Outreach
An Outward Focus
God calls us, as his people, to be the light of the world. In a world that is often dark, we are to shine the light of God in a way that is visible to other people. Any ministry without an outward focus is dying.
What does an outward focus look like? It looks like opening our eyes to the world around us and allowing our hearts to break over what breaks the heart of God. It looks like wading into relationships and seeing the opportunities we have to serve others. It looks like experiencing the blessings of God’s Kingdom and inviting others to experience that as well.
How do others perceive Christians?
How are we perceived from the outside? How would we like others to perceive us? How do those perspectives affect our testimony? What can we do about it? Food for thought from New York Times columnist Nikolas Kristoff.
A prayer for mission
The Rev. Jonathan Hunnicutt, of The Table Church, sent me this prayer recently and I thought I would share it with you. It is a prayer for mission from Morning Prayer Rite II. 1979 Book of Common Prayer, page 101: Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love...
The hands of a church planter
I recently returned from what is fast becoming my annual trip to Honduras. For anyone in the church planting field, Honduras is a fascinating study of rapid multiplication without much by way of resourcing. One of the church planters I met on this trip is Gerardo,...
What every neighborhood ought to have
Today’s blog entry is from Janet Logan, who blogs regularly on children and spirituality at childcenteredspirituality.com. “My name is Drew and I am 15 years old. I was in Confident Kids from 4th-6th grade and I loved it. I was able to get my problems out and talk...
Discipleship and the story of Andrew
I like the story of Andrew: Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he...
Engaging with those who don’t know Jesus… no exemption for pastors
All believers, regardless of giftedness or abilities, are called to engage culture. This journey is for everyone. Even high-level leaders focusing on developing leaders or multiplying movements can never leave this first journey behind. I call it "The Missional...
The impact of compassion
My friend Mark Fields went overseas with The Vineyard Missions to The Philippines. While he was there, he had the opportunity to go visit a marginalized people group who were Muslim in background and not recognized by the government. Because they don’t have birth...
What do you say when you dedicate a baby?
What do you say when you dedicate a baby? Or baptize one, depending on your tradition? What might God be trying to say through that ceremony? What passages of scripture might be appropriate to share? I was asked to do a baby dedication recently and was thinking...
Knowing the city… and its workers
Government workers know their city better than most pastors do. People move into community positions because they want to help their neighborhoods. There are often a lot of difficulties, but there are also opportunities for positive contribution. So if you are a...
Opportunity or obstacle?
Sometimes we take a look at a particular neighborhood or subculture and we think it’s really bad… and it may be. But how might God want to redeem or use that area? How can we take the energy we feel and use it constructively? God may very well be at work there. Let’s...