The Missional Church: Back to Basics
“Christ summons the Church to continual reformation
as she sojourns here on earth.
The Church is always in need of this,
in so far as she is an institution of men here on earth.”
-Vatican II
“Ecclesia Reformata, Semper. Reformanda.”
translates: “Church reformed, ever reforming.”
-Martin Luther
Every human institution drifts from fulfilling its initial purpose—the reason the group was founded—to fulfilling the purpose of supporting the institution. In this, the church is not the only culprit, but neither is the church immune. As revealed in the story I shared last week of the life-saving station which became a club (see article below from June 21), we can turn from the mission before us to maintaining the buildings and their traditions.
The Catechism in the Prayer Book states the mission of the Church “is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” This is, at its heart, a very evanglical idea. Evangelical in the sense of “Good news.” We have the good news to share that God loves us and wants a relationship with us and through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ we can find forgiveness of sins and a more life-giving and joy-filled way to live. This mission is not our mission, but God’s mission. Sharing this good news with a lost and hurting world is why churches exist.
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This goal is the ministry to which we are called, but the temptation comes to focus on the building and the community already present in your worship. The furnishing, the care, and the upkeep of a building takes money, time, and energy and that’s okay. However, when you make decisions for the sake of the building, then you are getting off course. Sound preposterous? Well, I have heard many a complaint around the Diocese about the mess the Scout group leaves or the problems with Narcotics Anonymous and so on. While we do need to teach the groups meeting in the space to respect our churches, we do not want to decide what happens based on preserving the building. We do not want to encourage away groups of people simply because they are not “church broke” yet.
Remember first and foremost what are God’s purposes for your church buildings. Your church is to be a house of prayer for all people. Your church is to be a place where God’s healing touch is offered to those who need God most. Set those purposes before you. Make them the target for which you aim. Then decisions about who can use the building, when and for what will not be made for the sake of this building. And also can’t rely on the building itself to do the work of spreading the Good News in your community. Find new and innovative ways to invite the people in who need God most. Don’t wait for them to be attracted to your lovely building. Look for creative approaches to ministry that will encourage spiritual seekers to enter your church. You can’t simply wait for people to decide to come there on their own.
The move from mission to maintenance is one that always occurs. This is natural. Yet, the church is ever in need of reformation. We who have already received the Good News need to ever remember our churches exist not merely for us, but for those who are still lost and hurting. There is no one in easy driving radius of your church who needs to become an Episcopalian. Not a single one. But no matter how many churches there are in your area, there are more people in range of your church who need the Gospel than have yet heard it in a way that is compelling. And there are people in every town in south Georgia who will never be able to have the relationship with Jesus Christ that they need until they find their way into an Episcopal Church. It is for these people still in need of forgiveness, healing and a relationship with God that your church exists, as much as for those who now attend.
In the coming weeks, I will continue to share how this move from maintenance to mission looks not just in theory, but in congregations across the Diocese.
The Rev. Canon Frank Logue
Canon to the Ordinary
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