Churches in North America are facing a crisis in global mission unlike any we have experienced before. Mainline churches send fewer missionaries overseas on long-term service, and mission programs have been drastically reduced in churches facing financial cutbacks. Many believe that the international Christian mission is so tainted by its association with colonization and imperialism in the past that world mission belongs to a bygone era. At the same time, there are more American Protestant missionaries serving overseas than at any time in history, but they are largely related to more conservative evangelical churches and parachurch organizations. Critics charge that missionaries from the United States contribute to the "clash of civilizations," especially in the Islamic world and the nations of the former Soviet Union. Supporters argue that American churches still have a vital role to play in fulfilling the Great Commission, addressing situations of human need, and pressing for greater religious freedom in countries with serious human rights problems.
At many points in history the church has been challenged to reinterpret God's mission in new and creative ways. Just what is the biblical mandate for Christian mission today? How should we meet the challenge? This two-session study looks at the many challenges faced by churches today and suggests how to vision new ways to be engaged in mission.