One of the most formative seasons of my life was the time I spent as part of a church in the Seattle area called newlife Church. Like every church, it wasn’t perfect. But there was something about it that marked me deeply—and I still think about it often.
It was the way the mission wasn’t just something written on a wall or tucked away on a website.
It was something we lived.
Their mission statement was simple, memorable, and it seemed to permeate everything we did:
“People becoming the Church, on the mission with Jesus, to help heal the world.”
Almost anyone who had been around for a little while could tell you what the mission was. And more than that—most people had found a place to serve, either in the church or out in the community. It wasn’t because anyone was pressured into it. It was because there was a sense of purpose in the air. You could feel it.
Even the smallest choices started to take on meaning.
People thought about which gathering they attended and where they sat—not out of preference, but out of mission. They’d intentionally leave space for someone new. They’d make room for families. They’d look for the person standing alone. It wasn’t performative. It was just normal.
Volunteers would attend one gathering and serve in another. People would invite a friend, coworker, or neighbor to come with them. And what stood out to me wasn’t that they had everything figured out—it was that they believed they were part of something bigger than themselves.
They didn’t see church as a place they went.
They saw it as a mission they belonged to.
It reminds me of the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:19–20:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus didn’t call His followers to attend something once a week. He called us to be His people—carrying His love, His truth, and His hope into the world around us. And the local church is one of the primary ways He does that. Not through a few professionals doing ministry for everyone else, but through ordinary people saying yes to what God is doing.
I believe God is calling Whitefish Assembly into a new kind of mission in this season—one that all of us can be a part of, and one that could truly impact our community and our world. The next season of our church could be marked by people rising up, taking their place, and living with purpose.
Because the truth is:
We are all called to a ministry in the Church and a mission in the world.
So here’s the question to reflect on today: What would change if I started seeing my faith as a mission—not just a routine? What if the way I show up, the way I serve, the way I invite others, and the way I make room… is part of how God wants to reach someone else?
Read Matthew 28:18–20 and ask God to prepare you for what He wants to do in and through your life. And as Vision Sunday approaches this year, let’s lean in with expectation. We’ll get the chance to share some very exciting things God is calling us to—and a compelling mission that every one of us has a part to play in.
Prayer:
“God, thank You for saving me and calling me into Your mission. Help me see that I have a part to play in what You’re doing through Your Church. Prepare my heart for the next season, and give me courage to step into it. Use my life to help others know You, and let Whitefish Assembly be a place where people become the Church, on mission with Jesus, to help heal the world.”
SOAP Scripture: Matthew 28
S: (scripture)
Read the above passage and underline, highlight, or write down passages that stand out to you. Maybe re-read it a few times if that’s helpful.
O: (observation)
Write down things you observe about the passage. Maybe it’s a word that stood out to you, something the passage made you think about, or a question that you have.
A: (application)
Write down some ways that the passage applies to your life. Make it personal.
P: (prayer)
Take a moment and pray. Ask God to make the passage practical to your everyday life.
