USA (MNN) — A mission statement can say a lot about an organization. It defines the ministry and gives others an idea of their intentions and values.
The Mission Society recently revised their mission statement: "The Mission Society exists to mobilize and deploy the body of Christ globally, to join Jesus in admission, especially among the least-reached peoples.
Change has been afoot over the past several years at The Mission Society, leading them to draft and redraft their mission statement until they settled on one that accurately portrayed their values as a ministry as well as their mission for the work they hope to accomplish.
"At the end of the day, what we were hoping for and praying for was a statement that not only would help us express to others what it is that we're about, but more importantly define for ourselves what we're about," explains Dick McClain, president and CEO of The Mission Society. "So we feel like the mission statement that was adopted not only defines our heart, but really directs our future."
Although the ministry has always been concerned with unreached people groups, over the last few years an even larger percentage of their new missionaries have chosen to focus on the least-reached people groups of the world. McClain points out that some of this just has to do with the church refocusing their idea of missions in general on unreached people groups rather than just on ministry to North America and Western Europe. Regardless, it has affected their ministry.
Other changes have been made at The Mission Society to ensure that missionaries are prepared for ministry. This includes the addition of a four-month apprenticeship program in Atlanta to give missionaries experience reaching people with other committed faith backgrounds. Atlanta has a high immigrant population, most of whom are Muslim.
Regardless of any new mission trends or programs at The Mission Society, one thing will never change: their focus on God's leading. McClain says they are not the ones "bringing Jesus to the masses;" their ministry simply has the opportunity to join Jesus where He is already at work. This has always been the case and will continue to be.
"It's important that we recognize God's heart is for the world. It always has been. There's no place we go where God isn't already there, and Jesus is there inviting us to join us in what He's doing," explains McClain. The Mission Society will continue to go where Christ invites them.
The Mission Society has been faithfully serving the Lord in international missions for over 25 years. To learn more about their work and mission, click here.
