Engaging with God’s Global Mission
By Pastor Adria, Associate Pastor
A month ago, I joined other pastors from the Pacific Northwest Conference for our annual gathering. The speaker for our continuing education was Grace Shim, Executive Minister of Serve Globally of the Evangelical Covenant Church (our broader church family). She shared insights from a changing church and world that impact how we go about fulfilling God’s mission today.
I grew up thinking the center of the church was in the global north (and west, to be honest). After all, we sent missionaries everywhere else, right? But Grace pointed out that almost 70 percent of Christians today live in the global south, where most of the world’s population resides. That means we Christians in North America are now in the minority of the wider church. We aren’t the main training or sending body anymore, either. Did you know there are established seminaries in most areas of the world, and churches in other countries are now sending missionaries to the U.S. and Canada? Wow. That required a huge perspective shift for me!
Grace Shim encouraged us to allow this global shift to change how we see the mission of God in the world. “God’s invitation to us is to partner with, learn from, and posture ourselves to align with the Spirit’s work as part of the global church, from everywhere to everywhere,” she said. The mission of God calls for the whole church to be engaged in the whole gospel for the whole world, in and through whole persons.
As it says in 1 Corinthians 12, we need each other to be who we are called to be! For instance, we Christians in North America can learn about radical trust from our brothers and sisters who live and minister with far less material resources. The courageous faith of those who choose to follow Christ despite the risk of losing their families, jobs, or lives can challenge us to greater witness and stronger faith. Christians from other parts of the world can inspire us with their gracious hospitality, sacrificial generosity, exuberant worship, dependence on one another, and care for the vulnerable.
I have been thinking a lot about how we can integrate the whole church and the whole gospel into our discipleship and ministry. One way I have tried to do this is by searching for biblical commentaries from people in other countries and cultures to use in preaching and teaching. I am also trying to read more stories of Christians from around the world. Here are some places to find such stories:
Christianity Today often has news and testimonies from around the world, as well as special articles like this one
Wycliffe Bible Translators often posts “God sightings” stories here
Serve Globally stories here
Global Christian Relief here
There is nothing, however, like seeing and experiencing the global church for yourself. Both Serve Globally and our regional conference offer trips every year to engage with Christians in other countries and cultures. Here are some examples:
Guatemala with the Pacific Northwest Conference in August 2026
Travel to Guatemala to learn, participate in ministry, and build relationships with the indigenous people of the Central Highland Cities of Chimaltenango, Patzicia, and Santa Apolonia. This will be the first trip of this kind for the Pacific Northwest Conference. You will have the opportunity to meet both new friends from our area and new friends from Latin America. Visit this page for full details.
Serve Globally: Merge Trips
Travel to Alaska, Honduras, France, Thailand, or Nicaragua (find more information here)
Is God calling you to join one of these trips to deepen your faith and broaden your experience of him? Who could go with you—spouse, child, friend, small group? If you sense God’s leading to join a trip, we would love to help you get there. Reach out to me to discuss the possibilities!
May our hearts be open to learning from our global brothers and sisters, and together may we fulfill Christ’s whole mission in the whole world.