Town Hall

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Matthew 28:19-20

How should we do this? Over the centuries, there have been lots of ways that this happened. Once upon a time (in our most recent western culture) when getting people to Sunday service was easy, most church's pathway to disciples started at the weekend worship service. Move into communities and find a church by going to the Sunday service. Other other members fo the congregation would meet people in the community and would bring them to the worship service. 

Sometimes there would be a softer sell or an easier invitation (Men's Breakfast, harvest festival, egg hunt). But once they were at those events, then a formal invite to the Worship Service would happen. 

But then enter the sandstorm of post-Christian culture: culture is trying to remove any spiritual explanation or purpose of life, the church as an institution is losing its once privileged place at the center of society. The church has decreased influence and less appeal to people who are seeking out spiritual truth. Worship services are highly suspicious to many Christinas. 

And the wake of COVID has even driven many churchgoers/believers to become disconnected from their communities of faith and find over things to occupy their time with. It is difficult to assume that people who don't have a relationship with God are going to coming to our worship services to start this process, when many people who have a relationship with God and following Jesus aren't making attending Sunday Service a priority. 

And this is the place that we find ourselves... what do we do about this sandstorm? 

Become a missionary

We are the sent people of God. Just as Jesus sent heaven to dwell with us, we are sent on a mission to do the same, enter into the spaces, draw people in those spaces into deeper community, and pray that the Holy Spirit leads them to worship Jesus as Lord.

Shifting our understanding... that instead of thinking that it is the responsibility of the professional staff (pastors, leaders, etc.) to make disciples, we acknowledge that it is every follower of Jesus' responsibility to to be sent into these spaces.