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by and Campus Crusade worker Parachurch Byron Straughn ive years ago my family moved Fto Pennsylvania and began looking for a new church. At the Like first church we attended, a num- ber of friendly people greeted our family after the service. But inter- estingly, the conversations kept Families going in the same direction as soon as they discovered who my employer was—Campus Crusade for Christ. Like clockwork, every and single person asked me, “What do you think of the local church?”

After the first conversation, I Soccer thought nothing of it. By the third I was mildly annoyed. By the fifth, if it were not for the resurrection Teams power of Christ subduing my sar- castic tongue, I’m not sure what I would have said.

At the same time, I have to admit the question made sense. Too of- ten, parachurch workers (PCW’s) 3 9Marks eJournal

“Working for a parachurch ministry is like playing for a

soccer team.” do have an unbiblically low view of the local church. And their lack of involvement in the local church reflects this low view. Here are a few reasons PCW’s sometimes give for their less-than-whole- This article was featured in the March/April 2011 hearted involvement in a local 9Marks eJournal. That edition of the eJournal church: focused on the relationship between the church and parachurch. More at: www.9Marks.org • “What’s the difference? We sing, pray and listen to messages in our ministry.”

9Marks exists to equip church leaders with a biblical • “Our ministry is where it’s at! vision and practical resources for displaying God’s Churches are old fashioned, glory to the nations through healthy churches. stuck in tradition, and irrelevant.”

• “I’m just not here much 9Marks is grateful to partner because of my ministry with Campus Crusade for responsibilities.” Christ. • “I give and give all week. I just want to come to church to be ministered to and fed,” which is really a way of saying, “I’m tired and I’ve done my part.” This is what I hear from people whose weeks are filled with good ministry. Their hearts are wonder- 5 9Marks eJournal

fully engaged in discipleship relationships and , and dinner table. Don’t tell me you be- such work can be weighty and difficult. long to God’s “universal church” if you don’t prove it on earth by What’s critical to understand, however, is that such activi- binding yourself to a local church. ties don’t replace a church. When I ask a college student or That’s like saying you belong to a PCW why he or she has slept in for an eleventh Sunday the family but never showing up family is the group of people you in a row, and I hear one of these lines, I become concerned at family events. about their lack of experience of God’s sustaining grace, live with and learn to love. The as well as their basic understanding of the gospel and its Working for a parachurch minis- relationships are permanent and corporate implications. try, on the other hand, is like play- all-defining. There’s no such thing ing for a soccer team. (But wait, as a “family season” which ends If you’re read- Byron, I know you. You’ve never after the championship game, “Parachurch work ing this article, played soccer. Yes, it’s true, but like there is a “soccer season.” does not replace more than likely I have friends who play soccer, And “family practice” doesn’t end you are a para- so hear me out.) You know how at 5:30, even if soccer practice church involvement.” church worker, soccer teams work. Team mem- does. What’s more, the family is or maybe you bers are selected, and then they where you learn to love people share the opin- gather to play soccer. They don’t who are very different from you ion that PCW’s are ecclesiastical slackers. Either way, let gather to receive math tutoring, in age and gender – siblings, me try to persuade you that parachurch work does not re- to brush their teeth, to give and parents, grandparents, crazy place church involvement, first, by pointing to the gospel. receive family love, or to care for uncles. Though you might be dis- The gospel helps us to see that belonging to a church is the elderly. They gather for one appointed if your soccer league like belonging to a family, while working for a parachurch is purpose and for a limited season dissolved, you would be devas- more like playing for a soccer team. of involvement: to play soccer. tated if your family disappeared. What’s more, everyone on the As I said before, the gospel CHURCH AND PARACHURCH: team usually belongs to the same makes us members of the fam- LIKE FAMILIES AND SOCCER gender and is approximately the ily of Christ, a membership made same age. TEAMS concrete through joining the But a family is different. It’s church on earth, the local church. We “put on” our membership in The gospel is the good news that sinners like us can be broader and deeper. Whether you’re adopted into a family or Christ’s body by putting on that reconciled to God through the life, death, and resurrection are born into one, your family is membership in a local church, of Christ. Read Ephesians 2:1-10 for a picture of this verti- just like we “put on” our righ- cal reconciliation. But another set of relationships follows. responsible for your entire nur- ture, growth, and education. Your teousness in Christ by walking Being reconciled to God means we’re reconciled to God’s in righteousness. But as fam- people. Read Ephesians 2:11-22 for this picture. Becom- ily members, we still have the ing a Christian means being adopted into God’s family. freedom to pursue all kinds of And joining a local church is like showing up at the family specific kingdom purposes and 7 9Marks eJournal

activities. Maybe that’s playing soccer. Maybe that’s working for a parachurch ministry.

With this comparison in mind, “It’s through the let me offer a few reasons why to himself through the gospel and PCW’s, together with all other he calls us into one body, for our believers, should participate in good and for his glory. life of a church that the life of their churches. Then I’ll point to a few more reasons for 2. Faith is expressed we learn to love why PCW’s in particular should through love. be active, deeply invested mem- One aspect of our assurance is bers of local churches. people who are seeing Christ-likeness developed REASONS WHY in our lives. One aspect of this different than us – Christ-likeness is love for others ALL CHRISTIANS that expresses itself in commit- ment to others. God’s love for us people with different SHOULD moves us to faithfulness and love backgrounds, PARTICIPATE IN toward others. THE CHURCH 3. Cross-centered implies cross-section. struggles, and 1. For the sake of their own souls and the glory It’s through the life of a church of God. that believers learn to love and strengths.” serve people who are different If you read much from 9Marks yet united in Christ. We also learn this probably sounds obvious or what it means to follow Christ in redundant, but it should not be various settings or stages of life. assumed. There are not two on- Our maturity deepens and broad- tological categories of believers: ens through our participation in church-based and parachurch a congregation, which is part workers. God calls men and women of God’s means of rounding out our discipleship and sanctifica- tion. It’s a beautiful thing to see a twenty-two-year-old helping an eighty-five-year old man to his seat. Think of the power of allow- 9 9Marks eJournal

ing a young believer from a broken home to watch a godly would identify or associate with a family that is striving to love God. local congregation within a cer- tain time frame after beginning So, very practically, one way you your assignment. If it’s not in your 4. Understanding the fullness of the church’s can encourage your church is to let HR handbook, well, it should be. mission. people know how they can pray for your work. Your membership in a congregation will expose you to the 2. Church membership ongoing, body-sustaining work of the church that tran- allows you to cast vision 3. Church membership scends culture and situations. Until Christ returns, there among your fellow mem- allows you to invite mem- will always be the need for God’s people to gather, to hear, bers for how the gospel bers of your local body to and to respond together to God’s Word. There will always is at work in the world participate in your work be the need for Christians to watch one another, to pray through your ministry. for one another, and even at times to initiate difficult con- and be strengthened by versations with one another. There will always be the need 2As a PCW, you have opportunities it. for the gospel to make its way out into families, schools, to see what others can’t. This is not 3On a related note, church mem- marketplaces, and other countries. These aspects of the because you have some special bership allows you to invite fuller ministry of the church will always continue regard- power, but because you get a first- others to join in the work of your less of world wars, technological advances, biomedical hand look at your organization’s ministry. Other church members challenges, or cultural fads. To reduce to a par- strategic mission efforts and large- can pray, give, help you strat- ticular ministry of any one parachurch organization is not scale outreaches. egize, or volunteer to help you in only narrow but short-sighted. You can therefore build up your local your work. church by regularly updating them REASONS WHY PCW’S IN I don’t know of any ministry that about how the gospel is advanc- has so much funding that it has PARTICULAR SHOULD BE ing outside the church’s immediate returned contributions back to its area. Hearing about God’s work in ACTIVE CHURCH MEMBERS donors. There is always financial places they have never been will need, and even more so when it refresh and encourage their hearts, comes to labor and manpower. Beyond these basics, here are a few more reasons why especially on the tougher days. Not Campus ministries like my own PCW’s in particular should be active members of local only that, it will broaden and enrich would gladly welcome men and churches. I’m now speaking especially to you, the para- the church’s vision for ministry. church worker. women from our congregations to help with evangelism, follow-up, 1. Church membership is required by your studies, mentoring and life parachurch organization. skills, and so on. The same is true of other parachurch ministries, I’m not going to tattle on you, but I’m guessing your from mercy ministry work, to mis- organization’s leadership would point you to your HR sions work, to “building healthy 1handbook, which communicates the expectation that you churches” work. 11 9Marks eJournal

Volunteers from your church may not have the same level of train- ing you do, but their participation in your work should strengthen your parachurch work, as well as the church’s overall ministry. For don’t need to do a lot of explicit instance, ask some of your fellow teaching about ecclesiology and “Everyone asked me, members to lead a small group on membership to set a good exam- campus. The experience will be ple. You just need to be involved worthwhile in and of itself; plus, it in your church. It’s like imprinting will prepare them to lead a young- with ducklings—the first thing the ‘What do you married-couples small group duckling sees it will follow. Think or Sunday school class in your of it as low-impact discipleship. church. Or, have them help with think of the logistics or operational needs on campus. That will grow these 5. Church membership church members in their capacity allows you to cultivate personal and organiza- local church?’ to serve on the church’s budget committee. tional humility. If it weren’t for the resurrection As a PCW, you must make it your 4. Your involvement in a primary calling to live worthy of church will model Chris- 5 power of Christ subduing my the gospel, remembering that tian love and maturity to your identity is ultimately wrapped sarcastic tongue, I’m not sure those to whom you are up in Christ, not a particular min- what I would have said.” ministering in your para- istry or organization. When God church work. calls us to himself, he calls us into his family. Fight the temptation to 4Especially if you’re involved in an believe that you are different from evangelistic ministry in which new every other Christian. You need to converts are a large part, your be, and were always intended to participation in the church—or be, part of a local body. neglect of the church—will serve as a model to these young Chris- Because our parachurch min- tians. They are watching you. You istries are made up of people, there is the temptation to develop a subtle organizational pride. “We’re so great.” “We’re so right.” “We’re so accomplished.” 13 9Marks eJournal

By God’s grace, these are easy bubbles to burst. Just remind yourself: Jesus did not establish your parachurch One of my colleagues said he be- ministry on the pages of inspired Scripture. He did estab- lieves that people like us (PCW’s) lish the church. need the accountability of a church more than almost anyone, The constancy of a church’s fel- Furthermore, PCW’s would have no salary if it weren’t for since we often have great op- lowship might be God’s enabling the members of local churches who sacrificially give and portunities to influence. We need grace for you to minister long- support our work. Doctrinally, we stand on the shoulders the leaders and members of a term at your particular assignment of the church’s orthodox tradition and local expressions. congregation to provide formative or location. Furthermore, who will It’s a good thing for ministries to recognize their need to input and sometimes the gentle, you lean on should you need to partner with other organizations and churches if they are corrective word of a friend. leave your parachurch, or if your to faithfully carry out their mission. ministry hits some crisis? Who will 7. Church membership encourage you to persevere? offers continuity and stability for the Christian “Parachurch workers have 8. You can bless a small- life. opportunities to see what er congregation. Nothing stays the same, but I’ve others in a congregation cannot, 7 Smaller churches often do not noticed that parachurch ministry have access to lots of resources teams especially dwell in a state which means you can encourage or opportunities. Through your of flux. your church by helping them 8work in the parachurch minis- One of the benefits of being try, you might have developed to see what God is rooted in a church is that it offers operational skills, discipleship doing in other places.” you some measure of stability material, evangelism training, or and continuity in your friendships communication experience that and fellowship. Congregations your pastor would love to see experience moves and deaths, threaded into the congregation’s 6. Church membership offers accountability but they are far more stable than ministry. and a corrective to parachurch groupthink. a campus team and the constant Or you might have contacts turnover of students that takes People outside of a given group are often well equipped to and connections with believers place every four or five years. look inside a group and offer valuable insights that mem- overseas who could help coor- bers of the group themselves cannot see. They aren’t stuck dinate and foster a long-term 6to the same commitments or subject to groupthink. Thus, partnership. For instance, maybe your involvement in a local church body and its involve- your ministry has you regularly ment in your work might be one of the ways God speaks involved with work in India. It into your movement or ministry. could be that God uses this in- volvement to connect your church to that area of the world. 15 9Marks eJournal

9. You will cultivate love in its many forms I’m not advocating mercenary and expressions. membership. One of our leaders told me, “People give to people If you worked in campus ministry like me, you would be justified by the cause.” Joining tempted to believe that most people in the world are be- a church allows people to know Other than in missionary contexts tween the ages of 18 and 22, wear a backpack, and have you and trust you. And hopefully where no church exists (as in excessive amounts of piercings or tattoos. it helps make you trustworthy. In Acts 8), Scripture always places other words, Christians should the practice of the ordinances in 9If you work in humanitarian aid, you will constantly be be able to give their money to the setting of the local church. thinking about malnourished children, or maybe HIV people that they know and trust, The Lord’s Supper and baptism infected women. and your membership in a church should be practiced among a allows this to happen. community of believers who have Maybe you contribute to the Bible translation process and promised to keep one another ac- so you’ve prayed daily for years for a tribe tucked away in Honestly, this seems like the most countable through the formative a southeast Asian jungle. natural way to cultivate and raise discipline of the preached Word ongoing support. Of course it’s My point is not that you should stop trying to reach these and the corrective discipline of not the only way, but as you live specific groups of people. Rather, you must remember that rebuke and excommunication. out your faith locally, fellow mem- God has sovereignly placed you in a family with men and bers might be more inclined to In some ways this point is the cul- women from a broad cross-section of life (see the section partner with you in these ways. mination of other points above. We “Cross-centered implies cross-section” above) who may should share the bread and cup seem normal, but who are no less urgently in need of your of communion with those who are care and love. 11. You will experience the ordinances as Scrip- alike and different from us, those Consider the brother who just lost his job. Or the senior ture intends. whom God has brought together, woman who has followed Christ twice as long as you’ve so that we might corporately de- been alive and needs to talk about the sadness of outliv- Maybe sharing that communion clare his death until he comes ing all her friends. There might be someone who you think experience with your freshman again. Communion among affinity is rough around the edges. Loving these varied men and 11women Bible study felt like a groups can cloud the universal and women and children will move us beyond what we’re fa- bonding time for all of you. Maybe inclusive nature of the gospel. miliar or comfortable with. Loving these believers will help getting baptized in the Jordan Byron Straughn is a deacon at us to see what kind of selfless and impartial love God has River on your missions trip was a East Brandywine Baptist Church for all of his people. Such love will also be a beautiful testi- spiritual jolt. The problem is, Jesus (Downingtown, PA) and the mid- mony to the world and the angelic realm of God’s manifold gave the local church authority to Atlantic director of theological wisdom and immeasurable love. exercise the ordinances, not your Bible study or your missions team. development for Campus Crusade for Christ. 10. Church membership might even allow you to cultivate your support base. March/April 2011 10 © 9Marks Dear Campus Crusade Worker,

Thank you for all you do to share the gospel with staff and students on campuses around the world. I look forward to beholding all the fruit of your labors one day in glory.

To help you with your work, let me introduce you to the ministry of 9Marks. We exist to build healthy churches. We hope you will find our books and articles helpful for disci- pling your students in thinking about God’s plan for local churches. You might find our “Church Search” function use- ful for directing them to healthy churches. All this and more you’ll find at www.9Marks.org.

Praying for God’s richest blessings in your life and ministry,

Mark Dever

Web: Find more information about 9Marks at www.9Marks.org

Training: Want to learn more about the local church? Join us in Washing- ton, DC for a 9Marks Weekender. Go to www.9Marks.org/events.

Church Search: Need help finding good churches for your students? Check out the “Church Search” option at www.9Marks.org.

Information for Your Pastor: 9Marks provides free resources to help build healthy churches. Contact us at [email protected] or at (202) 543- 1224 if you would like a free pastor kit sent to your pastor.