5 Reasons Domestic Missions are Crucial

When people think of missions, they normally resort to thinking of a place far away. Yet, domestic missions are crucial because the Gospel needs to go everywhere—including your home country. It is erroneous to believe that certain countries have been completely converted to Christianity. There is a false belief that America is solely a “Christian nation,” but it is not. America is living in a post-post Christian age. It is wrong to believe all Americans have been converted to Christianity. If you live in America, America needs the Gospel right here! If you live somewhere outside of America, the people in your country need the Gospel too. 

Those around us, such as our family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers need to hear the Gospel. The Lord needs us to share the Gospel right where we are located. A Christian does not have to travel across the world in order to share the Gospel. God has commanded all people to share the Gospel, including sharing it to our home countries. Jesus tells us, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). The Great Commission passage is not only referring to international missions, but also to domestic missions. 

Another reason domestic missions are crucial is because they are often overlooked; they aren't crucial in light of other ministries, so many local Christians don't prioritize sharing the Gospel with a neighbor on their homeland's soil. Satan wants to keep the world blinded to the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4), and a sneaky, sly way to keep the world blinded to the truth is by making Christians believe that their part of the world has already been converted to Christianity. 

If we are under the assumption that our country is Christian, we aren't as willing to leave the comforts of our own homes to share the Gospel. Accepting the enemy's false narrative allows us to stay in the comfort zone of dodging awkward conversations with family, friends, and others in our communities. Satan wants to trick us into believing that our home areas are Christian, but they are far from it. 

Even if statistics show an area is mainly Christian, that statistic doesn't truthfully reflect the heart of every man and woman in that location. In fact, polls and statistics can be wrong and altered. Most research forums and polls list Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the Church of the Latter Day Saints as being “Christian,” even though they are not Christian denominations practicing Christian truths. We need to be mindful of this fact and not assume that our home countries are Christian and that everyone is eternally secure in a relationship with Jesus. No country is completely Christian as there are lost souls in every nation.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Pixelheadphoto

Furthermore, domestic missions are crucial because of the love of God. God wants all people to be saved as He is not willing for anyone to perish (2 Timothy 2:3-4). 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God wants all people to know Him because He loves all people. The Lord created every single human being, and He desires that all to come to know Him. 

As Christians, we need to live in the love of God and share the Gospel with others in our daily lives. You can make a difference in your daily life in your service to God by telling others about Jesus. The same love that you have for God needs to extend to those in your communities. We need to love God as He loves us. The greatest way we can share the love of God is by telling others about Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. 

However, we only make sharing the Gospel the ultimate priority in our lives when we are willing to accept how crucial local, domestic missions are. Once we see ourselves as Christians who have an everyday responsibility of sharing God's love with others, we better understand that our mission field is in the coffee shop, at the playground, at the gym--anywhere there are people, domestic or foreign, there is a need for the Gospel to be shared. 

A fourth reason why domestic missions are crucial is because there are hurting people in our own communities, neighborhoods, and hometowns who need the redemption, hope, and love that's so unique to the Gospel. It is easy to overlook those in our own vicinity because we tend to think of missions in a broader sense. The reality, however, is that there are hurting people who need you right where you are. Take a walk or a drive through a downtrodden area of your town, and you will quickly see just how much the people in your own area need the love of Jesus. 

In every city, town, and country, there are hurting people. These individuals may be going through a difficult season, such as losing a loved one, losing a job, or facing a terminal medical illness. As Christians, it is crucial that we go out to the hurting people in our own communities who need our help. By doing this, we are following Jesus’ example. He helped all people who came to Him and He never turned a person away. Domestic missions are crucially important because there are people in your own city who need to hear the saving grace of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Consider volunteering at a local Christian soup kitchen, donating to your town's missions clothing closet, or partner with your church's local outreach programs. Unfortunately, sin is everywhere, resulting in unavoidable crises. People, put together or not, all face hurt. So, everywhere there are people, there are those who need the healing power of the Gospel. 

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/fizkes

A fifth reason why domestic missions are crucial is because there are unreached people in our communities. It is incorrect to believe that all people who live in a first-world country are Christians because that is simply not true. Similarly, it is incorrect to believe that all people who live in third-world countries are not Christians. Ultimately, the truth boils down to each individual person. There are unreached people in our own communities, yet it is up to us to go out to them. Organizing mission endeavors and outreach to the surrounding community will help connect the church to the lost in your city.

More often than not, churches have to reach out to the community before the community reaches out to the church. Hosting outreach picnics, conferences, and Vacation Bible School clubs are great ways to reach the lost in local communities. A Christian does not have to travel across the world to make a lasting impact for Christ. The Lord can use you just where you are to take His name to the lost. Praying for the unreached in your area can help soften lost souls’ hearts and help point them to Christ. Often, prayer is overlooked; however, we must not forget the power of prayer and the difference it can make in our own lives as well as the difference it can make in other people’s lives. 

To Serve Christ

All Christians are called to serve Christ, yet it is up to us to obey. Domestic missions are crucially important just as international missions are crucially important. It is not wise nor beneficial to falsely claim that one is greater than the other. The Lord needs Christians in their home countries as well as across the world to share the message of His death, burial, and resurrection. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the best news that we can share with another person as accepting the Gospel is the only way to forgiveness of sins, redemption, and eternal life with our Lord (John 14:6).