It is not for the Church to define mission as it chooses. We believe that God in his word, the Bible, explains mission to us. We take the command of Jesus in the Great Commission to be instructional in this: “Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20).
First, mission is about making new disciples and the primary means of this is evangelism through the proclamation of the biblical gospel. This has at its very core the preaching of “Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23), that he died in our place upon the cross, taking on himself our sin and God’s just anger for it, and that in so doing he brings forgiveness and restores us to right relationship with God.
Second, mission is about the nurture of disciples and the primary means of this is teaching believers to obey the Lord’s word, through the whole range of our activities.
Our understanding of mission commits us to the following three tasks:
To reach out… we believe the good news of God's love, shown in the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, is for everyone. So we want those around us to hear and to know God's love in Jesus. So we are a church for those outside the church not just ourselves.
To build up… in our meetings we encourage one another to understand and live by the Bible so that we can be 'built up' as followers of Jesus Christ. So we commit ourselves to study and teach the Bible so that God's people are built up for their works of service in the power of the Holy Spirit. So we are a church that want to grow… not just in numbers but in love and knowledge and likeness of Jesus Christ - see Everyday Faith [PDF].
To send out… We aim to send out and support Christians both in Rothley, and in the world so that others may hear and know God's love in Jesus. So we seek to be a church with God's heart for the nations.
Mission Partners
At Rothley Parish Church we support a variety of organisations whose aim is to share the Gospel of Christ both abroad and in the UK. Some of these are evangelistic organisations and others are Christian charities working to show Christ’s love and care in practical ways. As a church we give 10% of our annual income to this work. Currently we support the following:
- Crosslinks
Our partners in the Czech Republic are Jirka and Keira who work with university students. Jirka writes Bible study guides in the Czech language and the couple lead studies, workshops and training events, as well as caring for their four children.
- CPAS (Church Pastoral Aid Society)
As well as its vital role in nominating clergy for some 500 parishes throughout the UK, CPAS provides training and support for clergy and runs a major programme of camps for children and young people.
- Tearfund
This well known Christian charity works mostly overseas to relieve poverty and suffering in Christ’s name.
- Diocese of Mount Kilimanjaro and Diocese of Kiteto, Tanzania
These African dioceses are linked with the Leicester Diocese.
- Triangle Centre and The Carpenter’s Arms
We support the work of these local ‘homeless’ charities based in Leicester and Loughborough respectively. The Carpenter’s Arms has a well established drug and alcohol rehabilitation programme.
Discretionary Gifts
In addition, we have a ‘discretionary gift’, a fund which allows us to contribute to particular needs. In 2022 this was divided between the following organisations:
- Mercy Air
An independent Christian-humanitarian aid aviation service operating in Southern Africa. Read about Paul & Cathy Middleton's work on their blog.
- Soar Valley Outreach
- Working together with our local Baptist Church to provide practical support for needy people in our community
- The Oakes Holiday Centre, Sheffield