How Kairos Course Reoriented My Thoughts on Missions
By Denis Agaba
I had an oblique view and understanding of mission; thinking that mission isn’t a primary area of focus in Christian ministries. I even thought only people who were merely interested in it had to be part of it! I didn’t know that even being a missionary is a calling. I viewed it as a self choice that one makes if they have the time and space for missionary activities.
never knew about any unreached people group and never imagined the possibility that a whole ethnic group still exists without the word of God or the Holy Bible in their mother tongue, since I grew up reading the Bible in my mother tongue.
Lessons Learned
After the Kairos Course, I learned many lessons, but these two resonate with my heart and mind always:
- I learned that mission isn’t optional for Christians, as each of us has a role to play in mission, ranging from praying for missions, cheerfully giving towards missions and devotedly availing self for missions. I believe this understanding is accurate because the great commission(being the instruction to Christians to engage in mission and participate in the Abrahamic Covenant) is not exceptional to certain Christians either.
- I learned that for a church to be healthy, both the missions and the discipleship departments have to be equally equipped since both complement and interconnect to form the D.N.A of a healthy Christian church. This is impactful in executing tasks which in the Kairos course are termed as “pursuable” (taking the gospel to all nations) and “finishable” (evangelizing and discipling those in reached nations) effectively and efficiently, hinging on the grace of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Personal application:
My personal approach to implement the above lessons started with a self reorientation towards mission from the prayer perspective, engaging more in bottom line prayer than the top line prayers I have prayed for years in ignorance of my role in mission.
Secondly, I started sharing with church members about mission as depicted in the Bible and mobilizing them to pray for the unreached, the missionaries who are yet outnumbered by the plenty mission fields, and to pray that God reveals to them their callings too. Perhaps one or more might be having the missionary calling but unaware.
Thirdly, I am available to undertake mission trainings and courses so as to be equipped into the ideal arrow fit for mission, as I am fully conscious of my missionary calling.