Miss

ion

in P

ract

ice

2007

Mission in Practice

2007

 “If we are called to lead and be part of a community of people that are called to

represent the reign of God near and far – in what form should this representation take

place?”

What is it that pulls mission out of shape?

What is it that stops mission being Christ shaped?

Christ Shaped Mission

• Mission Is Pulled Out Of Christ Shape - When It Is Not Distinct

• Mission is pulled out of Christ shape - When it doesn’t serve

• Mission is pulled out of Christ shape - When it doesn’t proclaim like Christ

Mission Is Pulled Out Of Christ Shape - When It Is Not Distinct

•Shaped by being a covenant community

“We live as the covenant community, a distinct community spawned by God’s reign to show forth its tangible character in human social form”

Guder, D.L. (ed) (1998) Missional Church (pp 103)

This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples--when they see the love you have for each other

John 13:35

The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind-- Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.

John 17:21

“A healthy church is a transforming community in both senses. It is a community that transforms who belong to it…it also transforms the life of the community around it in slow but sure ways. When it does these things it begins to be evangelistic without even trying too hard “ (pp 121)

Tomlin, G (2002) The Provocative Church. SPCK

•Shaped by being alternative (holy)

“the church is called to demonstrate an alternative culture… in conformity with Christ it is called to an alternative set of behaviours, an alternative ethic, an alternative kind of relationships…its differentness is itself a witness to the gospel”

Guder, D.L. (ed) (1998) Missional Church (pp 119)

•Shapeless Mission

Purpose Driven Church ®

ChurchTM

What a Brand we have in Jesus…!

I am BARRISTER KOFFI AMOSSOU,  

I was fortunate to have access to most of President Gnassingbe Eyadema investments before his death, amounting to US75.5M

I am seeking for a partner based on the sharing (70%/30% basis) of these assets. My own share will be used to promote the church both there in your country and mine.

 

Wonderful I am currently in search of finances to buy into our local drug cartel - there is much money to be made in buying and selling illegal drugs. This will bring much-needed funds for our church roof. I am amassing wealth from other such ventures. Currently I am waiting to hear back from Evangelist William Zuma who has become a valued friend and I am in the process of sending relevant documents to him for a swift transfer of funds.

I have a great delight dealing with you because you have a great respect to mankind and humanity. Would you promise me that this transaction will be between me and you and no one else can hear it? Will you promise me that you will use the part of my share which I will give to you to promote the church? Will you promise me that you will also use this fund to help the poor and the needy?

Mr Amoussou I must be honest I have decided to make one such deal and that will be with Evangelist William Zuma from Swaziland. I have told Mr Zuma of you he says he knows of you and that you are trickster. I do not think so as you are a barrister I think he might be jealous, as he is only an evangelist.

Thank you for your mail I am deeply touched with the way the so called Mr.Williams Zuma lied that he knows me. I am telling you with out any fear of contradiction that I do not know him and he does not know me either. I am not a cheater and cannot be a trickster. Please send me your bank details

Mrs Susan Shabangu also has a difficult situation that she wishes us to help with (10% 15 million USD) - she is too says that William Zuma is a liar, she knows of him, but she says she went to school with your sister and that you are not a true believer. If this is true I cannot use tainted money for the purchase of illegal drugs - God would smite us all.

 

Ban an Arama

Dear Ban an Arama,

I am not going to say anything about their allegations but you have your conscience. Why not ask the Lord to guide you. Why not ask her the name of my sister, the school and the year they studied together and where?

Mrs Janet Komoah has also been in touch she too has a financial proposition, she says she has worked in partnership with you before and has suggested I contact her with bank details first and then send you the details you need about a week later.

  Ban an Arama

Dear Ban an Arama,

 

Can I tell you now that all these people are liars because they do not know me. They are to trying to rip you off, please question your conscience before acting. I am waiting for you to know the truth yourself.

Negotiations are going well with Ronnie and his brother Reggie Kray (re the illegal drug selling plan). They are trustworthy church going men. You will be interested that the deal with the Kray brothers is going well. They can get what we need for the profitable sale of the drugs from some contacts in Colombia.

  I have just heard from Mrs Melissa Pointer you will be sad to hear that she is dying of cancer and wishes the money of her estate to go to good church work. I have replied saying that I am a good friend of Barrister Koffi Amoussou who might be happy to do the legal work on her case.

The newspaper today spoke about emails from Africa called 'Scam Spam’ that say they have millions of dollars. They say that they are making friends over the internet to gain access to bank details etc... People have lost lots of money because of this scam.

I will write to complain at the injustice of their words. I will tell them of my friendship with many lovely Africans and if these people had contacted me because of my bank details why are they still my friends - as *I have no intention whatsoever of ever being stupid enough to give such details to anyone* - yet I still get emails. I'm afraid that the Krays have let me down, but I still have further business opportunities with the Mitchell brothers as Phil is back, (I think Grant should be back in time for Christmas).

Mission is Pulled out of Christ Shape -When it Doesn’t Serve

•Service Shaped by action

One day after dinner, while finishing dessert, a father sent his boy out to cut the lawn. Smiling broadly, the son said, "No, Father, I just want to stay here experiencing your presence, expressing my love for you, my dear Father." The father frowned and said, more firmly this time, "Actually, Son, I would rather you go out and cut the lawn." But the boy acted as if he didn't even hear his father, and he replied, "Dad! Guess what? I just wrote a song expressing my love for you!" The son began to sing, his eyes closed in sincerity and intense emotion, and the father left the table to go watch TV. The boy didn't notice, but kept singing, with tears streaming down his face.

•Service Shaped by Shalom

• Service Shaped by Jubilee

“It tempts us to turn Jesus' hard sayings into sweet, spiritualized syrup. This dilutes his teaching, making it harmless. We marvel at the atoning death of Jesus but forget he also demonstrated a new way of living”.

“Any gospel which isn't social isn't gospel. God's love for the world produced social action. God didn't just sit in a great theological rocking chair and muse about loving the world. God acted. God entered social affairs --- in human form. Through Jesus, God lived and interacted in a real social environment. Jesus, in essence, disclosed God's social habits. In the incarnation, the spiritual became social”.

Kraybill, D. (1990) The Upside down kingdom Pp29

•Service Shaped by ‘Cascades of Grace’

“Increasingly churches are running social projects. This might seem an excellent development, but we need to be careful that we don't allow the idea of 'needs meeting' to dominate our thinking. 'Needs meeting' as an organizing principle for the Church's social action fails to do justice to the radical and very practical teaching and example of Jesus.”  

Morisy, A.(2004)Journeying Out: A New Approach to Christian Mission (Pp viii)

“…programmes are futile if they do not point beyond themselves to a reality greater than they – to the great healer, the great liberator, the one who is himself the living bread..”  Newbigin, L.(1988) Mission in Christ's Way: A Gift, a Command, an Assurance.

“We have been slow to recognize that when people, motivated by venturesome love, embrace a struggle for the well-being of others, it can prompt a very graceful, and often unanticipated dynamic, a cascade of grace, and this dynamic should be the very thing that churches are seeking to generate.”

Morisy, A.(2004)Journeying Out: A New Approach to Christian Mission

•Shapeless Mission

Mission is pulled out of Christ shape when it doesn’t proclaim like Christ

•Out of shape mission doesn’t proclaim

“…while the church is called to be a visible and tangible reminder of life in the kingdom, it can never be enough simply to enact the kingdom, to be silent reminder that non-members appreciate but do not understand. Just as Jesus’ words explained the significance of his actions then the church’s words have to do the same”

Tomlin, G (2002) The Provocative Church. SPCK

“To proclaim the divine reign is to add the signature of Jesus; to refrain from proclamation leaves all else anonymous, ambiguous and subject to misreading the situation. Such vocal signing makes explicit what is implicit in the other signs”

Guder, D.L. (ed) (1998) Missional Church (pp 107)

•Out of shape mission only proclaims

“How is it possible that the gospel should be credible, that people should come to believe that the power which has the last word in human affairs is represented by a man hanging on a cross? I am suggesting that the only answer, the only hermeneutic of the gospel, is a congregation of men and women who believe it and live by it”

Newbigin, L. (1989) The gospel in a pluralistic society pp 127

•Christ Shaped Proclamation

But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honour him as Lord. Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have

in you,

(1 Peter 3:15)

“Effective mission is not achieved by giving it focal awareness. Effective mission is a fruit - a gracious outcome of other factors working effectively and appropriately. This upends all our habits and assumptions. It means that effective mission is something that emerges as a result of looking and journeying outward rather than by means of a self-conscious and self-regarding process.”

Morisy, A.(2004)Journeying Out: A New Approach to Christian Mission