God's mission to the world is clear throughout the Bible. Israel's purpose was to be a light to the surrounding nations. Jonah's mission was to take God's message to another people group. When Jesus came to the earth he gave the general command to all those listening to go and make disciples of all nations.
Jesus set an example for mission work in his life, was the great commissioner of the first mission teams, and the inspiration to Paul, Peter and many others who took his words to be true for them too.
These people were the first carriers of the good news to many places in Asia, Africa and Europe. Churches were started, and new waves of missionaries went out, spreading the news of their new lives found in Christ.
Through the years as the Church became more formalised, early missionaries and their group of followers would approach the Pope to ask permission to create a new religious order. This was the way the gospel was spread in the Americas, Asia and the Far East during the Age of Discovery (15th - 17th centuries), through the Augustinians, Franciscans, Dominicans and Jesuits.
The late 17th century onwards saw many Protestant mission agencies forming, with efforts starting in the 20th century to work towards greater co-operation in mission among the different denominations.
As time goes by, mission work changes. In the recent past the development of technology has assisted in the spread of the good news in many varied mediums: from walking to flying; from radio to satellite TV; from newspapers to websites; from sketches to digital film.
As the pace of life has accelerated, options for mission equally diversify. However, as the world gets more advanced it also gets more complicated. The importance and necessity of mission remains the same, through history and into the future.
Click here for a timeline of the history of mission.