It’s extremely encouraging to share what God has been telling you with someone you meet for the first time, only to have them say,”that’s what we’ve been hearing from Him as well!”
Nashville was our best meeting yet. No, I’m not just saying that. It really was the best. Not because there were a lot of people (there were five or six besides the four of us), and not because we did an especially good job of talking (we didn’t). No, it was great because the people in attendance were already doing some of the things we’re advocating.
Our hosts, FBC Smyrna, recently went on a vision trip to Madrid, and are planning a trip to Belgium in the Spring. Their approach is to have smaller teams designated to lead the church in missional engagement overseas. They have lots of experience in other parts of the world, so now they’re trying to think through what missions might look like for them in Europe. Please pray for them as they seek God on this. Also, please stop by and read Tim Patterson’s blog, Travel Light. It’s all about the Sending Church.
Matthew's Table
I’m so glad that Michael Carpenter came out to join us. We’ve been keeping up with him and his new church, Matthew’s Table, for a little while now, and we feel a natural connection with what he’s doing. He’s like us- setting out to do something different. Their church is literally weeks old, and they’re already working through what direct involvement overseas is going to look like for them. Mike challenged us to reconsider our use of the term “businessmen/women” when we talk about the promise of the Skybridge Community- what about cooks and laborers and librarians? he asked. Okay, so he didn’t specifically ask about librarians, but talking with Mike inspired us to think through all of the creative ways for believers to share life in Europe.
Meetings like these are the best because we don’t have to explain the need for missions or for relational ministry. With these guys, we just cut to the chase (“We want to help you do overseas what you’ve been doing here in the United States.”)
At this point in the game, we’re starting to get some good feedback as well. Some people come to our meetings not quite knowing what to expect. We’ve had some come without even knowing why- just because a friend invited them. Many people leave the meetings saying, “Man, you know who should have been here?”
So, I’d like to ask any of our alumni (anyone who’s actually attended one of our meetings) to write a quick comment about what About Europe is, and who should/should not go. That might help some people make up their minds about attending. It might also help us insure that we get more meetings like this one in Nashville. Thanks!
August 4, 2008 at 2:29 pm |
First of all I would like to thank you for the props – however overstated they are. I have spent the last week trying to process all that we discussed in Nashville and I have been chewing mostly on the idea of the intangible mission. We as a church are trying to be a tangible expression of the Kingdom, but we operate in intangibles such as building relationships, seeing everyday life as an expression of being sent by God into the nooks and crannies of this world, and forming a missional community. We own no property, we have no money, and while people are making the decision to follow Christ, it is not expressed in a “walk to isle and ask Jesus into your heart” kind of way.
This is what About Europe is, I feel, trying to flesh out in their cultural context – intangibles. The worldview discussion was on point. Anyone who is interested in culture and the ideas that influence it should hear this presentation. The postmodern mindset is not only alive and well in Europe, but in the states also. Unfortunately, many churches and especially churches in the south operate in a mode that pretends that postmodernism does not exist. Which brings me back to the idea of intangibles. I would think that most program-driven churches would have a hard time wrapping their minds around the concept of doing mission by setting up an incarnational presence in a community. In other words, they would want to hear about revivals, backyard Bible clubs, and how many times they could show the Jesus film, etc. Yet these same churches need to hear about this and not only how it fits in Europe, but also their own context. Therefore, any church leadership who is struggling to find ways of reaching the emerging generations should attend an About Europe meeting. I think that they will find that what the Upstream Collective is trying to do will help them in a local as well as global context.
I hope this helps. Peace be with you . . .
August 5, 2008 at 2:01 pm |
Hey Guys,
Great time talking and meeting each other the other day. I am so glad you guys made time to talk with us about Europe and what ministry might look like in the European context. The format was so conducive for conversation and relationship building. I hope that we are able to meet up again very soon.
Your ministry is valuable to the work being accomplished in Europe.