Prayer for Pioneering Ministry

We need disciples, we need churches that will dare to risk their very existence for the advancement of the Kingdom of God and the Good News of Jesus Christ. Join me in praying this prayer (Thanks to Brian Anderson for sharing it).

"Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly , to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask You to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love." Attributed to Sir Francis Drake 1577

Our moment in history

So what makes this current age so special within Church history? I ask this question, because many seem to indicate or outright say that we live in epochal times. Some believe that this age is unlike others before it in the history of the Church. While there may always be some truth to such a statement, I am reticent to make such a proclamation myself. Why? I think there is always a temptation to be somewhat self-aggrandizing when considering our place in history. This is particularly true if you happen to find yourself a participant in a new movement within the Church.

Currently, I am pastor of a new church plant utilizing a model of ministry that focuses on discipleship and the development of missional communities. A lot of the latest buzz words seem to pertain to our ministry—emerging (not so new), organic, missional. I'm sure I'm forgetting some, but they seem to be the biggies. Let me say, I am in love with this ministry that God has called me to. I am passionate about the vision and the importance of missional models of ministry to reach an increasingly secular society. This is change. Big change. NEEDED change within the Church. We have for too long sequestered ourselves behind the walls of buildings and legalistic, man-made categories of belonging. The Church needs to break free from its mausoleums of dead mortar and membership and engage a world in desperate need of the Gospel.

However, I do not believe this is THE moment in history. I do believe this is a moment in history and, more importantly, OUR moment in history. This is the moment, the time, the Kairos of the Kingdom that God has entrusted to us. Will we, the Church, be obedient and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us what God will? Will we take our part in God's ongoing revival, His ongoing plan of redemption, of death and rebirth? To paraphrase Jesus (always a dangerous thing, I know, but entertain me), "Do not worry about what they will think of us tomorrow. They'll have enough to think about." Instead, "Seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness." I'm pretty sure that last part is a direct quote.

Missional Communities

Threshold Church was planted in April 2009 with a missional model of ministry utilizing "clusters" or what we call "Call-outs". Call-outs are mid-sized missional communities whose purpose is focused outward. They are the front lines of evangelism in our church. Planting a church with this model was the result of much prayer and much preparation by the Holy Spirit, that paralleled a trip to St. Thomas Church in Sheffield, UK almost three years ago.

More and more people are realizing the value and necessity of this or a similar model of ministry. About a year ago, Geoff Surratt of Seacoast Church in South Carolina heard about missional communities while in Europe. Now, in a blog entitled "Why small groups don't work" you can read his thoughts on what I believe to be one of the key components to revival in the U. S.

Read Geoff's thoughts here: Why small groups don't work, part 5