local mission
 |
Posted on May 15, 2012, 8:00 am
Topics: Missional Church
How can we be good neighbors to the Muslims who live next door? Should we be afraid of Islam? Do Muslims worship the same God we do? How can I share my faith with my Muslim co-worker? These are the kinds of questions a lot of us in North America are asking. We hear a lot of different answers and we often don’t know whose opinions to trust.
Read more » |
 |
Posted on March 22, 2012, 1:10 pm | 1 comment
Topics: Mission and Vision
It's not easy to take a picture of a classis. Both Rev. Devries and Rev. Boot spoke about how this project is helping both denominations move closer together, and this I celebrate. But I think it's also important to see how in many ways classis is a better initial level in which to pursue practical collaboration and unity.
Read more » |
 |
Posted on February 24, 2012, 1:54 pm | 1 comment
Topics: Classis Health and Renewal
Feeling like denominations are a waste of time? I'd argue that it's tough for a Christian to "think global, act local" without a glocal ecclesiastical space, and your classis or a cluster within it might be the perfect place to start.
Read more » |
 |
Posted on October 24, 2011, 4:38 pm | 1 comment
Topics: Getting Started
On 27 July, 2011 the Church lost one of its greatest leaders, Rev. John Stott. He contributed so much in so many areas that it is hard to overstate his significance. He was called "a Renaissance man with a Reformation theology." Indeed. He made a number of important contributions in the area of mission that deserve
Read more » |
 |
Posted on October 6, 2011, 11:31 am | 4 comments
Topics: Missional Church
For the last few years the word "missional" has been used and abused a great deal. For some it seems that the focus on being missional in the local setting pulls away from international missions, which seems to be part of a traditional church model. Is supporting an intermational missionary with prayer, care and financial gifts just a cop-out, a way of saying you are about extending the Gospel without really investing yourself?
Read more » |
 |
Posted on April 4, 2011, 11:41 am | 1 comment
Topics: Church Planting
I'm on a college tour with my daughter this week. One of the other dads grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, which has since become the center of Arab-American settlement in the United States. He said that he's had many conversations with people who lamented the arrival of this community in their area. His response was
Read more » |
 |
Posted on December 16, 2010, 4:33 pm
Topics: Church Planting
Prayer is the foundation for mission, whether that activity happens across the street or around the world. This January Christian Reformed congregations are being called to a 28 day prayer vigil by Home Missions and World Missions with a focus on the workers and the work of evangelism. This campaign has occured in January for a number of years in various formats. This year it features
Read more » |
|
|
Posted on November 9, 2010, 8:56 am | 50 comments
Topics: Getting Started
One of the privileges I have is being part of mission emphasis celebrations at churches all over the denomination. Usually, I am the preacher of the day. Very often the pastor or a missions committee member says something like, "We are all missionaries and our mission field is right out that door." I must confess some mixed feelings about that...
Read more » |
 |
Posted on May 1, 2010, 9:16 am | 1 comment
Topics: Church Planting
Different cultures, generations, personalities and contextualized needs in a world of growing diversity call us away from prescribing models and toward the naming of underlying principles which describe how the mission of Jesus Christ can be advanced. Of course, models will emerge from various settings ...
Read more » |
|
|
Posted on April 6, 2010, 4:41 am
Topics: Getting Started
A popular book on church development uses sticky church as its title. The book is largely focused on practices and programs that make suburban and sub-rural attractional style churches grow more quickly and retain more members. While I reject some of the constructs here are some principles I think carry into all ministries, if you don’t mind “sticking” around to consider them!
Read more » |
|
|
Posted on March 19, 2010, 5:04 pm | 3 comments
Topics: Getting Started
North America has gone to the world in Mission and the world has come to North America. Call it globalization if you like. The reality is that with decreasing spiritual zeal, evangelistic fervor and shrinking congregations, North America has become one of the largest mission fields on the planet.
Read more » |
|
|
Posted on March 12, 2010, 4:50 pm | 3 comments
Topics: Getting Started
I had the privilege of attending a traditional Christian Reformed Church in my youth. Some of my earliest memories of our time as a family at church were the special missionary Sundays.
Read more » |
|
|
Posted on February 26, 2010, 10:10 am | 1 comment
Topics: Getting Started
The appearance of this site created some interesting conversation (here and here) about the relation of global and local mission. The terms themselves are often not used in the same way. Some use global as a synonym for international. Others understand it as a term that embraces both international and domestic. This site was developed with the first understanding, but change is coming.
Read more » |
|
|
Posted on February 10, 2010, 1:53 pm | 7 comments
Topics: Getting Started
You may have noticed an exchange in the "How is it?" suggestions section about the absence of local mission from this site. If not, I hope you take a look and offer your thoughts. At the risk of oversimplification I'll venture a few thoughts on the relation of local and global mission as a former pastor and a former missionary...
Read more » |
 |
Posted on January 26, 2010, 1:22 pm | 2 comments
Topics: Community, Congregation
A mission-focused church is always looking for ways to reach beyond its own needs and spread the Good News wherever God gives the opportunity. Mission-focused ministry flourishes in a church culture that says, “We are here to serve.” That sounds simple, but it becomes more complex in situations where the needs of the church conflict with the needs of those outside your church.
Read more » |
