By Daniel Baker
We are a church shaped by an apostolic and prophetic mission to extend the Kingdom of God locally and globally. We believe we can do more together than we can apart, so we partner with a global family of churches called Confluence (which is part of the Newfrontiers family) to ensure we are working together on mission with others from around the world.
Of all the convictions we share as a family of churches, there is one that has captured my mind and heart more than most: we can do more together than we can apart. I grew up in an independent rural church in Washington State but found myself at a gathering of Newfrontiers churches in 2011 in St. Louis, Missouri. John Lanferman, the former leader of Newfrontiers USA, was preaching, and as he spoke passionately about our shared Gospel mission as a family of churches, something clicked in my spirit, and I remember thinking, “If this is what Newfrontiers is, I want to be a part of it!” That decision has led my wife Natalie and me to connect with Confluence and the wider Newfrontiers family for more than a decade. We have seen firsthand what it means to be Together on Mission.
A Biblical Vision
In Matthew 28, Jesus commissions his disciples to “Go and make disciples of all nations.” It is clear from Scripture that we have been delivered a mission to accomplish. We are called to be witnesses of Jesus, resulting in new disciples and world transformation through the expansion of God’s Kingdom.
But how are we meant to complete this mission? When it comes to our Gospel mission, many Christians and churches have decided it is easiest to work alone. However, the pattern given in Scripture is one of teamwork, cooperation, and unity. The picture of a body and how it functions is the blueprint provided for us to follow. 1 Corinthians 12:12 says, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” Each follower of Jesus has a unique gift to contribute to the health and function of the body of Christ.
This applies not only locally among individual congregations but also globally in our connection to the wider body of Christ. We see repeatedly throughout the New Testament that churches understood that they were together on a mission (Philippians 1:5, 2 Corinthians 8:1-4, 3 John 5-8). Churches supported one another through prayer, finances, and the sending and receiving of Gospel workers. There was a sense of partnership, concern for other congregations, and commitment to a united mission received from the Lord. We share this biblical value, and believe we are on a mission, created as a body, called to unity, and purposed to work together.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20
Rooted in God’s Mission
Beyond the blueprint of working together as a healthy body for a shared purpose, we also see the value of being together on mission rooted in the Trinitarian nature of God. Christopher J. H. Wright writes, “It is not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the world, as that God has a church for his mission in the world” (Wright, 62).
Community, unity, shared participation, and distinction within unity are foundational to our understanding of the Trinitarian nature of God. It is God’s own distinctive nature which shapes our own as humans created in his image, and the mission we have been invited to partake in. The mission of the Gospel is not our own as the Church; rather, it is God’s mission, the missio Dei, which, in reflection of God’s unified and participatory nature, we are lovingly invited to join.
Despite our shared mission being rooted in the nature of God, the pragmatics of mission unfortunately are often rooted in the nature of fallen humanity. Persons and churches that should see each other as partners drift towards isolation and territorialism. One study found that churches compete more strongly with churches of the same denomination, with these competitive effects diminishing with distance (Rennhoff and Owens, 2012). Barna found that pastors are nearly twice as likely to count a pastor from another town among their closest friends as a pastor from another church in their own community (Barna Group, 2022). Meanwhile, the percentage of pastors experiencing loneliness or isolation rose from 42 percent in 2015 to 65 percent in 2022 (Barna Group, 2023).
My personal experience has been that it is easy to fall into comparison and competition that causes us to view others as “sheep stealers” and threats to our own purposes. But the way of the Kingdom is different; therefore, we must fight against these disunifying tendencies. Unity is not automatic, so we must intentionally give ourselves to the value of being Together on Mission.
“It is not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the world, as that God has a church for his mission in the world.”
Christopher J. H. Wright
From Here to the Ends of the Earth
So, what does this mean for us practically? We are called to serve and support each other as a family of churches, giving ourselves fully to the mission of God. This has a dynamic nature which expands from the center to the periphery. In Acts 1:8, Jesus says to his disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” I believe this presents a roadmap for community mission.
First, we are called out of isolationism and hyper-individualism to join ourselves to a community of believers. Being a member of the local church, such as New Frontiers Church, is the first step in obedience to the conviction of being together on mission. This goes beyond attendance; it means participation in serving, using our gifts, and lovingly caring for one another.
Next, as local churches, we have a regional calling to work together. Using Acts 1:8 as a roadmap for community mission, if the local church is our Jerusalem, then the regional churches are our Judea. As Confluence Northeast, we are called to actively work together to accomplish the purposes of God. Our Samaria represents regions working together with regions. We are not alone here in New England; we are connected to the Confluence family, which expands across multiple continents. We are not defined by national lines, but instead give our shared allegiance to King Jesus.
Finally, we must go to the ends of the earth! We as Confluence are connected to the Global Newfrontiers family, which represents thousands of churches in dozens of nations. The needs of the world are our needs; the pains and victories of our brothers and sisters around the globe are our burdens and gifts.
We are one united family, made up of many smaller families and communities of believers, sharing in the mission of the God who has called us together. We work together on mission because we can do more together than we can apart.
Sources
Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative (IVP Academic, 2006), p. 62.
Barna Group, “ChurchPulse Weekly Conversations: Dave Lomas on Pastoral Friendships & Preaching” (2022).
Barna Group, “7-Year Trends: Pastors Feel More Loneliness & Less Support” (2023).
Adam D. Rennhoff and Mark F. Owens, “Competition and the Strategic Choices of Churches,” American Economic Journal: Microeconomics (2012).
The Bible
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Spirit Empowerment
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Grace
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Servant Leadership
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Team Leadership
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Five-Fold Ministries
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Discipleship
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Worship & Prayer
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A Richly Diverse Family
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Together on Mission
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Justice & Mercy
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To the Ends of the Earth
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The Bible 〰️ Spirit Empowerment 〰️ Grace 〰️ Servant Leadership 〰️ Team Leadership 〰️ Five-Fold Ministries 〰️ Discipleship 〰️ Worship & Prayer 〰️ A Richly Diverse Family 〰️ Together on Mission 〰️ Justice & Mercy 〰️ To the Ends of the Earth 〰️
Curious about our values?Learn more about each of the values that shape our church family.
