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Andrew Bell interviewed on Common Mission misconceptions

So Andrew, what do you think is the most serious mission misconception?
As people we all face similar problems. One of the major misconceptions is that we all face the problems in the same way. In Mission we still can tend to lean towards the colonialist side of things where we might go to a poorer place and try to change and fix everything, when we haven’t actually stopped to engage with the people. So I would say that one of the most common mission misconception happens when we turn mission into a set of objectives, rather than it being about people.

Ok so when is a mission trip not a mission trip?
There is a famous concept in Missiology (the science of mission) that "if everything is mission then doing nothing is mission". So we really need to be specific about what actually is mission. The simple answer would be Mission is all about giving, tourism is all about taking. It’s not mission when we: gatecrash the party; when we prioritise our needs over the recipients; when it becomes more about the project than the people, etc. Things like that rob the point of mission. We can start to view the people as objects to conquest our plans over them rather than see them as real human beings. If you go to a country on a trip for two weeks and return no more knowledgeable about the people then you have missed the main point of mission.

What, then, does good mission look like?
Good mission has its starting point in understanding that we are all equals in the sight of God. Another definition of mission is that it’s just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. So the best word in order to understand mission is friendship because we all know the wonderfulness of friendship. Good mission looks simply like someone filling a real need with a relationship with the people at the heart of it all.

But do I need to preach the gospel on a mission trip?
The old quote "Preach the gospel at all times - and use words when necessary" says a lot about mission, but I believe that it needs to be said as well. I think the essential core of mission is proclaiming the love of Jesus in words to accompany our actions. There are many people doing good deeds but the thing that makes it mission is that we’re carrying the love of Christ. Andrew Bell continues to inspire and challenge us all in his role as Global Mission Enabler for the National Church. St Andrews Otahuhu is also inspired and continuously challenged to grow with Andrew also based there as the minister.