“Established by the gospel and grace of Jesus Christ, the Church exists by doing mission—the great commission and the great commandment—as fire exists by burning.”
— COVENANT AFFIRMATIONS BOOKLET
The Church’s mission is faith active in love, and the two cannot be separated without diminishing the gospel. Covenanters, as Mission Friends, have broadly understood mission to be the befriending of others, and all that God has created, in the name of the one who first befriended us.
This guide is designed to help churches discern, establish, and strengthen connections with missionaries or global personnel and global partners supported by your congregation and was created by the Serve Globally team, a mission priority of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
This resource is designed to lead a team or committee through a four-step process:
- Session 1—Identity: Who are we? What is the mission, scope, and responsibility of the mission committee?
- Session 2—Evaluating Current Partnerships: What or who do we want to partner with? Who are our global mission friends?
- Session 3—Evaluating Resources: What resources do we have to start, develop, and maintain mission friendships? How can we allocate those resources for God’s mission?
- Session 4—Building Relationships: What are our next faithful steps in mission together? How can our relationships with global partners be deepened?
By reflecting on how we faithfully engage in whole mission of the church and love our global neighbors well, we align ourselves with God’s ongoing work in the world. We hope that this process will help you take steps to support God’s work around the world, engage in meaningful and transformative relationships, and be ever drawn to the heart of Jesus Christ, who so beautifully teaches us how to love each other for the sake of the kingdom of God.
