There is an expectation that mission is “with” and not “for” others. There is an acknowledgement that tolerance is not a dirty word and we have to find a peaceable way to live in our intercultural world. It carries the Wesleyan impulse to change the world by working to build God’s kingdom in this world. It offers the grace and salvation of Christ to those in need, believing that none are free unless all are free. It means that we feed the hungry, educate to poor, and equip the powerless in tangible ways.
Leonard Sweet is the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Drew Theological School, Visiting Distinguished Professor at George Fox University, and a chief contributor to sermons.com. He is one of the most sought after interpreters of contemporary church life and culture and the author of more than one hundred articles, 600 published sermons, and thirty books including the Greatest Story Never Told: Revive Us Again and FaithQuakes from Abingdon Press.