3 posts tagged “mission”
Below, I quote former Episcopal Priest Eddie Gibbs (whom I've spent some time with in my days in Los Angeles), and Ryan K. Bolger in their book Emerging Churches:Creating Christian Community In Post Modern Cultures .
Emerging churches utilize the kingdom as a tool to deconstruct all aspects of life, including virtually all church practices. They understand that the kingdom gives rise to the church, not the other way around. Forms and structures of church are variable in emerging churches, especially in comparison to new paradigm, purpose driven and seeker churches which keep most of the traditional structures intact. These older movements maintain an emphasis on paid senior pastors, the Sunday service as what constitutes church, outreach that focuses on lapsed suburban professionals, and the idea that Christians come to church, primarily understood as the church building. Utilizing the kingdom of God paradigm as a tool of deconstruction, emerging churches dismantle many forms of church that, although viable at one time, increasingly represent a bygone era. (Page 96)
Emerging churches believe that the church should shape its corporate life in accordance with the practices of the kingdom of God that Jesus inaugurated in his ministry. Their understanding of the Christian life is strongly Christocentric, drawing much inspiration from the Gospels. Emerging churches create a space for the kingdom to enter their midst. They commit to the community that follows this King and let their other loyalties take a back seat. An unchastened consumerism and anonymity are not options within their ranks. They display a willingness to abandon old church forms as they dramatically restructure their communities. They abhor the idea of church as a meeting, a place, a routine. Clearly, for these communities, church is a people, a community, a rhythm, a way of life, a way of connectedness with other Christ followers in the world. These communities are small, missional, and offer space for each individual to participate. Emerging churches form tight communities. It is through living as a community that emerging churches practice the way of Jesus in all realms of culture. (Page 115)
Fasten your seatbelts and put your tray tables in the upright position! St. Clare’s Episcopal church is returning to Mexico for another house build with our partner Corazon!
Slated for June 23, 2007 we are looking for 50 volunteers to help us raise up a new home in a day. Volunteers do not need have construction experience, though a few people with basic carpentry or construction skills are always an asset. Each project has an experienced lead builder in charge of the construction and project safety, a trip coordinator responsible for liaison with the sponsoring group prior to the project and assisting the lead builder with logistical and group coordination on the day of the project. Typically a few Corazón Blue Shirts (skilled volunteers) will also come along to help with aspects of the construction and to instruct and assist the volunteers. Corazón's construction projects are designed to require mainly basic skills of painting and pounding nails. The few power tools required, mainly saws to cut the lumber and siding materials on site are only operated by experienced Blue Shirts or by skilled volunteers who demonstrate they are capable of operating the equipment safely to the lead builder for the project.
