I'm A Missionary

I've never set foot off this continent. I don't know any languages other than English. I don't know that I'm called to reservations. I'm a Canada Post employee. I spend my free time with my family.
And... I'm a missionary.
It's what I tell people, and how I identify myself. Usually I get politely confused responses. Most of the time, people (particularly church folk) assume they know what I'm saying but they don't. Because if they knew, they'd be missionaries too.
Missionary is a term laden with misunderstanding. So much so, that instead of making use of the word, contemporary church culture has made up a new word: "missional". I remember playing Apple/PC commercial spoofs for my youth group a few years ago, emphasizing the difference between being a "Missionary" (the unsympathetic clueless PC character) and being "On Mission" (the cool guy that everybody wants to be like). But it's a false switch. Because everything good that has been said about bring "missional" can also be said about being a missionary.
So what's bad about being a missionary? Lots can be said on this topic, but it comes down to this: missionaries are seen as abusive and exploitive. Oh, you won't hear that in church. But it lies beneath the surface, doesn't it? We know we "ought to" support our missionaries, but we don't want to, do we? So the guest missionaries need to make sure we know that our support dollars (and prayers) are not wasted. They're going toward spiritual, economic, and cultural transformation in BIG ways. And then the stories start.
Not that the stories are bad. We thank God for lives changed by the Gospel. But why are they being shared? For God's glory? Or to demonstrate that the mission is worth while, and worth your ongoing support? And the big question is, what happens when there are NO stories? What about the missionary who returns empty handed, having used up all the support she raised? Well, she's obviously not really called to be a missionary, is she? Instead, she should find a real job somewhere and support EFFECTIVE missionaries with her money (and prayers) instead.
But what if this was different? What if it all changed and a missionary was not seen as somebody church or Christian organization supported, out effectively winning souls for Jesus full time, but rather as ordinary Christians sent out into the world with a life-altering message and the equipping of the Holy Spirit? Maybe missions organizations could no longer, in that reality, disqualify somebody from being a missionary based on their performance review. Maybe instead of blacklisting ineffective missionaries, they would see their task as supporting, training, encouraging, resourcing, and networking missionaries wherever they find themselves.

Aldergrove needs missionaries. It doesn't need more Christians or churches right now. There are plenty of Christians and churches in Aldergrove right now supporting missions in other nations and other places like Langley and Abbotsford. But Aldergrove needs more missionaries, networked together for support, encouragement, and resource. Jesus said "the harvest is ripe... so pray". We aren't told to be effective as missionaries. Missions doesn't mean effectiveness - it means presence. We're told to pray... for MORE missionaries. So, that's what I'm doing. I'm praying for more missionaries to join me in praying for more missionaries.
Want to join? Good! You're an answer to prayer! We'll continue praying, gathering more and more missionaries in Aldergrove!