A MISSIONAL CHURCH

It is necessary for the Church to rethink its stance entirely and to become a missionary church within the West. (Martin Robinson)

This week, I have been reading an outstanding book about mission called THE SHAPING OF THINGS TO COME. It is written from an Australian perspective, and it sums up the very real quandry that the Church in the west faces today.

This is a time when the need for, and relevance of, the gospel has seldom been greater, but the relevance of the Church has seldom been less. (Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch.)

During the past year, our Outreach team have been grappling with these kind of issues. How can we be better equiped individually and as a congregation to "give a reason for the hope that is within us?" How can we move from being a church which is primarily pastoral in character to one which has mission at its heart?

Tomorrow, the Outreach Team will be playing a prominent part in our worship services.

At 10.30am, the service will have an evangelistic flavour to it, with some of the team sharing their faith stories.

At 6.30pm, we will be having our monthly Impact Cafe. This is an initiative aimed at seeking to create a service with a very different feel,.We hope this will be helpful to folk beyond those who come to our regular services. So far, we have found that a lot of our own young people have found it very attractive.

I recently found the following speech by Bono on u tube. I wonder when the church in the west will exhibit in its outreach and evangelism, the kind of passion that Bono has for the poor? The last minute of the speech is quite electrifying!



DM