Touchstone #9

The local church is a missionary outpost in a world in need of salvation. Called to take initiative, the congregation is a missionary presence within its own community and a sending body for mission throughout the world. Each church, therefore, is both an institution and part of a movement.

The classical missionary model emphasized that churches should be self-supporting, self-propagating, and self-governing. This vision of the local church as the primary agent of mission challenges both passivity and dependency, calling each congregation to active participation in God's mission both locally and globally. The local church is not simply a building or an organization, but a community of believers sent by God to be witnesses in their context. Each congregation has a unique calling based on its location, gifts, and resources. At the same time, the local church sends missionaries and supports mission work around the world, participating in the global movement of God's kingdom.