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• 4 Sessions of Learner’s Materials
• 4 Sessions of Teaching Materials
• 7 Handouts
1. 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
2. 1 Corinthians 9:16-23
3. 2 Corinthians 4:5-15
4. 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
The customary understanding of missions is church outreach done by those who go elsewhere. Scripture prompts us to think of missions also as having an attracting and unifying force within the church. The four lessons in this unit present the church as mission, making mission more basic to the church's existence. The church is mission.
Session One: This session addresses the question, "How do I respond to God's initiative in my life?" Christians experience a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ and desire for this relationship to grow in maturity. The initiative comes from God, and the response comes from each individual.
Session Two: In the first session of this unit, we study the fact that mission begins with God. This session follows this discovery by exploring the relationship between needs around us and God's work in us. As Christians we are called to mission by our relationship with God in Christ. This session looks again at a 1 Corinthians text to discuss how Paul described the unavoidable service given freely.
Session Three: Someone once said, "I never run a race that I know I won't win." Such a philosophy, which may produce champion marathoners, is not the call of the Christian to mission. Christians are called to mission because of the presence of God's love in their lives and in the world. Success is not guaranteed, nor perfect qualifications required.
Session Four: Christian mission involves communication--interaction of God with people and people with one another. Christian mission does not happen outside relationship. The interaction between parties and the message are inseparable. The motivation serves as the foundation for the interaction. This session states that the message of Christian mission is one of reconciliation with God.
by Isam Ballenger and June Hardy Dorsey
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