There is a Balm in Gilead: A Missional Strategy for Churches in the 21st Century

By amazon Tuesday, February 11, 2020 Comment Edit

What is the church to do in such a tumultuous climate of rapid change?

We’re living in a time of unprecedented change—secularism, science, technology, communications, migration, generational differences, political pendulum swings, and more.

Within this tornadic environment, the church has, in many cases, been somewhat dazed as to how to reach those far from God in this ever-changing culture. Some are anchoring themselves in their shelters—like ostriches with their heads in the sand—hoping that this too shall pass. Others have been vehemently upset, fighting to “reclaim” some kind of moral or religious ground they feel they have lost, or that’s been stolen from them.

What is the church to do in such a tumultuous climate of rapid change? I think putting our heads in the sand or fighting back to reclaim lost ground is much like Peter taking his eyes off Jesus while walking on the water.

Remember what happened to him when this happened? Yep, he sunk.

If the church doesn’t want to sink—purposely speaking—then the church will have to put its eyes on Jesus and look full into his wonderful face. When the church does that, she will see and thus recover mission as the center of its existence and action.

Pain as a Key to Unlocking the Missional Code

Mission towards a lost, dark, and dying world can be somewhat tricky—especially in post-Christian world. I believe contemporary churches and leaders focused on Christ and thus his mission are having somewhat of a difficult time cracking the missional code.

In other words, in previous generations there was always some kind of missional code the church cracked that led to outreach, evangelism, and church growth. And let me just say, that for the most part, fancying up church and installing bells and ...