How to turn your home into a base for missions

 
If you want, please get your smartphones out and open your text app. My cell number is ……., that way you can text the moment you have a question or a comment, so you don’t forget it, and I can decide whether to address it on the spot or wait and use your text as a reminder for the discussion in a few minutes.

Looking at the community of church in the west I think that everyone on the Outside thinks that everyone one on the inside measures Christianity by how often we meet in that little box with the cross on top and our list of things that we don’t do. If you were to ask what outsiders think the insiders considered the most important thing to God it would likely be something to do with something people do with their clothes off.

The bible tells me that God came, He moved into the neighborhood, to find and save lost people. Over and over again He invited those found ones who LOVE him to participate in that process.
I even think that what we do, or often what we fail to do, is far more important than ore list of ourwhat we don’t do.

Is there any doubt that our neighborhood, our workplaces, and our communities need more than anything a community of Christ apprentices who are willing to live on mission?

If we are to be on mission, Christ’s mission, in our communities it is always nice to have a base of operations. The logical place for that is in our own homes. We see that described in the second chapter of acts.

It is surprising how many of us don’t really know the people who live the closest. John the apostle said that the living Word, Jesus, became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. That’s our neighborhood. To be apprentices in The Way of Jesus we need to do what He did. It all starts with baby steps.

What do we need to do to be on mission and what do we need to do for our homes to become a missions base?

Let’s watch the video.

Some of these are from the video clip, others are not.

An understanding of what the mission is; The first Great Commission from God to Adam and Eve. To be a sent people like Abraham who was sent to be a blessing. To Be like Jesus who moved into the neighborhood and looks for lost things (people)

A commitment to mission; At some point recognizing our place inside the mission of Christ.  It is being overused a bit, but the Missio Dei,

Missio Dei is a Latin theological term that can be translated as “Mission of God”, it refers to the work of the church as being part of God’s work. So the church’s (both individuals and corporate) mission is a subset of a larger whole mission that is it is part of God’s mission.

The presence of Jesus;  Some ideas

• Identifying and participating in the home as a sacred space
• Praying over the rooms, the corners and the entries
• Christian or God focused media

Hospitality

• Lifestyle of hospitality
• Preparations for hospitality (how clean do you need to be? Maintaining a level that you are comfortable with)
• Levels of access:Starting points (you gotta start somewhere) Based on your/their comfort level.
  • Yard and garage hospitality
  • Front porch hosipitality
  • Kitchen and living room hospitality
  • Guest room hospitaltiy

Allies

• Participants that are committed to The Mission
• Participants that are committed to you

External pastoral resources (network)  When doing life with others things sometimes come up, uncomfortable things, sometimes even hurtful things.  It happens. When it does you will need the perspective of someone who is not directly involved in your community and it needs to be someone who you can access safely, easily, and quickly.

• Your Church: not only do I think that we need to be connected to a larger gathering by attending church, I am completely convinced that our church or larger gathering needs us to remind their hearts toward mission as well.
• This Gathering: Our family is committed to encouraging, supporting and resourcing you as you pursue mission both with us and in your own homes.  If you don’t have me on speed dial, please do so

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