Mission is about our Heavenly Father’s dream. Humanity’s first ancestors chose to turn away from the Heavenly Father who created them. Yet, the Heavenly Father has never ceased from His work, longing for humankind to return to Him. From calling Abraham to later Israel, and ultimately to sending His Son Jesus to take on flesh, all of this was for the redemption of humanity trapped in sin.

       When Jesus faced the questioning of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, He used a parable to reveal the Heavenly Father’s feelings and heart toward the son returning home: the father was “filled with compassion.” In Greek, the phrase “filled with compassion” conveys the meaning of someone being so deeply moved upon seeing a situation that they cannot help but act to change it. It implies that when the father saw the condition of his son, he was filled with grief and anguish, so much so that he had to do something to help and transform his son before him. Thus, without hesitation, the father restored him to the identity of a son. Jesus tells us that this is how our Heavenly Father loves us, yearning for us to return home. His choice to draw near to tax collectors and sinners was to fulfill the Heavenly Father’s deep longing for sinners to come home (Luke 15:1–2, 11–20).

        In this light, mission springs from the Heavenly Father’s dream and longing for the world. It is the work He has never ceased since the fall of humanity. Moreover, He invites us – those who have already received the grace of the gospel – to work with Him to fulfill His dream. Some feel the call to seriously consider going far away to bear witness for Him. Yet in truth, every Christian has been invited into mission, to participate in fulfilling the Heavenly Father’s dream. Whether or not we notice this invitation, and whether or not we are willing to respond to it, prayer is the key. Prayer awakens us more deeply to our relationship with our Heavenly Father. It is not only a way for us to express ourselves to Him, but also an opportunity for the Heavenly Father to reveal Himself more fully to us – His longings, His dreams, His plans – so that we may know Him more deeply.

         This year’s Mission Conference, as in previous years, includes a series of events such as prayer meetings, revival meetings, and seminars, which enable us to care about and respond to our Heavenly Father’s heart for global mission. Yet, what must not be overlooked is the posture with which we participate: we are to come with prayerful, open hearts before our Heavenly Father, asking for His grace and expecting that He will reveal His will to us individually and to the NPAC family. Throughout the process, we must stay attentive to the stirrings that may arise within us at any moment, and to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, reflecting on what these mean for us personally, or how our Heavenly Father desires us to respond to Him. We may then pay attention to our own feelings toward this invitation, whether joyful acceptance or hesitant resistance. We may honestly express these to our Heavenly Father and ask Him to continue to help us and guide us.

         May our Heavenly Father bestow His grace upon the NPAC family in this year’s Mission Conference so that we may more deeply grasp His heart of love for people, discern His ongoing work of redemption, and become a church that fulfills our Heavenly Father’s dream even more.