Defined by mission or reduce the gospel...
I thought about something I had heard from a fellow salvation army colleague- "if no-one got saved through an community outreach activity at our corps (church) in a year - I'd close it!!"
Oh!
I had those words streaming through my mind as I watched our latest youth club in action - now into its second week. I had those words streaming through my mind as twelve or so new young people came up into our youth club. Twelve young people with various degrees of special needs and learning difficulties. I had those words streaming through my mind as I watched Jane with Cerebral Palsy; Tom and Richie with Downs syndrome and others with obvious difficulties. I had those words streaming through my mind as I watched the whole group engaging with all our facilities, playing PS2, Game - cube, pool, table-tennis - so happy to be there.
I looked into the eyes of Jane playing PS2 eye-toy's wishy washy as I dodged the flaying, thrashing arms and I saw joy and happiness etched into her face and I thought how could someone get the gospel so wrong!!? Or perhaps its me, somehow led off the straight and narrow, somehow lost focus, perhaps it me that has got it so wrong, perhaps it is me wasting time, perhaps it is me that missed something in the gospel?
Oh!
I had those words streaming through my mind as I watched our latest youth club in action - now into its second week. I had those words streaming through my mind as twelve or so new young people came up into our youth club. Twelve young people with various degrees of special needs and learning difficulties. I had those words streaming through my mind as I watched Jane with Cerebral Palsy; Tom and Richie with Downs syndrome and others with obvious difficulties. I had those words streaming through my mind as I watched the whole group engaging with all our facilities, playing PS2, Game - cube, pool, table-tennis - so happy to be there.
I looked into the eyes of Jane playing PS2 eye-toy's wishy washy as I dodged the flaying, thrashing arms and I saw joy and happiness etched into her face and I thought how could someone get the gospel so wrong!!? Or perhaps its me, somehow led off the straight and narrow, somehow lost focus, perhaps it me that has got it so wrong, perhaps it is me wasting time, perhaps it is me that missed something in the gospel?
"Either we are defined by mission, or we reduce the scope of the gospel and the mandate of the church."
Guder, D.L (ed) (1998) Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America
"our understanding of mission will only be as wide
as our understanding of salvation..."
as our understanding of salvation..."
Comments
But I have seen people begin to realise that God might have time for them...people moving from being passive receivers of ministry to equal partners (just had lunch with one, who came to my old church to be married and somehow never left...and is now steering that tiny congregation through an interregnum, leading worship and caring and loving so much)... people beginning to live more fully. When I'm not having a "lower than worms" day, I tend to believe that there's some value in this, even with nobody ever overtly claiming salvation.Who knows?
I'm speechless at the comment. Yes - I'm a YFC evangelist so of course I believe and know people need to come to Christ. I also have come to see, though, that God is a God of seasons. I have run projects where for years young people have just grown throughb being ccepted, loved and given responsibility.
Jesus himself dealt with pysical and emotional needs, he doesn't seem to demand, or even expect, them to follow him as a response - he leaves that to their decision.