On MissionSample

The first missionaries were ‘On Mission’ to spread the good news of Jesus to all nations. After Jesus died and rose again, He spent time with the disciples. Then, before He ascended to heaven, He gave them a mission – to tell others about Him. Later when the disciples and believers were gathered, the Holy Spirit came upon them, empowering them for the mission. From there the good news about Jesus began to spread all over the world.

The church grew and grew but people in some cities didn’t think it was good news. Some Christians were in danger and had to move even further away. They didn’t give up telling people about Jesus, so the good news spread even further. Some Christians went to the region of Phoenicia and to the island country of Cyprus. Others went to Antioch in Syria. The Church was spreading beyond Jewish people, into other cultures. The Church at Jerusalem heard about this and sent an Apostle to Antioch named Barnabas.

Barnabas and Paul stayed in Antioch for a whole year. They taught the people, and God blessed the Church there. At this time the Holy Spirit told Barnabas and Paul to go off on a mission trip, starting an idea that continues until today where Christians visit another culture to spread the Gospel.