September 30 - Refocusing on Mission

We rejoice to see new groups of believers planted in the 10/40 Window, in the city, among other religious groups, among the secular and post-Christian. But the time has come for another mission refocus. A time for aligning our hearts and minds, our people, our resources, our budgets to reach the unreached with hope.

The Seventh-day Adventist Mission flame
was lit more than 150 years ago

in a handful of rural towns and villages
in Northeast America.

Soon, that flame was spreading
around the world.

But it only happened because
dedicated Seventh-day Adventists

looked beyond their own needs
to a world in need.

Because of Seventh-day Adventists,
who said, “I will go.”

“I will go beyond my home,

beyond my country,

beyond my language,

beyond my own people

to light the flame among those
who have never heard.”

Many of those faithful missionaries

gave their lives
for the salvation of others.

They never came home.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church
was founded on sacrifice.

It grew through sacrifice.

And it will only continue to grow
through sacrifice.

The selfless sacrifice
of those who still believe

that this gospel of the Kingdom
must be preached in all the world

as a witness to all nations.

More than 30 years ago,

the General Conference Annual Council
voted a document entitled

Global Strategy
of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

That document explored
the mission challenge

still facing the church.

It opened with these words:

“The figures are stark, unrelenting:

world population 5.3 billion,

Seventh-day Adventist world membership
more than 6 million.”

The document outlined a strategy
to refocus the church's mission.

To refocus on unreached territories
and unreached people groups.

To refocus people and funds.

To reach the unreached with hope

and plant new groups of believers
on new mission frontiers.

That refocus was voted the following year

at the General Conference Session
in Indianapolis.

The refocus was called Global Mission.

I don't think we have ever sat down
to discuss a subject of greater importance

than global mission.

And global mission requires a strategy

in order to carry the message
of God's love,

the saving grace of Christ
and His soon coming

to every nation, kindred,
tongue, and people.

A global mission and a global strategy
which extends from continent to continent,

country to country, city to city,

group to group,
and ultimately person to person.

Today, as we look at our mission challenge
more than 30 years later,

the figures are still stark, unrelenting.

We rejoice to see new groups of believers
planted in the 10/40 Window,

in the city, among other religious groups,

among the secular and post-Christian.

But the time has come
for another mission refocus.

A time for aligning our hearts and minds,

our people, our resources, our budgets,

"To Reach the Unreached with Hope."