My definition of Missions

I have recently decided to change my use of the word missions and missionaries. My use will be something like this:

Missions is the work of building local Churches throughout the world. Missionaries are those who are sent out to participate in this work.

I'll probably continue to be inconsistent in my use, but if it was up to me, that's how I'd define missions. Here are a few reasons for my change:

1. I think we should keep the word, despite the confusion over its meaning
It's such a common word that I think we should keep it. On the other side, it's such a confused term, that I think we should redefine it.

People will say things like "every Christian is a missionary" and "she's doing missions work building wells" and "he's not really a missionary, he's only there for six months". That's annoying. Let's just redefine it.

2. I think we should link the word, missions, with the Great Commission. This demands the inclusion of the local Church in a useful definition.
If you get the Great Commission from Matthew 28, then you've got to include "baptizing" and "teaching all that I have commanded you" into that definition. I've worked for a parachurch organization. They don't intent to teach all that Christ commanded. That's fine, just don't call yourself missionaries.

If you get the Great Commission from Acts, then it's even more clear - being Christ's witnesses means participating in the expansion of local Churches*.

3. The term, Church planter, doesn't quite capture the concept I'm trying to suggest.
The term Church planter is being used quite regularly nowadays. People tend to understand it. That's not what I mean when I say missionary. A missionary could be an evangelist, a Bible translator, a children's worker, an itinerant preacher, an interim pastor, or someone sent to bring reform to existing Churches, as long as it advances the expansion of local Churches. Church planter seems to mean people who go and set up new Churches, either to stay there and be the Pastor or move on.

4. It's convenient.
Nowadays, the word, mission, is a synonym for purpose or goal. If that's the case, we might as well say:

The Church has a mission. We call the work of fulfilling that mission, missions. We call the people who are sent out to participate in that work, missionaries.

5. Other uses of the word are captured in other terms or are useless
Some people mean evangelists when they say missionaries. There is already a word for that: evangelists.

Some people mean frontier missions when they say missions. There is already a term for that: frontier missions.

Some people mean cross-cultural ministry when they say missions. You get the idea.

Some people mean "anytime you need to consider any difference in language, cultural norms, or presuppositions when sharing the Gospel". In my opinion, that's a useless definition.

I'm not zealous about spreading my definition, it's just more meaningful and helpful to me than competing definitions.

*See my first blog post for an explanation of my approach to the Book of Acts.