We just finished a meeting at the Williamson Baptist Association. This was one of those groups that is already doing what we’re talking about. A couple years ago, they stopped all of their programs (those things they were doing on the churches’ behalf) and positioned themselves in a striclty support/service role. Want the Association to promote your Men’s Ministry? They don’t do that. Looking for someone to coordinate your mission trip? Don’t call WBA. They scaled everything back to support through training, networking, and helping church plants find money.
So they understand our desire to move the para-church structure out from between the church and her mission. This group of church planters and pastors would be an ideal network of sending churches. They can work together to seek God’s direction and develop a missions strategy that allows them to use their gifts, strengths, and interests.
Ministry experience in Europe is pretty valuable for an American church. The European socio-cultural context is a window into the coming/emerging (in many ways already here!) American worldview. Missional churches are uniquely suited for service in Europe. We can’t wait to see how God is going to use those who are willing to step out in obedience to God (and defiance of the legacy system) and lead the way for engagment at home and abroad.
