Busy

So I failed to post even a single item for all of September. If you happen to be reading this, I apologize. But I'll give a quick update, I'm super busy with school, work and life. I am happy to be able to return to some ministry at Skillman Bible Church which I am falling even more in love with. I am increasingly convinced that the Church is God's primary tool for changing lives and changing the world.

I've also been toying with the following idea concerning mission/vision. In Dr. Malphur's PM301 class he talks about how the mission of the Church is basically the Great Commission, though churches may express this in different ways (namely using different imagery or alliteration). The mission tells us what the Church should be doing (going, making disciples). I think this idea is good, the mission of the Church does not change. But I think we can go farther.

If the mission of Church is the Great Commission, then the vision of the Church is the Eternal Kingdom of God (see Revelation 21-22). The vision tells the Church where we are going, what it looks like. Normally church vision statements talk about having a biblically functioning community where people are growing, worshipping, where lives are restored, where every tear has been wiped away, where the nations are healed and where there is no more night. The end goal of the Church, the place where we are heading for is the Eternal Kingdom. This is what we look forward to, the day when Christ rules, when there is justice and everything has been set right.

I think most church vision statements are already basically going this direction, but not intentionally. Vision statements picture a 'perfect world' which is by definition exactly what the Eternal Kingdom is. We may express it differently but the vision is the same.