What is mission?

I’m currently engaged in an interesting discussionette with Anne Tomlinson and AKMA over on Anne’s ministry development blog.

I’ve just said this:

…when we try to think about mission in Scotland we try to think about doing something with those who already come to church, who are generally baptised, who are generally communicants. We try to say, oh, if only they were deeper Christians, better educated Christians, more confident Christians etc then they would be able to proclaim their faith in the world and others would believe and churches would grow. Hurrah! We must put on some courses.

I think that’s too easy. Its far easier to put on wee courses for Christians than it is to do something to reach those who are outside the obvious boundaries of faith, probably in these post-Christendom times unbaptised and who would be surprised to think they had an itch that faith could scratch. Its those people that I’m interested in and those people whom we need to listen to and be thinking about.

That’s not to say, of course, that we don’t need to offer wonderful things to help Christians to grow in faith, depth and confidence. Of course not. Its just that that is discipleship. Its not mission.

I’d be interested to know what other people think of that. But answers on Anne’s blog are probably more appropriate than here so that conversation keeps its structure.