As we have done for the past four years, we have our Month of Mission coming up in October. You can download the theme, sermon outlines and readings HERE. You can also subscribe to our DAILY DEVOTIONS which will come out in October. You can read the intro to the Theme below…

2018 “Wherever I am:
Recognising God’s heart for the world and my part in His plan.”

When we use the word “Mission”, many Christians think about people called to study a foreign language and culture and to travel to the other side of the world where they will be missionaries. In this framework, mission is seen as the work that Jesus placed in church’s hands and that He is waiting for us to complete the task…

But what if Mission looks different? What if the earliest articulation of Mission can be found in Genesis 3: “Adam where are you?” or in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”? What if God has always been on a Mission to restore humankind and the world broken by their sin?

What if, instead of “taking God” to people in foreign lands, we are going to foreign lands (or across the street) to join in what God is already doing in a community? And what if Mission is not about us “delivering” God to a community, but joining a community and discovering what God is already doing there?

These are thoughts that were significantly articulated by David Bosch in his book “Transforming Mission.” This year, for our Month of Mission in October, we’re going to be exploring the idea that our God is on Mission to the World and that we are the junior partners co-operating with what He is already doing.

By this understanding, Mission isn’t about going but about being. And so the theme of our month’s devotions is “Wherever I am: Recognising God’s heart for the world and my part in His plan.”

Overview of the Month

The month starts on a Monday and so it makes sense for a week of readings to prepare the ground for the Sunday Sermon.

Here’s the rough structure of the Month with the Sermon Themes for each Sunday:

• Week 1: (1^st to 7^th): Seeing God’s Heart for the World.
  “More than Food” recognising Jesus’ all-round care in the feeding of the 5000.

• Week 2: (8^th to 14^th): Recognising that all people need God’s love.
  “A wealthy woman, a slave woman and a civil servant” – How Paul ministers to a whole community in Acts 16.

• Week 3: (15^th to 21^st): Seeing what God is already doing.
  “A conversation starter on the Aeropagus?” Paul engages culture and sees that God has been ahead of him.

• Week 4: (22^nd to 28^th): Dimensions of Mission. (Recognising Spiritual, Social, Moral and other aspects)
  “Reverence: a valuable Missions lens” Seeing Nehemiah’s all-round approach to transformation.

• Week 5: (29^th to 31^st): How can I be more in-tune?
  Although there won’t be a sermon at the end of the week, these readings will focus on habits/attitudes that will encourage a mind-set and heart-shift that sees Mission as a partnership with God whose heart is for the World.

You can download the rest of the theme, sermon outlines and readings HERE.