The Missional Church (Part 4)

The following came from Mike Cope's blog, Minister for the Highland Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. Interesting thoughts......

I spoke with two men.

One is unhappy at church. Some changes have him feeling uncomfortable. He just doesn’t like it. He doesn’t want to be so uncomfortable. He doesn’t care for the way the church is heading. He’s exploring other options.

The other has never been happier. He was lost and is now found. He was unemployed and through a ministry of the church has just been hired. He is pouring himself into outreach. He, with his broken, difficult past, has become an informal leader of the church. The shade of his skin, the level of his education, the type of home he was raised in — all are quite different than many others at the church. But he smiles and laughs as he talks about his new family. He grins as he introduces me to others as “my pastor.”

Both men matter. Both deserve pastoral care.

But if we continue to find our neighborhood, if we continue to join God in what he’s already doing in our city, then our faith community will look less and less like a gated community where access codes are required.

I’m afraid it won’t be comfortable. But it should be exciting.