Mission in the 21st century, what is it all about? Many definitions can be given, such as this one: 'the proclamation of the gospel amongst and development assistance to peoples in the third world'.

What we like about this definition is that it shows that words and deeds go together. A missionary proclaims the gospel and provides aid where necessary. The one without the other is incomplete. Where only foreign aid is given, often there are no lasting results. The aid remains something of the 'white foreigners'. For successful development assistance a change of mindset is important. The gospel provides exactly that.

On the other hand, when the gospel is only preached whilst no actual help is given when needed, the words become hollow and void. A follower of a loving God will show love in his actions.

The last element in the definition is 'in the third world', in developing counrtries. We would like to say that indeed much missionary work happens in developing countries, but not exclusively. The gospel needs to be preached everywhere. The needs are often greater in the 'third world', whilst not all people have access to the gospel message. Hence most mission happens there.

Would you like to read more on the importance of modern mission? Read the full article here.

We also have the story from Emy on our website. She has written down what the arrival of a missionary meant for her.