The Mission of the Church

On John 20:21:

"Mission is the activity of the church. The implications are of great importance for today. The church does not send out missionaries, for the church by definition is a missionary body, composed entirely of missionaries. A missionary congregation may send out some on special assignments, but it can never delegate mission to others."

"We have a mission to fulfill. The risen Lord Jesus sends his disciples out to continue his work. Mission is no optional extra; it is of the essence of the church. Christians are not in the business of self-improvement; they are in the business of reaching out to others with the love of God in Christ. There is something wrong with a church whose programmes and activities, whether intentionally or not, are geared primarily to the needs of its members rather that to the needs of the unchurched. There is also something wrong with a church whose programmes and activities are so time-demanding that its members have little or no time to give to their unchurched neighbours and friends."

~ Paul Beasley-Murray, The Message of the Resurrection