It seems the catchphrase in church today is the word “missional.” Every healthy church wants to be “on mission,” but what does being missional look like? Wellspring Church, from its inception has desired to be missional. We wanted to be “on mission.” We wanted missions to not only be a part of what we do, but to be the motivation for everything we do.
A dear friend of mine said that as a church plant we should "build in at the beginning what we want to see at the end." I believe this principle is important for any church, but especially for a new church plant. For example, we wanted Wellspring Church to be a church of obedient givers. So, we built giving into the very first meetings that Wellspring had. We have recently begun small group Bible studies, because discipleship is a priority. But how does a church get “on mission?” How do we become a missional church?
I think the answer is simpler than we think. I believe “being missional” simply means allowing missions to permeate every area of church life. One of the ways we do that is by giving. Wellspring Church began giving to the Cooperative Program and Black River Baptist Association after our first offering. “Why?” you may ask. Shouldn't a new church plant be a recipient of missions instead of a giver? It's true that Wellspring Church receives support from partner churches, ABSC, and our local association. But the principle of “building in at the beginning what we want to see at the end” motivated us to begin giving back as well. And, while our gifts aren’t as large as some churches, we know God doesn't judge individuals or churches on the size of their gifts, but rather their faithfulness. And 10% of a dollar is a dime, no matter how many dollars you may have!
But there's more to being missional than giving. Unfortunately, most churches stop here. But as Christians, we're not only called to give: we're also called to go. And going is not something you can delegate. The “y'all come” mentality is both unbiblical and unproductive. Yet that is the model that we see most often displayed. We build nice buildings, put out the “welcome mat,” and expect to win the world for Christ. The results, however, show minimal success.
Acts 1:8 reminds us that by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus expects His church to be “witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This passage motivated Wellspring Church to plan a mission trip to Haiti in May. We have no missions budget. We have no vast resources. But we have a Great Commission and we serve a great God. That's motivation enough. We also have a group from Texas that's coming to Walnut Ridge in April to partner with us in reaching our community. Please pray for us in both these endeavors as we strive to be a God-pleasing, missional church.
