MISSIONS AND EVANGELISM IN THE 21ST CENTURY
INTRODUCTION Evangelism is derived from the Greek word Euangelion , meaning "Good News." From this root word, we also derive the term Gospel . Both words signify the act of proclaiming the message of the Kingdom of God. A prevalent confusion in many local churches today is the distinction between the evangelistic and missionary mandates. This has led to many churches categorizing various evangelistic activities as mission work. To clarify, evangelism refers to Christian witness among those who belong to the same culture, while missions involve Christian witness across cultural boundaries to people who do not share the same background and where the national church is not yet viable. Whether evangelism or missions, both fulfill the Great Commission as given by Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19-20. While both are essential, distinguishing between them enables the Church to focus and operate more effectively. CHAPTER ONE: MISSIONS VERSUS EVANGELISM Understanding the difference...