All Articles For The Place of Laity in Missions

Rev. Bruinsma is Eastern Home Missionary of the Protestant Reformed Churches, stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Previous article in this series: February 15, 2009, p. 229. Missions and the organic life of the church What does a godly witness in our lives at home have to do with work on a mission field? A godly witness at home is just that, a work at home. The mission work is many miles away from my witness at home. What does one have to do with the other? The answer is found in the organic relationship between the established church and the mission...

Rev. Bruinsma is Eastern Home MIssionary of the Protestant Reformed Churches, stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Previous article in this series: December 15, 2008, p. 135. The church is a witnessing church. It is not just theduty of the church to witness. It is not just hercalling. The true church always leaves a witness. She does so in her preaching, but she also does this in the lives of her members. True believers will always be a godly witness in their confession and in their walk. This forms the foundation of the involvement of laity in mission work. Because the church is...

Previous article in this series: December 1, 2010, p. 115. In the last several articles we have raised the idea of whether some families of established churches of a denomination ought to consider moving to a mission field. We studied the biblical and historical precedent that reveals that families of the church did this in the past. It was, in fact, a powerful means Christ used to build His church in the world. The suggestion of families or individuals moving to and becoming a part of the life of a mission does not mean that every family ought to make...

Previous article in this series: March 1, 2010, p. 254. It has been some time now since our last article on this subject. We asked the question in the last article whether or not it is proper for families or confessing individuals in existing churches to move to a place of an established mission field? Our answer to this question is: yes. We recognize, however, that there are objections to this position. There are legitimate questions that arise in this connection. It is for that reason we are trying to examine the issue a little more closely. Before extolling the...

Rev. Bruinsma is Eastern Home MIssionary of the Protestant Reformed Churches, stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. God is pleased to gather His church and to save a people unto Himself by means of the mission work of the church. The church institute officially calls a missionary to go out and preach the gospel. He performs the work of missions. God by His grace and Spirit uses the preaching of the gospel to save those lost in their sin. But does this mean that mission work belongs to the church only through her offices? Does this preclude the members of the church...

Previous article in this series: January 15, 2010, p. 182. For our topic of the place of laity in missions we are going to study whether it is proper for families of existing churches to move to a place where a mission group has been established. This topic may take several articles because this is a serious matter. Long has been the plea of smaller congregations outside the locales where a nucleus of our churches exist for families to move to their congregations and help them grow internally. A godly, well-grounded husband and wife who know what they believe and...

Rev. Bruinsma is Eastern Home Missionary of the Protestant Reformed Churches, stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Previous article in this series: March 1, 2009, p. 255. Work-groups Visiting a mission field is beneficial both for the saints on the mission field and for those who visit the work. It gives the visitor a broader perspective of the church of Christ in this world. It also rekindles an appreciation for the precious truths God has graciously entrusted into our care and safekeeping. If a visit to a mission work accomplishes this, then volunteer labor on a mission field does so even more....