Missions | 9Marks Journal: Whatever Happened to the Local Church?

Zeal without knowledge hurts missions; it can even lead to damnation (see Rom. 10:1-3). Yet too often churches assume the sincerity of their efforts makes up for any deficiencies in their methods. The sense of urgency especially leads toward hasty, unhealthy, and foolish missions work. What’s needed are healthy churches, and a vision for the crucial role of churches in doing the work of missions. In this 9Marks Journal, we start by addressing some of the problems in missions today, particularly with regard to the role of churches. Then we ask the question, what exactly should churches do to engage wisely in missions? We try to answer that question in the second half. So many topics we could have addressed in the Journal, but hopefully it offers a useful starting point to the conversation for pastors. Start, perhaps, with Aubrey Sequeira. It offers a useful picture of what can go wrong. Mack Stiles then offers the counterpoint: what does healthy church engagement look like. And pray that God would use this Journal to help churches more faithfully fulfill the Great Commission, particularly to the ends of the earth.