Infinitum 30 Day Challenge - Week FourSample

Creative Missions 

What does it mean to be creative in missions? For most of 2020 I was an online student attending a Christian University studying missions and theology. At the beginning of 2020 I was partaking in weekly mission events, going to multiple services a week and I was surrounded by a mission minded community. Right before the pandemic hit North America I was in Peru on a mission trip. I was surrounded by all things missions, I had my fill! Then the pandemic hit, I was sent home and my days mostly consisted of online classes, work and family. What a shift. I quickly became discouraged by my circumstances. This year, many if not all of us, have had to rethink how we serve others. Many of the things we did to love and serve others can’t look how it used to. We’ve had to get creative. 

You may be reading this post pandemic but I am sure that things aren’t exactly how they used to be. In my local church the Outreach Team met to discuss how we could go about caring for our neighbours. An idea would pop up, then we’d quickly realize that it wasn’t possible in our current circumstances. When things don’t go as planned or they require extra careful attention it can be easy to be cynical or give up. Some of the things we came up with were quite simple but they made a difference. The children in our church painted rocks and left them around town to offer encouragement, we helped arrange and deliver Easter baskets, and we arranged for little groups to go around and help clean up the city. What are some ways in which you can creatively show your neighbours that you care for them?

As you try to think of creative ways to spread the gospel, care for others, and extend radical hospitality look into what some other churches may have done. What are some of the more recent stories of creative missions that have inspired you to keep going? Maybe it’s time to discover the creativity that God has instilled in you.