GlocalNet

Yesterday I met with a small group in North Dallas from the DFW metroplex. All of us are involved in “transformational” type ministries. It was people who are active, engaged, have been going at it for a while, and have fruit to show for what they do. Prayer ministries, housing, poverty alleviation, counseling, marketplace, church planting, prison, government, and a host of other things. The point of the meeting is who’s out there that’s really doing it, versus talking about it. What is each one of us doing and how can we leverage off one another. What would it look like if we came together strategically across the DFW area and linked arms and tackled the metroplex. This is a vision worth pursing. Hispanic, African-American, Anglo, mega-churches and small churches, charismatic and main-line, church and para-church - all were present at the table. We even talked about getting off together for a few days and coming up with a strategic plan of engagement pulling all the parties together.

One thing I’ve learned in studying movements - they never start big. The people in the room have significant ministries - but most are unknown - they’ve been quietly slugging away in the fields doing it. Sometimes they’re even within institutions and churches that we would never expect. Who would call Prestonwood missional? I would - ever met Mike Fechner? He’s the missions guy there. Not really - he is a former businessman God got a hold of and now drives the ministry of Prestonwood in community and global engagment and their work is incredible. Who would call Highland Park Presbyterian missional? I would - I’m utterly blown away by the things that church is doing - most people don’t have a clue of all they do - I sure didn’t. Randy Skinner, Kraig Kelly, and a host of laymen sweating like you wouldn’t believe.

Another thing about movements - when they become massive in scale in terms of a city or a nation - it’s never about one person - it’s about many persons collaborating. No doubt God uses “big” leaders - but only to bring tribes together for something beyond tribalism. We have to decentralize into the centrality of Jesus being present - that’s when the really big movements happen. I still think preaching is getting in the way of engagement - we have trained people to sit and listen.

What could God do in DFW if we could work together? How many denominations, churches, para-church groups, are here with untold millions of dollars if not billions? What could God do with all the global outreach ministries here - K.P. Yohanan, Ramesh Richards, David Shibley, and others based here in DFW? Dallas could be a light to the nations and to her own city. There couldn’t be a greater place to be “glocal” than here. I stumbled into all this because of a group I’m involved with called Vision360 - the idea of being a hub-movement for church planting organizations in the DFW area. The next great move of church planting isn’t networks - it’s collaboration among networks for a comprehensive city strategy among all parties to get the job done. I believe we are almost desperate enough that we’ll all work together instead of compete. Why shouldn’t it be that way with all community ministries - why shouldn’t we all throw in our lots together and seat like crazy?

The good news is - anyone can be missional - it’s not about worship style, institutional or non-institutional structures - it’s about loving people. As a matter of fact - Jesus taught us that it’s about fruit produced - not books or seminars. When the world is won for Christ, it will not be because a single person starts a charge but because all of us come together at the same time, value each other, and put our shoulder to the plough together and push with all we’ve got.

On another note, each year as I evaluate, I refocus my priorities and have to learn to say no. I was visiting with the staff about it and they told me say no to all the people coming and visiting - it’s getting in the way of their work! I’ve been turning down speaking opportunities because they get in the way of ministry. There’s a big desire for people who want to talk about all this and explore it - but there is a disconnect at the actual point of engagement. I don’t think there has ever been a subject talked about as much as “missional” church - books written about it, conferences on it - but so little actually done! February 7-8 we are going to have a “turbo” at our church that deals with all of this. They are designed to be small - usually 20 to 30. They aren’t fancy or slick, and they are for our church planters - but we teach this to our church planters - how to engage their cities. If you want to come there’s info on the glocal.net website. You don’t have to be a planter.