6 Ways of Engaging in Mission Series

Event Details

6 talks over 6 months, exploring 6 different ways of engaging in mission today, led by Irene McMahon during the evening service at First Antrim Presbyterian Church.

Topics covered:

Learn: (19 January 2025)
Would you be surprised if I was to tell you that the terms mission and missionary are actually never used in the Scripture? Is it possible that our understanding of mission has been shaped more by the Enlightenment and colonial expansion than Scripture? Together we will look at Scripture, particularly the early church in Acts, to see what we can learn about the spread of the gospel and how that could help us shape the modern world of mission.

Pray: (9 February 2025)
Would it surprise you to know that Paul never prayed for good health or safe travel? Sometimes he let his needs be known to the church, but often he did not, instead, he prayed. Together we will look at some of Paul’s prayers to see how they can help us to shape our praying. I hope to share some testimony of answered prayer both in my own life and the lives of those I minister with.

Welcome: (2 March 2025)
It might come as a surprise, but the Bible actually commands us (37 times!) to welcome the stranger (and care for the widow and orphan). But what does welcome look like? Is it just helping with English and homework? How do we welcome Muslims families into our communities? How do we welcome Pentecostal women leaders into our churches? Firstly we will trace the long line of migrants recorded in the Bible and then we will look at some local initiatives to see what we can learn.

Mobilise and Inspire: (13 April 2025)
Most of us do not like to be told what to do, but if we are being discipled, that is exactly what has to happen – the Holy Spirit, through Scripture, tells us when and what we need to change. If we are fortunate enough to have a mentor or be discipled by a mature Christian, it can have a massive impact on our lives. Looking at men and women in Scripture and throughout history, who took the time and invested in others to help prepare them to share the gospel across the street and around the world.

Go: (11 May 2025)
Who decides who should go and where they should go? Is there still a need for mission agencies or is it time for the church to take on the full responsibility of sending? Together we will look at the early church and the role of the communities of faith in spreading the gospel to see what we can learn to guide us about going.

Send: (8 June 2025)
What is the role of the sending church and how much authority do they have over an individual who is serving the Lord in a foreign context? Should the church ‘send’ someone who goes to live overseas with their work? Are they a missionary? Again, we look at the early church and see what we can learn about sending. We will consider some ‘new’ models of mission and ministry which are effective across the street and around the world.

Meet the speaker

Irene & Wilson

have been members of OMF International for almost 40 years. More than

20 years was spent living and working in the Republic of the

Philippines, initially in church planting among the indigenous Manobo

people of Mindanao, and latterly in a theological seminary in Davao

city. The other 20 years were spent mobilising, training and discipling

new workers in the UK.

Irene writes: “We were sent by First Antrim Presbyterian Church in 1989 and have been prayed for and supported by them, and several other churches, consistently since that time.

We believe that all mission is initiated by God (mission Dei) and emanates from Him. In every situation, He has been there before us and will continue His work long after we have gone. However, in His mercy, and for our good, He decided that, ‘through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made know to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Eph. 3:10&11)

As the church, we have a responsibility to use the gifts and abilities we have to ensure we honour Him and share the whole gospel in ways that it can be understood in every culture. We believe, we are in the throes of a paradigm shift where the concepts and models of mission and missionary need to be examined and critiqued in order to establish what can be effective in the 21st century.

If you are interested in thinking more about the paradigm shift, a good introductory article can be read here. Further in-depth reading would be David Bosch’s book, Transforming Mission.

For more information

Please contact:
Sarah Keiller
OMF Area Representative for Ireland
uk.ireland@omfmail.com