This question, argue Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert, prompts a whole raft of further questions:

‘The question is deceptively complex and potentially divisive. For starters, what do we even mean by mission? And if that can be settled, we then face more difficult questions. Is the mission of the church discipleship or good deeds or both? Is the mission of the church the same as the mission of God? Is the mission of the church distinct from the responsibilities of individual Christians? Is the mission of the church a continuation of the mission of Jesus? If so, what was his mission anyway?

‘Related to these questions are others: What should be the church’s role in pursuing social justice? Are we right to even use that phrase, and what do we mean by it? Does God expect the church to change the world, to be about the work of transforming its social structures? What about the kingdom? How do we build the kingdom of God? Or are we even capable of building the kingdom? How does the kingdom relate to the gospel? How does the gospel relate to the whole story line of the Bible? And how does all of this relate to mission?’

One of the issues has to do with breadth.  For Stephen Neill, ‘If everything is mission, nothing is mission.’  Christopher Wright, on the other hand, says the opposite: ‘If everything is mission…everything is mission.’

The basic meaning of ‘mission’ implies two things: (a) being sent; (b) being given a task.  Christian mission, then, would refer to everything that God has sent the church into the world to accomplish.

Terms such as ‘mission’ and ‘missional’ are sometimes used too broadly or too loosely.  Good behaviours are sometime miscategorised:

‘For example, many good deeds are promoted under the term social justice, when we think “loving your neighbor” is often a better category.

Or, folks will talk about transforming the world, when we think “faithful presence” is a better way to describe what we are trying to do and actually can do in the world.

Or, sometimes well-meaning Christians talk about “building the kingdom” or “building for the kingdom,” when actually the verbs associated with the kingdom are almost always passive (enter, receive, inherit).  We’d do better to speak of living as citizens of the kingdom, rather than telling our people that they build the kingdom.’ (Reformatted)

Sometimes, the church is held responsible (for dealing with human trafficking, AIDS, public education, and so on) when it would be better so regard suitably gifted individual Christians, as called to help to tackle such problems.

There is a danger that in our passion to renew the city or ameliorate social problems we run the risk of marginalizing our primary mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

We do not want:

• • Christians to be indifferent toward the suffering around them and around the world

  • Christians to think evangelism is the only thing in life that really counts

  • Christians who risk their lives and sacrifice for the poor and disadvantaged to think their work is in any way suspect or is praiseworthy only if it results in conversions

  • Christians to retreat into holy huddles or be blissfully unconcerned to work hard and make an impact in whatever field or career to which the Lord calls them

  • Christians to stop dreaming of creative, courageous ways to love their neighbors and impact their cities

What we do want:

• • We want to make sure the gospel— the good news of Christ’s death for sin and subsequent resurrection— is of first importance in our churches.

  • We want Christians freed from false guilt— from thinking the church is either responsible for most problems in the world or responsible to fix these problems.

  • We want the crystal-clear and utterly unique task of the church— making disciples of Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father— put front and center, not lost in a flurry of commendable concerns.

  • We want Christians to understand the story line of the Bible and think more critically about specific texts within this story.

  • We want the church to remember that there is something worse than death and something better than human flourishing. If we hope only for renewed cities and restored bodies in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.

What Is the Mission of the Church? (Chapter 1). Crossway. Kindle Edition.