Page 3 - Mission Journal

are the givers, supporters and doers of mission. While it is a is broad and multi-faceted. Some of these concerns include
worthy and desirable goal for any church to increase the the following: Preaching, teaching, Bible study, children
participatory ratio of its members to their involvement in ministries, youth ministries, man and woman s ministries,
church mission, it is a daunting challenge to push the ratio premarital counseling, parenting, divorce counseling, crisis
upward. This fact tells us that the task of cultivating young intervention, bereavement, hospice ministry, education,
adults for mission involvement is most critical and urgent. income generating project, micro credit scheme etc.

Multi-faceted Vision for Mission Learning from Successful Models
One generation ago, the majority of mission work was We can learn from the work models of mission in the
carried out by professional missionaries who were sup- past, avoiding it s failures and emulating its successes. One
ported and sent by different mission agencies. For these notable success of the past mission work that continues to
missionaries, their involvement with mission work was a life- have great impact in the countries in which they were
long commitment. They were trained personnel with established is the work in education. Today in Korea,
acquired skills to fulfill their assigned tasks. Today, the Singapore and Malaysia, school names such as Yonsei, Ewha,
condition of mission fields has changed drastically. Many Pai Chai, Methodist Girl School, Anglo Chinese School are
countries no longer allow individuals with "missionary" names that speak strongly of the great contribution that
status to enter the country as they are perceived as being church mission have made to the societies. Innumerable
proselytizers. Nowadays people engage in mission work with outstanding leaders of the church and country have come
various designated categories as teachers, engineers, out of these institutions. Today this noble endeavor is being
medical doctors, business related persons and numerous replicated by Methodist Mission in Cambodia.
other designations. The majority of them do not perceive
In poorer countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and
their involvement in mission work as a life long vocation, but
Nepal, mission work should be concerned also with develop-
rather as periodic engagements. The nature and length of
ing income generating projects to assist people with jobs
their service are flexible and contextual. Many churches
that can support the livelihood of their families. Missionaries
today send groups of volunteers in mission to different
sent from Singapore has established a restaurant to employ
countries. Most of them stay for a short period of engage-
and train young Nepalese Christians to work and run the
ment. Some may stay for some extended period, and many
restaurant: enabling them to learn the skill of entrepreneur-
may repeat their engagement on yearly basis.
ship at the same time earn a living for themselves. The
Since God has endowed church members with many gifts
income from the enterprise is plowed back into the ongoing
for service, and the challenge of mission is vast and great,
work of mission. This endeavor is a noble attempt to help
the leadership of the church needs to seek a creative way to
people become self-supporting members of society.
match the gifts of church members with the needs of
Hope5L2F Foundation is helping its mission in Cambodia by
mission fields. And our mission approach needs to be in
investing in a pepper farm as income-generating project to
synced with our mission theology that is concerned with the
support Cambodian Christians with good jobs and income.
need of persons holistically. The scope of mission work today
Another successful example is the micro-credit program
through which loan is extended to individuals or families to
start income generating home projects. When all members
of our churches are encouraged, energized and become
committed to the mission of our Lord, using their God's
given gifts and graces in their ministries, we would reap
bountiful harvest in our mission endeavor. Let's hundreds
flowers bloom, let's hundreds birds sing!

Academic Dean of Trinity Theological College, Singapore for 20 years.
Assistant General Secretary for New Mission Initiatives at General
Board of Global Ministries, New York, NY for 10 years.

Mission Journal 3