theology_of_mission.pdf

Mission • • • • • The mission starts with who God is and flows out of the nature of God's being. The mission of God is to bring healing and renewal to all of creation. The Bible is telling one overarching story about God and what he's up to in the world. The Bible is first and foremost a story abou...

Mission • • • • • The mission starts with who God is and flows out of the nature of God's being. The mission of God is to bring healing and renewal to all of creation. The Bible is telling one overarching story about God and what he's up to in the world. The Bible is first and foremost a story about the mission of God. The end of the story is the renewal of all things. Conclusion • • • The church needs to help people recapture the idea that the Bible is a story. The crisis of biblical authority and sexuality is ultimately a conversation about the Bible. The church needs to recapture the idea that the Bible is timeless truth. The Mission of God (10:08 - 20:05) • • • The end is not a bunch of souls in heaven singing Amazing Grace for millennia, but a city with walls and art and architecture and culture and humanity on earth. All sorts of things fall under the rubric of mission, not just evangelism, such as work, vocation, medicine, arts, science, technology, social justice, government, and creation care. The way God wants to bring healing and renewal to all creation is through a missionary people. Primary Ways to Participate in the Mission of God • • • Disciple-making or evangelism Work, as an act of worship and service to our fellow man Justice, as we join with God's heart for the poor and those in the margin of society The Missional Church • • Leslie Newbegin was the first to point out that the church must change how it does things in a post-Christian secular society or face decline. The danger is that church planters and healthy thriving churches can get a skewed perspective of what is happening in America. Introduction (20:09 - 30:07) • The speaker discusses the growth of church plants and the tendency to lose sight of the fact that most churches in the U.S. are not growing. Attractional vs. Missional Church • • • • An attractional church is Sunday-centric, personality-driven, and has consumer-oriented programming. A missional church recaptures the mission of God and seeks to bring about healing and renewal. A missional church defines church as a community, not an event. A missional church puts the church back in the hands of the people and seeks to equip and serve them. Changes to Move Towards a Missional Church • • • • • The speaker outlines four changes his church made to become more missional. The first change was to shift from attractional to missional. The second change was to put the church back in the hands of the people. The third change was to focus on discipleship, not just attendance. The fourth change was to prioritize the marginalized and vulnerable in their community. Conclusion • The speaker encourages church leaders to shift towards a missional approach and prioritize community and discipleship over Sunday-centric programming. Shifts in Church Model (30:11 - 40:10) • • • • The shift from attractional to missional church model** Expertise provided in classes on specific skills** Take gospel to the city instead of expecting city residents to come to church The shift from house churches to missional communities** Small groups and missional communities are not the same thing** Small groups focus on relationships and growth, while missional communities focus on participating in the mission of God The shift from church with communities to church of communities** Network of missional communities coming together as a tribe to worship Jesus The shift from multi-site church to family of churches** Churches are autonomous but have shared resources and work together for church planning Challenges • • • • The shift was difficult and discouraging Idealism clashed with those who preferred the status quo Pastors had a vested interest in the old way of doing things Humility was necessary to admit mistakes and learn from them Learning from Theory to Practice • • • Many books offer good theory, but lack practical application Churches must figure out how to change and implement new models The process will be hard, but necessary for growth and maturity Types of Remodels (40:12 - 45:29) • • Cosmetic remodel: involves only surface-level changes such as painting, installing new carpet, and replacing shrubs. Structural remodel: involves major changes to the foundational structure of the house, which can be expensive and time-consuming. American Church Remodel • • • • Emergent church conversation of the past decade has resulted in a cosmetic remodel of the American church. Cosmetic remodel involved changes in tone, style, music, and architecture to make the church more relevant and attractive to the younger generation. The church needs a structural remodel that goes beyond fashion and style to fundamentally change how the church is done. Pioneers are needed to explore and discover new ways of being and doing church in the Western context. The Call for Pioneers • • • • Pioneers are needed to blaze a trail and start something new, which settlers can later build upon. The call is for pioneers who are willing to sacrifice and have the courage to do what's next. Churches that want to be future churches cannot just manage to climb but must be willing to take risks and make sacrifices. Good status quo churches are needed, but the church also needs future churches. Personal Challenge • • • • The speaker challenges himself and the audience to not just settle for the status quo in their churches. The call is to have the courage to do what's next and be pioneers in discovering new ways of being and doing church. Blazing a trail may not be sophisticated or cultured, but it takes courage and sacrifice. The goal is to set the stage for future generations to build upon and continue the work.