Final Reflections

It has now been three weeks since I attended the 2010 Missional Think Tank. I wanted to share some final summary reflections on this event. How does the missional church look? This is the question the participants at this year’s Missional Think Tank struggled to answer. After reflecting on my experiences, here are my thoughts on how I answer this question:

The missional church is messy, at least on the surface. I heard many stories from participants, both in the formal presentations and in casual conversations, about how missional ministry does not fit neatly into the church’s established paradigms. We cannot gage the success of missional ministry based upon the typical metrics of attendance, building size, number of programs, or budgetary projections. One participant compared the missional church to a compost heap – something that looks like refuse to the untrained eye, but is actually nourishing and generative.

The missional church is beyond our control. Truly missional ministry – that which is God-initiated, Kingdom-oriented work – is beyond our human control. We can’t create it or manage it, though we might like to. It is a work of God, under the direction of the Holy Spirit. We can simply position ourselves to listen to the Spirit’s promptings and move into the work God calls us to do.

The missional church is our calling, whether we are ready for it or not! In dwelling on the words from Luke 10, I was struck by Jesus’ teaching that the harvest was plentiful, but the workers few. Then Jesus commanded the disciples to go out and proclaim that the Kingdom of God had drawn near to all. Is this not Jesus’ command to us today? Even though we may feel unprepared for the challenge, I believe we can boldly answer this call, knowing that Jesus will be with us as we work to reap this great Kingdom harvest.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog about my experiences at this year's Think Tank. It was such an honor and privilege to participate in the event. I would like to thank the Leadership Development Unit of New Castle Presbytery for their generous financial support that enabled me to attend this event. I would also like to thank you, my blog followers, for sharing in this journey with me. Please feel free to continue the conversation, as there is still much to discuss, wrestle with, and celebrate. May God richly bless you in your ministry endeavors, as you seek to follow Jesus' command to proclaim the Good News that the Kingdom has indeed drawn near!

Blessings,
Hilary