GlocalNet

I’m asked a lot how did I ever get NorthWood to do the kinds of things around the world and in the inner-city that it does.  The idea has been that you can’t grow a church and take “missions” seriously.  I strongly disagree with that.  To be as “missional” as we are, there’s no doubt about it, it takes money, volunteers, mindset, and sacrifice.  Like most other churches and ministries, we are really having to watch things because of the financial crunch and it makes things difficult at times.  However, it has been very interesting to me, although our we struggle with our budget, our missions giving has gone over the top this year like never before.  It does create questions and dilemmas but you just deal with those as they come.  The bigger question is, how do you “get your church to do this stuff” I would answer as follows:

1.  Hear from God.  When God calls you to do something - you don’t have the option of debating it or doing it.  If I’m doing a project “I” want or “I” think is important - I’m the one who thinks it up and sustains it - which means that it may not be for very long.  But when God speaks, and opens doors unexpectedly to you - not him - you enter them in obedience.  Missional engagement is not about “what can I do” it’s about responding to the opportunities that God gives.

2.  Communicate it clearly, consistently, and in a thousand different ways.  Use sermon illustrations, articles, blogs, and especially stories from those on the front lines.  Often God will speak to a leader and then it takes time for those they’re leading to get the picture.  Just stating it a time or two won’t do.  When our church first started going to Vietnam, we could swing me - but not my wife going.  There was a gap that developed in her understanding.  In time, she got to go, and then she developed the passion - now she goes more than me and gets Vietnamese culture more than me.  She had to hear the stories, meet the people, and experience the culture.  That’s the same way our church has developed. 

3.  Run with the few at first.  Keep communicating - but your greatest communication will come when others are promoting it - not you.  At first, it’s primarily you - but if it stays primarily you for years - it will never fly.  Don’t wait for everyone - just run with a few, they’ll get it, figure it out, and take it to a whole new level. 

4.  Model it and give it away at the same time.  Be involved.  You need to go, do stuff, help open channels - but not forever.  As a pastor you have to be careful here - you don’t want to do it all.  If you do, it will never be their vision.  I have very little to do with what we do in Vietnam, Haltom City, or Puebla Mexico.  I go and bless it, help it where asked - but for me success is that our members drive it - not me. 

5.  Keep open to what God will do.  I saw Vietnam, God sees the world, and it wound up impacting me personally and some of our staff.  Our work in Vietnam has wound up becoming a template for how we help other churches engage the world.  I’m at different places in the world mentoring churches and groups on how to engage the domains of society.  There has been massive “leverage” globally and locally as we’ve helped others engage.  Pastors and churches have this untapped potential. They know they are supposed to be doing more in the world than funding just a few missionaries, they just don’t know how and what.  The church is discovering that “the church is the missionary” and that has implications for every member. 

I’m convinced that the church in the 21st century is really going to look more like the church in the 1st century because of our connectedness.  These are days in which there is a call for a different kind of church and a different kind of pastor.  The rest of the world is getting this much quicker than us in the West.  I’m involved with a group of global pastors and all their churches are way ahead of us in terms of how pastors lead, manage, and help their churches engage the world through the domains of society.  Church is moving from just a Sunday event to a force to be reckoned with in society. 

Ah yes, and I think I should add one more thing . . . . 6.  Endure the criticism.  At first it was hard for some of our people to be friends with “communist” and “atheist” and how they related.  Now, it’s not a big deal - they’ve come to love them and it has born fruit.  Sometimes people will say, “It’s easy for you because your church is behind it” - I would say as a whole they are.  But not at first, I had to move slowly and carefully - and with constant criticism.  Today, I’ve been able to help churches connect with Muslims around the world - I’ve once again had to learn to endure criticism for that - especially being from the US and in the south.  Recently, God had me reading Galatians, again and again and again, and there were many things he showed me.  One of which was Paul’s call to be an “Apostle to the Gentiles” - and man did he pay a price.  Had he listened to the criticism or even followed the model of the other Apostles and focused primarily on the Jews, we never would have had the Gospel we have today like we do.  THANK YOU MY JEWISH BROTHER PAUL!!!!  I’M ONE OF THOSE GENTILES!!!!  He even had a group of Jews who followed him around and tried to undo all he did.  One lesson I’ve learned, most people believe in the Great Commission for people like them - not really everyone else.  For the Great Commission to be real - EVERY tongue, EVERY tribe, and EVERY nation must hear and that’s responsibility of all of us.