Nashville: Abingdon, 1990), 73.

"When I became a pastor I didn't think much about the complexities of community in general or a holy community in particular; I was absorbed in the theatrical glories of creation and the dramatic workings of salvation in history.  I was moving from city to city, going from school to school...it was all fairly transient.  And then it no longer was transient--this was it. A congregation, improbably named the people of God. These people for good or ill but these people. I often found myself prefering the company of people outside my congregation, men and women who did not follow Jesus.  Or worse, preferring the company of my sovereign self.  But soon I found that my preferences were honored by neither Scripture nor Jesus.

"I didn't come to the conviction easily, but finally there was no getting around it: there can be no maturity in the spiritual life, no obedience in following Jesus, no wholeness in the Christian life apart from immersion and embrace of community. I am not myself by myself.  Community, not the highly vaunted individualism of our culture, is the setting in which Christ is at play."

Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005), 26

4th of July Food for Thought

After a day of meals and fireworks, you may want to read this and this...and chew on them a bit...

Freedom to Worship

Happy Independence Day.

With gratitude to all those who helped secure the freedom we have to worship God.

Enjoy the day.

The Gospel and the Church

What is the “good news”? 

As evangelical Christians (as I am), we are committed to the “good news”.  Indeed, the word, “evangelical” comes from the Greek word, euangellion, which means “gospel” or “good news”.  However, if you ask most Christians, what is the gospel or good news, they will probably tell you that it is that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh who died on the cross for our sins. 

But, they’d be wrong—technically.  And that technicality makes all the difference when we consider what it takes to make our churches glimpses of heaven here and now.

You see, according to the Bible, the gospel, the good news, is NOT Jesus loves you so much that he died on the cross for your sins. 
It is NOT God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son. 
It is NOT trust in Jesus and you will be saved.  (In fact, that is not news at all, but good advice.)

And while these are all absolutely true and (and the first two) incredibly great news, it is not the good news that Jesus was preaching throughout Galilee.  Just think about it: He couldn’t have been preaching that he died on the cross for the sins of the world, because he was still alive preaching!

In Matthew 4:23, we read: "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom."  Just six verses earlier Matthew told us that the “good news of the Kingdom” that Jesus proclaimed was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (NRSV)

In Mark 1:14-15, we read, “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

In other words, the “good news” is Jesus' announcement of the arrival and availability of the Kingdom of heaven. 

Now, let’s be clear here.  Jesus was not announcing a political, material kingdom that is bounded by geography.  Indeed, when asked by Pontius Pilate, he said, “my kingdom is not of this world.”  Jesus was not announcing an overthrow of Rome by force, nor the taking of the fallen world into his kingdom by might, but instead he was declaring that God’s reign, rule and way of living is available to anyone who would “enter in” and receive it by faith. 

As Christian teacher and USC professor, Dallas Willard has written in his book The Divine Conspiracy, (p. 49): “The gospel is the good news of the presence and availability of life in the kingdom, now and forever, through reliance on Jesus…”

God’s reign is available.  Life in the Kingdom: God’s world the way he intended it, his rule and order, his grace and mercy, his love and very presence has busted into this fallen world in Jesus Christ and you can, if you so choose, live in that world with him. 

So then, let me ask you this question.  WHERE is the reign of God, now and forever, made available through reliance on Jesus?  Where do people FIND the reign and rule of God?

The answer is supposed to be: The Church. 

The Church is the where the reign of God is made operative in the world.  Every local church is supposed to be a mission outpost dedicated to one corporate commitment:  Being the fulfillment to Jesus’ prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” 

You see, once we understand that The Good News is not about you and I GETTING to heaven, but instead about God bringing heaven to us through Jesus, then we’ll understand that the very purpose of the church (the body of Jesus on earth today) is to continue, through the Holy Spirit, the very same Kingdom ministry of Jesus. 

Maybe some of our struggle in our churches is that we really don’t even grasp the most basic reason for why church exists in the first place. 

Since we think that the Good News is about getting people to heaven, the church becomes nothing more than a repository of spiritual resources.  It becomes a spiritual shopping mall where I go to get some “spiritual stuff” for my solo journey to Jesus.  If I don’t like my church, well then I’ll shop somewhere else. 

Or it becomes a nothing more than a spiritual movie house, a place to hear spiritual stories and have spiritual experiences that inspire me to continue on my solo journey to Jesus. 

But what if the church is neither mall nor movie house, and what if the gospel is not really all about me at all?  What if the church is utterly and completely about being part of Jesus, living in the reign of Jesus that he proclaims and participating in Jesus’ Kingdom invitation and expansion? 

Wouldn’t that be truly good news for our churches?  Hmm…for some of us who want Jesus but not his Kingdom, maybe not.