Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Where Do You Start?
Because of the ministries in which NorthWood is involved, I often have the privilege of interacting with pastors, missiologists, agencies, and other practitioners where we discuss missional and engagement and what that looks like.
It has become apparent to me, over time, the difference in the approach I was traditionally tied to and the one by which I now live. The more traditional approach is to start with the preacher-missionary-denomination-religious-whatever and then focus on planting the church and get some converts and one day, when you have time, engage the society, because, after all, why send a man to hell with his stomach full--so focus on the sinners prayer.
That’s really not how I approach it. First, I start with the seed of the Gospel and how it is being lived in my life. Second, through relationships, I plant the seed by starting first with society--the ills and issues and challenges and opportunities that are there. Third, from the Gospel to the Society, individual conversions take place and, finally, the church emerges. Now, you have a church that isn’t born to do evangelism and transformation, but it’s born out of evangelism and transformation--a new DNA--an Acts 11 DNA.
It has become apparent to me, over time, the difference in the approach I was traditionally tied to and the one by which I now live. The more traditional approach is to start with the preacher-missionary-denomination-religious-whatever and then focus on planting the church and get some converts and one day, when you have time, engage the society, because, after all, why send a man to hell with his stomach full--so focus on the sinners prayer.
That’s really not how I approach it. First, I start with the seed of the Gospel and how it is being lived in my life. Second, through relationships, I plant the seed by starting first with society--the ills and issues and challenges and opportunities that are there. Third, from the Gospel to the Society, individual conversions take place and, finally, the church emerges. Now, you have a church that isn’t born to do evangelism and transformation, but it’s born out of evangelism and transformation--a new DNA--an Acts 11 DNA.
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