Lately I have been thinking about ministry and a new way of getting people into full time ministry. Full time ministry use to be going to seminary and getting a Masters of Divinity degree and then finding a church to preach, baptize, bury, and marry. Now people who aren't professionally trained in anything but in compassion begin missions that bring focus to needs in some of the third world countries. Invisible Children, Village Schools, LifeWaters, and others that are clear examples of people with a heart and understanding of needs doing Kingdom Work without a denomination backing. Yes there are many in denoms who set up mission agencies throughout the world, but I see a group of people who are not waiting for the Institution to begin something they just do it. And the backing comes with the rock band entrepreneurial understanding of what will attract the attention and hearts of this generation.
I have been encouraging college students to reinvent some of the mission thinking that goes to third world countries and set up missions of aide and gospel. Can we start developing and ordaining people to begin doing that in the USofA in third world communities? I use this term not as a pejorative term but more as a description of need and possibilities. I think about some of the communities just in the San Joaquin Valley where the poverty level, single mothers rate, drug and alcohol problems are staggering. Communities that get hit hard when the weather causes devastation and it takes acts of Congress to relieve the problem but never affect change in the hearts and lives of those who's lives are precariously teetering on the kindness of others. Once the devastation is no longer titillating enough for media consumption the film and talking head crews pack up along with the hearts, pocketbooks, and attention of the viewing public. Leaving behind a worse poverty than before the devastation.
My son, Simon tells me of his trip to the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans and how still many homes and businesses are without any greatly needed repairs and the deepening of despair is taking the place of help that isn't coming as much when it was the thing to do with a youth group. Those who come down to spend a week or so are greeted with a heartfelt thanks and love for remembering them.
What if we start ordaining community organizers, social workers, water engineers, solar engineers, nurses, school teachers, and other disciples who are professionals that are needed to change the course of a community to accept their Call into third world communities as well as third world countries. What if the Church and not the government started programs to turn around hearts, souls and minds to health and contribution to the community. We need to begin to look at the church budget of finances and time to see what we value and most of it is oiling a system instead of creating opportunities of releasing people to mission.
8 comments:
I just thought to myself, Tony, on the third reading of this that perhaps the church budgets are fine, but we need to give more. The average Presbyterian gives 1-3% of their income to the church. Perhaps that is enough to keep the system that provides for the spiritual needs for their families. Perhaps we should become inspired to give beyond that another 2%, 7%, 10%, 20% to meeting these needs of the world around us.
I like this. Alot.
Yay for Simon and his crew....
Bill, I don't agree. You are saying it is fine because at this point what the church is for is meeting the "spiritual" needs of their families. Anything in addition is for others. Maybe I was thinking about the Rotary Club instead of the Body of Christ...
we talk about this a lot in our student ministry meetings... not necessarily the budget, but how to expose the need and then expand the love of Christ to the poor... making snack shop profit not go to the jr. high group, but to the poor. spending time equipping students to use their gifts and talents for the sake of the world and "remembering the poor" rather than feeding them programs. i'll be honest - it's not easy, nor would i say it's even happening right now. but we dream... and pursue...
"You are saying it is fine because at this point what the church is for is meeting the "spiritual" needs of their families"
I am saying that what the church is accomplishing is meeting the spiritual needs of the families.
I would be happy, though, to discuss a missional ecclesiology. I don't believe any ecclesiology, missional or otherwise, would willfully exclude the role of the body of Christ in raising children to become disciples, and providing for community fellowship and worship. My own missional ecclesiology adds and emphasized other things, but it does not eliminate these aspects of the gathered people of God.
so i'm sitting here in tanzania - about to board the plane to return to the States after a 5 month adventure... and i'm thinking/praying of ways my home church can be motivated to see beyond their perspective of church happening inside the building. may my adventure in africa extend beyond this 5 months - into my church in jasper, ga. and i'll keep reading your beloved blog to capture ways to make Christ known in the States - but outside the walls of my church!
tanya,
I will be praying for you and your time at home. I pray the culture shock won't tick you off too much and your heart will open to them through some stories of dear people and their story that will weave their fabric into the fabric of your church body. They will begin to see their fabric that has been woven into your life and heart. Blessing and I am honored that you would still be a part of this blog.
I like what you write here, Tony. I feel the lure of going overseas, and in some cases, there is a lot more NEED in Haiti and many other places, but the humans here, they need love, and service, and the hope Jesus brings just as much.
You are talking about what I am hoping to do someday.
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