COURSE HANDOUT

Credit Units: 3
Level: Year Two, Second Semester
Area of Specialization: Missions & Evangelism

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the biblical, theological, and historical foundations of Christian missions (Missiology), alongside practical strategies for contemporary evangelism. Students will explore the mandate of the Great Commission, the cultural dynamics of cross-cultural communication, and the various models of evangelism. The course aims to transition students from a theoretical understanding of missions to a practical, active lifestyle of witnessing and church multiplication.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Articulate the biblical and theological basis for global missions.
Analyze the historical development of missions and the modern missionary movement.
Understand the principles of contextualization and cultural anthropology in communicating the gospel.
Identify and apply various evangelism models tailored to different demographics (personal, mass, and digital).
Develop strategies for urban and cross-cultural church planting.
Demonstrate a commitment to the mobilization, sending, and care of missionaries.

MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO MISSIOLOGY

(The Biblical and Historical Foundations)

1.1 Defining Missiology and Mission

Missiology is the academic study of the mission of the Christian church. It integrates theology, history, anthropology, and sociology to understand how the gospel is communicated across cultures.
Mission (from the Latin missio) refers to the specific activities and sending of the church into the world to make disciples. It is crucial to distinguish between Mission (the human activity of the church) and Missio Dei (the mission of God). Missio Dei posits that mission originates not in the church, but in the very nature and heart of the Triune God—the Father sending the Son, and the Father and Son sending the Holy Spirit. The church does not have a mission; the mission of God has a church.

1.2 The Old Testament Foundation

While the term “missions” is largely a New Testament concept, the heartbeat of God for the nations is evident in the Old Testament:

The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3): God promises to bless Abraham and his descendants, stating, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” This establishes Israel not as an exclusive club, but as a conduit of blessing for the world.
The Prophets: Prophets like Isaiah envision a day when the nations will stream to the mountain of the Lord (Isaiah 2:2-3) and when God’s servant will be a light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6).
The Psalms: The Psalter frequently calls the nations to praise Yahweh (Psalm 67, Psalm 96), demonstrating God’s universal sovereignty.

1.3 The New Testament Mandate: The Great Commission

The synoptic Gospels and Acts all record the final commands of Jesus, which serve as the church’s marching orders:

Matthew 28:18-20: The most familiar version, emphasizing authority, going, baptizing, and teaching.
Mark 16:15: Emphasizes proclaiming the gospel to every creature.
Luke 24:46-49: Emphasizes repentance, forgiveness, and witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit.
John 20:21: Emphasizes the sending nature of the church (“As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you”).
Acts 1:8: Provides the geographical and cultural strategy: Jerusalem (local), Judea (regional), Samaria (cross-cultural), and the ends of the earth (global).

1.4 A Brief History of the Expansion of Christianity

Understanding history prevents us from reinventing the wheel:

The Early Church (30-300 AD): Rapid expansion despite severe persecution, largely through urban centers and the diaspora.
The Monastic Movement: While often seen as withdrawal, monasteries preserved the faith and engaged in agricultural, educational, and missionary work.
The Protestant Reformation (16th Century): Focused primarily on internal doctrinal reform in Europe, but eventually birthed a renewed emphasis on Scripture and personal faith.
The Modern Missionary Movement (19th Century): Sparked by William Carey (the “Father of Modern Missions”), who advocated for the use of means (business, agriculture, language learning) alongside preaching. This era saw massive missionary societies formed.
The 20th and 21st Centuries: The shift of Christianity from the Global North (Europe/North America) to the Global South (Africa, Asia, Latin America). Missions is no longer “West to the rest,” but “everywhere to everywhere.”

MODULE 2: THE THEOLOGY OF THE GREAT COMMISSION

(Motives and Message)

2.1 The Core Message of Evangelism

Evangelism is the proclamation of the Euangelion (Good News). This message is not merely about self-improvement or moralism, but about the historical reality of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The core elements include:

The Character of God: He is holy, righteous, and loving.
The Problem of Sin: Humanity is fallen, separated from God, and under just condemnation (Romans 3:23; 6:23).
The Provision of Christ: Jesus bore the penalty of sin on the cross (Substitutionary Atonement) and conquered death through His resurrection.
The Call to Response: Repentance (turning from sin) and Faith (trusting in Christ alone for salvation).

2.2 The Heart of the Evangelist

Why do we share the gospel? The motives must be pure:

The Glory of God: The ultimate goal of missions is the worship of God among all peoples (Revelation 7:9-10).
The Love of God: A genuine, compassionate love for the lost and their eternal destiny (Matthew 9:36).
Obedience to Christ: We share because we have been commanded to do so by our Lord.
Eschatological Urgency: The reality that Christ is returning, and the window of opportunity for salvation is limited to this life.

2.3 The Role of the Holy Spirit in Evangelism

We cannot convert anyone. Conversion is the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:8; John 16:8-11). The Spirit’s role in evangelism includes:

Prevenient Grace: The Holy Spirit goes before us, preparing the hearts of individuals to hear the gospel.
Conviction: The Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
Regeneration: The Spirit gives life to the spiritually dead, enabling them to believe.
Empowerment: The Spirit gives boldness, utterance, and spiritual gifts to the witness (Acts 4:31).

2.4 The Incarnational Model

John 1:14 states that “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Effective missiology is incarnational. This means we do not shout the gospel from a distance; we enter into the culture, live among the people, learn their language, identify with their suffering, and demonstrate the love of Christ through both word and deed.

MODULE 3: CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND CONTEXTUALIZATION

(Understanding the Target Audience)

3.1 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

To communicate the gospel, we must understand the lens through which people view the world. Cultural anthropology helps us understand human societies. We must understand:

Culture: The learned, shared, and transmitted patterns of behavior, beliefs, and values of a society.
Worldview: The fundamental cognitive orientation of a society. Does the culture view the world through a lens of guilt/innocence (Western), shame/honor (Middle Eastern/Asian), or fear/power (Animistic/Tribal)?
Ethnocentrism: The belief that one’s own culture is superior to others. This is a major barrier to the gospel.

3.2 The Concept of Contextualization

Contextualization is the process of making the gospel understandable and relevant to a specific culture without compromising its core truths. It is the intersection of the supracultural (the unchanging Word of God) and the cultural (the specific context of the receiver).

Extraction Theology: The error of removing converts from their culture, forcing them to adopt the missionary’s culture (e.g., Western dress, Western music) to become Christians.
Syncretism: The opposite error, where the gospel is diluted and mixed with pagan beliefs and practices, compromising the purity of the faith.

3.3 Models of Contextualization

Different missiologists have proposed models for how the gospel interacts with culture (e.g., Bevans’ Models):

Translation Model: The core gospel message is extracted from its original culture and translated into the “language” of the new culture.
Anthropological Model: The gospel is understood through the human context and cultural identity, focusing on social justice and cultural affirmation.
Transcendental Model: Emphasizes the personal religious experience of the believer, focusing on how the Spirit reveals Christ within a specific cultural context.

3.4 Critical Contextualization

Developed by Paul Hiebert, this approach advocates for a critical evaluation of both the biblical text and the cultural context. The church in a specific culture must read Scripture and evaluate their own cultural practices, keeping what aligns with Scripture (redeeming it) and rejecting what contradicts it.

MODULE 4: PERSONAL EVANGELISM MODELS

(One-on-One Witnessing)

4.1 The Lifestyle Model

Evangelism is not an event, but a lifestyle. This model relies on the power of a transformed life. It involves building genuine relationships with non-believers. “Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words” (attributed to St. Francis of Assisi). This involves living with integrity, showing compassion, and being a good neighbor.

4.2 Relational Evangelism

This model focuses on establishing and nurturing authentic relationships. It involves listening, understanding the other person’s worldview, and earning the right to be heard. It is a long-term investment, often involving hospitality, shared meals, and genuine friendship.

4.3 Apologetic Evangelism

This model addresses the intellectual barriers to faith. Apologetics (from apologia, meaning a reasoned defense) involves answering the tough questions seekers have (e.g., the problem of evil, the exclusivity of Christ, the reliability of Scripture).

Classical Apologetics: Using logic and philosophy to prove the existence of God.
Evidential Apologetics: Using historical evidence (like archaeology and the resurrection) to defend the faith.
Presuppositional Apologetics: Challenging the non-believer’s worldview presuppositions, showing that only the Christian worldview provides the basis for logic, morality, and meaning.

4.4 The Survey / Diagnostic Method

This involves using tools to gauge a person’s spiritual interest and understanding.

Evangelism Explosion: A structured approach using two diagnostic questions: “Have you come to a place in your spiritual life where you know for certain that if you were to die today, you would go to heaven?” and “Suppose you were to die today and stand before God and He asked you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ what would you say?” This exposes reliance on works vs. reliance on grace.

4.5 The Story/Testimony Model

A powerful method is the personal testimony. People can argue with doctrine, but it is hard to argue with a transformed life. A good testimony follows three steps: Life before Christ (the problem), How I met Christ (the solution), and Life after Christ (the result).

MODULE 5: MASS AND MEDIA EVANGELISM

(Reaching the Multitudes)

5.1 The Power of Mass Evangelism

Mass evangelism utilizes large gatherings and media to reach a wide audience at once. While criticized for lacking personal follow-up, it is highly effective for breaking the “social barrier” of the gospel, making it a topic of public conversation.

Crusades: Large open-air meetings (e.g., Billy Graham, Reinhard Bonnke).
Tent Meetings: Often used in rural or pioneer areas.
Theater and Artistic Evangelism: Using drama, film, and the arts to communicate gospel themes.

5.2 The Role of the Media

In the 21st century, media is not just a tool; it is a mission field.

Radio and Television: Broadcasting sermons and Christian programming to areas where missionaries cannot physically go.
Print Media: Tracts, gospel literature, and Christian magazines.
Social Media Evangelism: Using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to share testimonies, short sermons, and biblical truth. This is highly effective in the Global South where mobile penetration is high.

5.3 Digital Discipleship and Follow-up

The greatest weakness of mass/media evangelism is the drop-off rate. Strategies for follow-up include:

Digital Altars: Live chat during streams where viewers can request prayer.
Online Small Groups: Hosting Bible studies via Zoom or WhatsApp.
Connecting to Local Churches: Using geofencing and digital forms to connect online viewers to physical congregations in their area.

5.4 The “One to Many” Paradigm

Every believer has a sphere of influence. By utilizing social media, a single believer can share a gospel message that reaches hundreds or thousands. The Great Commission is now uniquely accessible to the laity through sharing digital content.

MODULE 6: URBAN AND RURAL MISSION STRATEGIES

(Adapting to Demographics)

6.1 The Challenge of the City

The world is urbanizing rapidly. For the first time in history, more people live in cities than in rural areas. Cities are centers of power, culture, business, and education. If we win the cities, we win the nation.

The Characteristics of Cities: Density, diversity (ethnic and religious), poverty, crime, and spiritual hunger.
Urban Evangelism Strategies:
- The Marketplace Ministry: Reaching professionals in the business district.
- Mercy Ministries: Meeting practical needs (food banks, homeless shelters, medical missions).
- Sub-culture Targeting: Reaching specific demographics (artists, university students, sex workers, migrants).

6.2 Strategy for the City: The Parish Model

The parish model seeks to root the church in a specific geographical community. Instead of an “attractional” model where people commute to a large building, the parish model encourages believers to live, work, and minister within walking distance of their church and neighbors, actively serving the community.

6.3 Rural and Pioneer Missions

While cities are growing, vast areas of the world remain rural, remote, and unreached.

Challenges: Lack of infrastructure, suspicion of outsiders, poverty, and isolation.
Strategies:
- Tentmaking: Missionaries working as farmers, teachers, or healthcare workers to gain access and credibility.
- Community Development: Building wells, schools, and clinics to demonstrate the love of Christ.
- Chronological Bible Storying: Using oral storytelling for cultures that do not read or write.

MODULE 7: CROSS-CULTURAL MISSIONS

(Going to the Ends of the Earth)

7.1 The Unreached People Groups

Modern missiology focuses on the “10/40 Window”—the geographical area between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator, encompassing North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. This area contains the majority of the world’s unevangelized population.

Unreached: A people group where there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize their own people.
Unengaged: A people group with no known active church planting strategy underway.

7.2 Preparing for the Field

Cross-cultural missionaries must undergo specific preparation:

Language Acquisition: Learning the heart language of the people is the single most important task of a new missionary.
Culture Shock: The psychological and emotional disorientation experienced when moving to a new culture. Missionaries must learn to navigate the stages: Honeymoon, Frustration, Adjustment, and Mastery.
Team Dynamics: Missionaries rarely work alone. Understanding how to live and work on a multicultural team is vital.

7.3 The Missionary as a Learner

The old model of the missionary as the “expert” who brings all the answers is dead. The modern missionary must be a learner—learning the culture, the language, and the local history. They must adopt a posture of humility, recognizing that God is already at work in that culture.

7.4 Furlough and Re-entry

Returning home can be as difficult as going to the field. Missionaries experience reverse culture shock. Churches must be equipped to debrief, care for, and reorient returning missionaries.

MODULE 8: CHURCH PLANTING AS A MISSION STRATEGY

(Multiplication)

8.1 The Biblical Mandate to Plant

The book of Acts is essentially a church-planting manual. The Apostle Paul’s strategy was to preach the gospel in urban centers, establish a local church, appoint elders, and move to the next region, leaving the local church to reproduce itself. Church planting is the most effective way to fulfill the Great Commission because it provides a tangible community for new believers.

8.2 Models of Church Planting

The Pioneer Plant: Starting from scratch with no core team.
The Mother-Daughter Plant: An established church sends out a portion of its congregation and resources to plant a new church in a new area.
The Campus Model: One church meeting in multiple locations (multi-site).
The House Church Movement: Small, decentralized gatherings in homes. This is highly effective in restricted or persecuted nations.

8.3 Indigenous Church Principles

To ensure sustainability, new churches must be indigenous. The three-self formula (originally formulated by Henry Venn and Rufus Anderson) states that a church should be:

Self-Governing: Managing its own affairs and leadership.
Self-Supporting: Financing its own ministry and pastoral staff without long-term external dependence.
Self-Propagating: Evangelizing and planting new churches within its own culture.

8.4 The Role of the Missionary in Church Planting

The missionary’s goal should be to work themselves out of a job. They act as an apostolic catalyst—evangelizing, discipling, training local leaders, and then handing over the authority to the indigenous leadership. A failure to do this creates a “missionary dependency” where the local church remains a perpetual infant.

MODULE 9: MOBILIZATION AND MISSIONARY CARE

(Sending and Sustaining)

9.1 The Role of the Local Church in Missions

The local church is the base for the mission. A church that is not sending is a church that is dying. Churches must mobilize their members by:

Educating: Teaching the congregation about God’s heart for the nations.
Identifying: Recognizing those with the gifts and calling for cross-cultural ministry.
Sending: Committing to pray for and financially support missionaries (faith promise giving).
Going: Organizing short-term mission trips to expose members to global missions.

9.2 Missionary Care (Member Care)

Missionaries are soldiers on the front lines. They face spiritual warfare, loneliness, cultural stress, and family strain. The sending church must provide holistic care:

Spiritual Care: Regular prayer, pastoral check-ins, and spiritual retreats.
Financial Care: Ensuring missionaries have adequate living expenses, health insurance, and retirement plans.
Emotional Care: Providing access to Christian counselors and debriefing sessions, especially after traumatic events.
Logistical Care: Helping with visa issues, housing, and children’s education.

9.3 Facing Persecution and Suffering

The Great Commission is often fulfilled through suffering. In many parts of the world, missionaries and local believers face intense persecution. The theology of the cross reminds us that suffering for the gospel is not a sign of failure, but a mark of faithfulness (Philippians 1:29). The church must prepare missionaries for the reality of persecution and stand in solidarity with the persecuted church.

9.4 The Future of Missions

The landscape of global missions is changing. The center of Christianity has shifted to the Global South. Missionaries are now being sent from Nigeria, Brazil, Korea, and the Philippines to the Western world and the 10/40 window. This is the era of the “Global Church” participating in the Missio Dei from everywhere to everywhere.

Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission by David J. Bosch.
Introducing World Missions: A Biblical, Historical, and Practical Survey by A. Scott Moreau, Gary R. Corwin, and Gary B. McGee.
The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman.
Anthropological Insights for Missionaries by Paul G. Hiebert.
Planting Churches Cross-Culturally: North America and Beyond by David J. Hesselgrave.

ASSESSMENT BREAKDOWN

Continuous Assessment (CA): 30% (Includes class participation, one mid-term assignment, and a group presentation on a specific people group).
Final Examination: 70% (A comprehensive 3-hour written exam covering all 9 modules).
Practical Requirement: Students must participate in a supervised 1-day evangelism outreach and submit a 1000-word reflective report.