Leonard theological college

Subject: Introduction to Christian Doctrines

Topic: The Doctrine of ministry and mission: Discerning God’s mission in the world and
the calling of the Church.

Submitted to: Rev.DineshAngolkar submitted by: V. Kranthi Kumar

Submitted on: 14/2/2019 Respondent: Rana Jennifer​.

Introduction:

The mission of God is very important in the Christian ministry which wills helps to spread the
gospel to the people. This is the most important tools for the Christian ministers. In this paper I
will be dealing that what is the mission of God and postmodern understanding of the mission and
calling of the church.

What is God’s Mission?

Rev (Mrs.) Percis Peters in her article partnering in Mission with God of whole creation:
Envisioning equal partnership of women in ordained ministry which was edited by
Rev.Mrs.Sulabha P.Ahaley in the journal of Samskriti brought the ideas of different persons in
1931 Emil Burnner had established that the Church existed because of God’s mission, and in
1932 Karl Barth asserted theocentric mission. This doctrine of missio Dei understood as God’s
action on behalf of the world as an action divine, into the world, self sending through Christ and
the Holy Spirit. In this sense the Church does not have a mission; rather it participates in Gods
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mission of redemption of humanity and restoration of whole creation .

Discerning God’s Mission in the World:​ HARVEY

Thomas Harvey in his article mission studies in postmodern world conveyed as ​t​he growth of
global Christianity is making headlines. On 25 April 2014, the ​London Daily Telegraph​ reported:
‘China on course to become “world’s most Christian nation” within 15 years’. Such news would
appear to validate the success of two millennia of Catholic and Protestant mission. Indeed,
schools of mission at Fuller, Asbury, Trinity Deerfield, Gordon-Conwell, and other evangelical
seminaries have become magnet schools for evangelical church leaders and mission scholars
from the Global South and East. These leaders and scholars from Asia, Africa, and Latin
America recognize that their churches, once the object of mission, are now at the leading edge of
missions and church growth worldwide. In turn, these global leaders have brought fresh insight,

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​Percis Peters,​ “​partnering in Mission with God of whole creation: Envisioning equal partnership of women in
ordained ministry​” i​ n ​journal of Samskriti,​ edited by Sulabha P.Ahaley, vol18 and 1&2
((Jabalpur:Amritoffset,2018)52.
perspective, and innovation to mission studies and theological reflection. A key emphasis has
been ‘holistic transformation’, which advocates a full-orbed embrace of mission not limited to
evangelism, church planting, or mercy ministries to those in need, but mission that also addresses
challenges in education, economics, development, politics, nation-building, justice, peace, and
reconciliation. Meanwhile, mission agencies have sought to shed their Western colonial
‘mission’ skins by adopting acronyms such as CMS for Church Mission Society, SIM for Sudan
​ ission or OCMS for Oxford Centre for Mission Studies. This has had the added benefit
Interior M
in a post-colonial world where the title ‘mission’ or ‘missionary’ can bar entry or complicate visa
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applications .

Centrality of mission
Yet, even as the term ‘mission’ has been being scraped off mission agency logos, mission now
graces prominent biblical and theological tomes. Books such as Christopher Wright’s ​The
Mission of God’s People​ have drawn mission from the periphery of biblical and theological
reflection to the centre and added weight to emphases on holistic mission. As Wright argues, a
sound biblical theology views ‘the whole world as the goal of God’s Mission’. Accordingly, the
nature of God, creation, Christ, and redemption are only understood in light of the ‘Mission of
God’ that in turn informs the church of its identity and true vocation. Sound ministry is thus not
constrained within the walls of the church but oriented towards to the world and engaged in all
aspects of life. Theologically, this has led to emphasis upon the ‘kingdom’ or ‘reign’ of God.
This reign of God is neither transcendent nor otherworldly, but the action of God through his
people in their present circumstance. Nonetheless, appeal to this reign is neither a call to a naïve
triumphalism nor an imposed Christendom, but rather a winsome alternative to banal secularism
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with its attendant relativism .
Calling of the Church:
WCC article ​the nature and mission of the Church stage on the way to a common statement
conveyed as the ​Church is called and empowered to share the suffering of all by advocacy and
care for the poor, the needy and the marginalized. This entails critically analyzing and exposing
unjust structures, and working for their transformation. The Church is called to proclaim the
words of hope and comfort of the Gospel, by its works of compassion and mercy (cf.
Lk.4:18-19). This faithful witness may involve Christians themselves in suffering for the sake of
the Gospel. The Church is called to heal and reconcile broken human relationships and to be
God’s instrument in the reconciliation of human division and hatred (cf. 2Cor. 5:18-21). It is also
called, together with all people of goodwill, to care for the integrity of creation in addressing the
abuse and destruction of God’s creation, and to participate in God’s healing of broken
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relationships between creation and humanity .

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Thomas Harvey, “mission studies in postmodern world”, vol3/5 sep2014.
https://www.lausanne.org/content/lga/2014-09/mission-studies-in-a-postmodern-world accessed on 5/2/2019 at4​ PM
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ibid
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​https://ecumenism.net/archive/wcc/2005_wcc_fo_nature_mission_church_en.pdf accessed on 6/2/2019​ at 3 PM
 In the power of the Holy Spirit, the church is called to proclaim faithfully the whole teaching
of Christ and to share the Good news of the kingdom that is, the totality of apostolic faith, life
and witness with everyone throughout the entire world. Thus the church seeks faithfully to
proclaim and live the love of God for all, and to fulfill Christ’s mission for the salvation and
transformation of the world to the glory of God. God restores and enriches communion with
humanity, granting eternal life in God’s Triune Being. Through redeemed humanity the whole
world is meant to be drawn to the goal of restoration and salvation. This divine plan reaches its
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fulfillment in the new heaven and the new earth (cf. Rev 21:1) in God’s holy kingdom .
Conclusion and reflection:
The mission of God is God’s action on behalf of the world that means God is working and the
church is part in it .mission is not for Church but the Church is for mission. Discerning Gods
mission is very important in this present world because most of the people thinks that mission
means only mercy ministry, charity, health and education but in the present context its totally
different to understand the Gods mission. As above mentioned mission as ‘holistic
transformation’, which advocates a full-orbed embrace of mission not limited to evangelism,
church planting, or mercy ministries to those in need, but mission that also addresses challenges
in education, economics, development, politics, nation-building, justice, peace, and
reconciliation. And the church is called to work out that mission through Gods mission. As
ministers of God discerning the God’s mission is very important and understanding the calling of
the church must be known to every minster to put it in action.

Bibliography:
Peters Percis.​ “​Partnering in Mission with God of whole creation: Envisioning equal partnership of women in
ordained ministry.​” I​ n ​journal of Samskriti​. Edited by ​Ahaley P Sulabha. Vol18 and 1&2
(Jabalpur:Amritoffset,2018)51-69.

Webliography:

https://www.lausanne.org/content/lga/2014-09/mission-studies-in-a-postmodern-world accessed on 5/2/2019 at4​ PM

https://ecumenism.net/archive/wcc/2005_wcc_fo_nature_mission_church_en.pdf​ accessed on 6/2/2019 at 3 PM

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Ibid..,