A movement, not one congregation. In Dec 1999 we caught the vision for catalyzing a church planting movement as a way to reduce “lostness” in the world. Admittedly, we saw only a glimpse of this preferred future. Maybe our “lenses were steamy” or maybe God, in his infinite knowledge, showed us only what our eyes could handle at the time. We thought God wanted us to start a single church with a “Come To” environment. Later, when our minds were ready, he revealed he is calling our families to facilitate a movement of reproducing churches with a “Go To” environment.
One foundation, multiple models. For a long while I thought the important part of the vision was the model of church (house church vs store front vs mega church, etc). God has since redirected my attention to the foundation of church (Jesus Christ and his way of life) regardless of the various models that will inevitably emerge as new groups of believers are living an obedient life and learning to put church together in their respective cultures.
Called to a way of life more than a city. I used to talk a lot more about Los Angeles being a strategic location (“Los Angeles is an urban missions laboratory for the 21st century!”), almost as if LA was the only place to be. I still love LA and think it is important to prayerfully choose where we will live intentionally for Christ. God’s people ought to run into places of darkness and poverty, to be light in them, not avoid them. Yet today I’m convinced almost any place can become a “strategic location” if Jesus’ followers are committed to living strategically for Jesus in the places he has put them. God’s mission is much bigger than Los Angeles or any one city. For now, we are here, but I could see us living this way of life in other places, too.
I’m thankful God clarified the vision before we started this missionary effort in E-Ho. The truth is, he had more things to clarify after we got here, and I’m positive he will have more things to show us and teach us, too, as our hearts are ready for it. I pray I will be open to seeing whatever he wants me to see.
Other things God did before he let us begin this mission: 1 and 2.
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This morning I dropped my sons off at their primary center and saw a body wrapped in a U.S. flag in the alley next to the school – the path my family often takes to walk to/from school. Police were already there and have been there all day. A woman in her mid-30s. Investigators are treating it as homicide. No more details yet.
