Ordinary, but extraordinary

This Easter season, we find ourselves returning to a simple truth that has shaped Friends Network from the very beginning: God uses ordinary people to do his most important work. The first missionaries of the risen Christ were fishermen and farmers, tax collectors and tentmakers — ordinary people entrusted with the most extraordinary message the world has ever heard.

That's why we're so excited to announce our new tagline at Friends Network: Ordinary people. Extraordinary mission. We think it beautifully represents the heart of the work that our missionaries have been carrying out for the past twenty-five years.

A Biblical model

Consider the people Jesus sent. The seventy-two disciples dispatched two by two into towns ahead of him — not seminary graduates, not ordained clergy, just faithful disciples who were willing to go. Mary Magdalene, chosen as the first herald of the resurrection. The demon-possessed man, freed and immediately commissioned: "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you." The Samaritan woman who left her water jar behind and ran to tell an entire village. The shepherds, mere farmers, who became the first evangelists on Christmas morning.

God has always had a habit of choosing ordinary people and entrusting them with extraordinary news to share.

None of them had credentials. All of them had a message. And that message changed everything.

Twenty-five years of ordinary people

Since 2000, Friends Network has trained and sent more than 360 people from within our congregations — accountants, teachers, farmers, retirees, young adults — and many of them are serving still. They believe the gospel is worth sharing, and they go where God calls them.

Every one of those 360 missionaries was and is an ordinary person. They build real relationships in their communities and share Christ naturally and intentionally. This is the work that has always defined the church.

Why "ordinary" is the right word

We use the word “ordinary” to name something beautiful. Ordinary means normal and accessible. It means that the person sitting next to you in the pew could be a missionary. It means the mission field isn't only for the specially gifted or the formally trained. It means God's reach is not limited by our résumés.

The "extraordinary" part? That's what they carry. The gospel itself is the extraordinary thing — and ordinary people have always been its most faithful carriers.

A tagline for the next chapter

As we step into this next season of ministry, we're using a phrase that tells the truth about who we are. Ordinary people. Extraordinary mission. It captures our theology, our method, and our hope. It honors the 360 faithful people who have gone before us. And it's an open invitation to everyone who might be wondering whether God could possibly use someone like them.

He always has, and he always will. Join us.