Missions and Evangelism

Christian missions is a subject very close to my heart. Trisha and I intended to serve God overseas, but He had other plans for us. So now I help in the area of missions at our church. One of the ideas that I have discussed with leadership is the difference between missions and evangelism.

One of our church's missionaries recently spoke on the difference. It is basically this: Our outreach--our sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ--in the community is evangelism. There's already a church established in the area. Missions, on the other hand, is the task of taking the Gospel outside of ourselves to an area that does not have access to the Gospel.

After he spoke, I was inspired to write this little limerick called "Missions and Evangelism." Note: Shawnee, Kansas is the town in which we live and where our church is located.

Missions and Evangelism

Though it may be a matter of degree
I quite emphatically agree
100 percent,
the two are different.
We cannot confuse them, you see.

The goal of them both is the same:
Making disciples in Jesus' name.
Gospel access is the key;
It may be known in Shawnee
But the entire world knows not God's fame.