Embodying Mission in our Communities
Every night before bed, my daughters and I read from their children’s Bible. We end the evening with conversation about the passages that we read and with prayer. Last night, as I kissed them and tucked them in, my oldest looked up at me with a puzzled look on her face and said, “Daddy, most of my friends at school are not part of a church.â€
Her words were not spoken out of judgment or even disappointment. Rather they were spoken in disbelief that so many of her fellow classmates do not follow Jesus. I encouraged her to embody our nightly prayer that God would empower her and her sister to serve as voices of hope in their school.
My daughter’s comment is heavy on my heart. I am thankful to God that my own children have been awakened to the great need of others around them. They are followers of Jesus Christ, and they instinctively desire for their friends and acquaintances to know and follow Jesus as well.
But I am burdened this morning by the desperate needs of persons around us. It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will inspire and unleash followers of Christ to rewin the West for Jesus. Revivals burn across the southern hemisphere. May we catch the missional fire that is driving the Christ-following movement forward in places such as Cuba, South America, and sub-Sahara Africa.
In my head the following statements are resonating:
Mission is the reason that the Church exists. This is the first of our core values at Awaken Orlando.
Or as Bill Hybels would say, “The local church is the hope of the world.â€
Sign me up. I believe this with my whole being. I want to participate whole heartedly in God’s mission. I want to empower and unleash Christ followers to impact the world. I want my daughters to grow up and be part of missional communities. I want to invest my time, energy, and resources in reaching the world for Jesus Christ. I want unleash current and future church leaders to transform maintenance/decline congregations into vibrant missional Kingdom outposts and to launch new communities of faith.
What does a missional community look like? Here are some thoughts written for persons looking to transition churches toward becoming biblical in their missional focus (these are in no particular order):
Missional communities stop worrying about being influenced by the world and instead dream about ways to influence the world.
Missional communities focus on the needs of the world rather than on the likes/dislikes of insiders.
Missional communities speak human rather than communicate in shibboleths and other insider jargon.
Missional communities unleash all of God’s people to deploy their gifts, talents, and passions for God mission.
Missional communities are communities of transformation. God is in the business of transforming lives and igniting persons to live the lives of God’s dreams.
Missional communities stop worrying about the transitions in their neighborhoods and instead give thanks for all of the new people that God is sending their way.
Missional communities are more concerned with their current irrelevancy than with the risks involved with interacting directly with contemporary culture.
Missional communities are led by the Spirit to create culture rather than to stagnate in some past (real or imagined) or to capitulate to the world’s culture.
Missional communities are less safe havens from the world and more staging areas for launching world changing initiatives.
What other thoughts would you add?
© 2007 Brian D. Russell
[...] encourage everyone to take a look at Brian Russell’s latest post - it is very thought provoking. Missional communities focus on the needs of the world rather than [...]