Missions and Evangelism

Church At The Cross is deeply committed to the mission Jesus gave his church: to make disciples of all nations and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. This commitment flows from our understanding that the Holy Spirit desires to see people from every people group come to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

The Biblical Foundation

Jesus' final command to his disciples forms the foundation of all missionary work. In Acts 1:8, he declared, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth" (The Church that Sends, 3:54).

The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 further clarifies this mandate: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I've commanded, and I'm with you always to the end of the age" (The Church that Sends, 4:43).

Understanding "All Nations"

When Scripture speaks of "nations," it doesn't refer to political boundaries but to people groups - distinct communities that share common culture, language, and customs (The Church that Sends, 5:01). There are thousands of these people groups worldwide, and Jesus' mission is to reach representatives from every one, fulfilling the vision in Revelation of people "from every nation, tribe, people and tongue gathered around the throne saying salvation belongs to our God and to the lamb who sits upon the throne" (The Church that Sends, 5:46).

The goal is not simply reaching as many people as possible, but ensuring every people group hears the gospel. As Jesus said, "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout all the world as a testimony to the nations and then the end will come" (The Church that Sends, 6:31).

The Antioch Model

The church in Antioch, described in Acts 13:1-5, provides a powerful example of what a sending church should be. This congregation demonstrated several key characteristics:

Spiritual Giftedness and Unity

The church was blessed with prophets and teachers who received messages from God and built up the body. Despite remarkable diversity - including Jewish believers like Barnabas and Saul, African believers like Simeon and Lucius, and those with political connections like Manan - they found their common identity in Jesus Christ (The Church that Sends, 12:56). It was in Antioch that "the disciples were first called Christians" (The Church that Sends, 15:03).

Vibrant Worship and Openness to the Spirit

The believers were passionate about God's presence, engaging in worship, prayer, and fasting with hearts set on seeking God (The Church that Sends, 15:37). They maintained a posture of readiness to hear from the Spirit, saying "Speak, God. We are listening. We're here for you" (The Church that Sends, 16:28).

Response to the Spirit's Leading

When the Holy Spirit spoke, saying "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them," the church responded with immediate obedience. After more fasting and prayer, they laid hands on these missionaries and sent them out (The Church that Sends, 19:52).

The Missionary Task

Paul and Barnabas's missionary journey demonstrates the complete missionary task. They didn't simply preach and move on, but:

Preached the gospel to unreached people groups
Made disciples from those who believed
Formed churches to gather the new believers
Appointed elders - qualified local leaders to oversee each church
Entrusted the work to local leadership before departing

This pattern, described in Acts 14:21-23, shows that the missionary task involves "preaching the gospel to gather disciples into churches that are led by equipped and qualified local leaders that can then lead that church to reach the people in that place" (The Church that Sends, 23:11).

The Ongoing Need

The Spirit of God continues to desire the world for Christ, wanting people from every nation, tribe, and tongue to experience God's saving grace (The Church that Sends, 18:46). Today, there are still 3.2 billion people in unreached people groups who have no access to the gospel, don't know a Christian, lack the Bible in their language, and have no local church (The Church that Sends, 19:08).

The question for missionally-minded churches is not "where can I see the most results?" but "who has not yet heard?" The goal is not just doing Great Commission activities, but actually working toward completing the Great Commission (The Church that Sends, 6:16).

Our Commitment

Church At The Cross seeks to follow the Antioch model by partnering with the Holy Spirit in sending missionaries to unreached people groups. We believe God still calls ordinary people who are surrendered to Him, and He equips and gifts those He calls rather than calling only those already equipped (The Church that Sends, 19:29).

Through prayer, fasting, financial support, and commissioning, we join with the Spirit in sending our best people to make Christ known where He is not known, trusting that God will use faithful churches to advance His kingdom to the ends of the earth.