Developing an Understanding of the Church and its Mission in the Local Church

Abstract

Problem: Christ has commissioned the church to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world. However, the basic concept of the church and its mission held by the membership will determine the type of outreach program that it will operate. If this concept of mission is limited or deficient, little will be done that is really effective. This project seeks to discover what attitudes are the norm in the local church, and whether these attitudes can be changed in a short period of time. Method: The areas of Biblical studies and church growth were researched as part of this study. An instrument was formulated and data was collected from both the leadership group and church members regarding their attitudes to the church and its mission. A one-day training program was developed and operated in a selected local church. The instrument was administered before and after the training session, and again three months later to determine if a greater understanding had developed, and how permanent any changes in understanding were. Results: The results of this study indicate that it is possible to change attitudes in the short term, but that this change is not always permanent. There is a need for ongoing instruction or confusion will result. Conclusion: The attitudes of the members of the Seventh-day Adventist church to the church and its mission are basically healthy. There are however some areas that require urgent attention. Instruction by conference personnel should be carried out on a longer term basis than is done at present, and requires the cooperation and support of the local minister to have any permanent or lasting effect.