What if the Church Sent Out Workers?

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest  is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Matthew 9:37-38 

 Among the many lessons we can glean from this year’s pandemic is a powerful illustration of Matthew 9. A plentiful harvest, but not enough workers to bring it in. This is the exact predicament cherry farmers in Washington, chile farmers in New Mexico and Canadian apple and pear farmers growers faced this year.  From coast to coast and around the globe, travel bans, shut downs and fear of the virus itself caused a severe worker shortage. The result? Millions (perhaps billions?) of dollars’ worth of crops were left on the vine to rot all around the world.  

In Matthew 9, Jesus tells us the harvest is ready! As the farmer in Christ’s analogy, God the Father has carefully tended, watered and cared for the fields, trees and plants. All that remains is that final step – bring in the workers for the harvest! But where are they?  

In this age of COVID, when many can’t even head into the office, let alone fly to Africa, we may – like the agricultural migrant workers – feel a little stuck. Self-care and survival may appear as the more immediate need, distracting us from the harvest. Indeed, hundreds of short-term mission trips were cancelled this year as COVID marched mercilessly around the globe. Perhaps it’s time to redirect our attention with greater intensity toward the harvest in the fields here at home.  

The amazing thing about God’s harvest is this: He always knows which fields are ready for harvest, and he always has the right workers in the region positioned to work! Could COVID be a holy set-up? 

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the  ends  of the earth.”   – Jesus (Acts 1:8)  

   “We can’t let COVID be a time of standing still,” said Tom Greenwald, Missions Pastor at Community Covenant Church in Lenexa. “As the church, we have an opportunity to shine. Sure, there is a temptation to stand still, focusing on self and survival, but we have to use this time to engage with others.”     

Greenwald says  Community  Covenant Church  (CCC)  in Lenexa  has  been pivoting toward local missions for some time.   

“[In recent years] it’s been a pretty small pool of people we’ve taken on international trips,” Greenwald said, noting the expense and vacation time availability have been major hinderances for many people in the past.   

  Consequently, CCC has purposefully looked for local missional opportunities with partnerships like Freedom Fire (https://vimeo.com/214815857) and plugged people in to serve where their heart is drawing them.    

Local and global missions are not an either/or proposition, Greenwald noted. The church is called  to  both.   

“God doesn’t draw a line – the foundation of the call is the same,” Renee Terrill agreed. Terrill is part of the global missions team at Westside Family Church. She says over the last few years, they too, have seen a shift in how we meet the global need.  

She says the western Church  historically  has met the “ends of the earth” through sending missionaries and short-term mission  groups. But many churches  today  are  re-examining the effectiveness - and wisdom - of  old  models.   

“In the past, American  missions  teams would come in to save the day with programs and projects, but we were leaving things in chaos because we had disrupted their workflow and then abandoned them upon our departure,” said Terrill.  

“Americans  would just  put on their rescue hat,” said Derek Nunley, Westside Family Church Global Missions Director, as he explained the shifting philosophy on global trips. “Now we are coming in to help – alongside local leaders and missionaries – and serving wherever  they  say they need help.”   

That’s why many leaders in the missions field are seeing the value of taking smaller groups of people overseas (if they go at all) and refocusing efforts to engage with the mission field outside their front door. COVID provides the perfect opportunity for that redirection to happen.   

  “If you have let COVID go by and haven’t taken advantage of what is right in front of you, you’re missing out,” Nunley said.     While getting involved where you live can feel intimidating for some, Nunley suggests some simple steps to get started.  For example, he says, start with a prayer walk oin your neighborhood. As you walk, engage with neighbors you encounter. Over time relationships begin to grow and you may find new opportunities to invite them over for a meal or lemonade in your front yard. From there you’ll discover new ways to serve and share the love of Jesus with people.  

But what about those people who were looking to that global trip?  

“If someone had their heart set on going on a missions trip,” Greenwald says, “the first thing to understand is what motivated that person to go in the first place. Is it helping kids? A specific cause? Reaching the global community for Christ in general? Once you understand that motivation, then you can redirect it locally!”  

Recently, CCC launched a new YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcSVrQRMMTKvMKkNAKA37IipMzmf4zKc_) with a goal to showcase local organizations people may be interested in serving with. And if someone still has a huge heart for global, there are ways to serve locally too. Connect with refugee, immigrant and migrant groups, or join the World Vision marathon team.  Last year, the team had 55 runners and walkers from CCC who raised more than $50,000 for clean water in struggling nations around the world. 

“We see that as a big win to get people  engaged in a global initiative,” Greenwald added. “[The point is,] don’t just wait. Find something  similar to  what motivated you and get involved here at home.  Keep that fire burning! The real downside of trips is that they are short. When you are local, you have so much more opportunity to have a real, lasting long-term impact.”  

COVID has not taken us away from the lost, the orphaned, the widow. It won’t stop us from reaching people around the globe. It is, however, shining a flood light on the harvest at home. And it’s ready.