Gods Mission Our Mission

1
Gods Mission Our Mission

• by Melanie J.S. Wallschlaeger
• CL7521 The Missional Church
• Doctor of Ministry in Congregation Mission and
  Leadership Development

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Table of Contents

• Project Purpose (Slide 3)
• Presentation of Gods Mission Our Mission,
  Part I given at All Team Meeting, Tuesday,
  September 15th, 2003. (Slides 4-28)
• Presentation of Gods Mission Our Mission,
  Part II to be used to guide Executive Team in
  reflection as we discern Gods calling (Slides
  29-48)
• Bibliography (Slide 49)

3
Project Purpose

• The purpose of this project is to serve as a
  guide for
• discussion regarding
• 1. Gods mission
• 2. Our call as a congregation to participate
  in Gods mission
• It is my hope that this project will facilitate
  shared
• learning, conversation and discernment among lay
• leaders of Holy Cross.

4
Gods Mission Our MissionPart I

• An exploration of our call in community.

5
What is mission?

• Mission implies
• A sender
• One(s) being sent
• An assignment
• David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission Paradigm
  Shifts in
• Theology of Mission, (Maryknoll, NY Orbis Books,
  1991) 1.
• Cartoon Homiletics Volume 14, Number 3,
  May-June,
• 2002, 56.

6
What is mission?

• When we think of mission, we tend to think of
• Overseas missionaries
• Work of a committee
• Specific programs/activities
• Statements of purpose used in the business
  world.

7
What is mission?

• But mission is more than an activity
• or a programit is our very being as
• we are created in the image of God.

8
Missio Dei

• The God we worship is a God
• in mission.
• We have a missiona mission
• made possible only because it
• is called into being as a result
• of Gods mission.
• Ubuntu
• I am, because you are
• We are because Christ is.

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Missio Dei
10
Missio Dei
11
Missio Dei

• Gods reign both future and present NOW NOT
  YET
• Jesus spoke of the reality of Gods presence.
• the kingdom of heaven has come near
• (Matthew 417, Mark 115)
• the kingdom of God is among you
• (Luke 1721)
• If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out
  demons,
• then the kingdom of God has come to you.
• (Matthew 1228)
• Jesus spoke of Gods reign yet to come.
• Thy kingdom come
• David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission Paradigm
  Shifts in Theology of Mission,
• (Maryknoll, NY Orbis Books, 2002) 32-33.

12
Missio Dei

• Gods ministry is in the now and the yet to
  come. Then, why is it so easy for us to get
  stuck in the past?
• You are setting your mind not on divine things,
  but on human things. - Jesus

13
What is the purpose of a mission statement?

• To share an understanding of our communal
  identity as Gods people.
• To explore who we are as Gods people living in
  this specific time and context.
• To inspire (guide) to action to guide us as we
  seek to live into the identity of who God has
  created us to be.

14
Homiletics Volume 14, Number 3, May-June, 2002,
35.
15
Baptismal Identity

• It is not water that does these things,
• but Gods Word with the water and
• our trust in this Word. Water alone
• is only water, but with the Word of
• God it is a life-giving water which by
• grace gives the new birth through the
• Holy Spirit.
• The Small Catechism,
• by Martin Luther

• Photo courtesy of Angela Smith

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Communal Identity

• I believe in the Holy Spirit,
• the holy catholic Church,
• the communion of saints,
• the forgiveness of sins,
• the resurrection of the body,
• and the life everlasting.
• The Third Article
• The Apostles Creed

• Photo courtesy of Angela Smith

17
Homiletics, Volume 13, Number 4, July-August,
2003, 20.
18
How do we discern our God-given mission?

• History 15 years of exciting growth that has
  often demanded change.
• Biblical witness Missional nature of Matthew
  and Acts, the call of the early disciples/apostle
  and how that call was lived out.
• Values tradition is at the top of the list.
• Context young, mobile, energetic,
  building/construction is an ever present reality.

19
Who is to discern our God-given mission?

• God Come, Holy Spirit, come!
• Leaders (thats you!)
• People of Holy Cross

20
Matthew 2816-20

• 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to
  the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17
  When they saw him, they worshiped him but some
  doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, All
  authority in heaven and on earth has been given
  to me.
• 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all
  nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
  and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and
  teaching them to obey everything that I have
  commanded you. And remember, I am with you
  always, to the end of the age.
• The New Revised Standard Version, (Nashville, TN
  Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1989.

21
3 Common Misinterpretations ofthe Gospel of
Matthew

• It did not apply to the priesthood of all
  believers only to clergy.
• Impossible to obey the demands of Jesus outlined
  in chapters.
• Attitudes more important than actions.
• David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission Paradigm
  Shifts in Theology of Mission,
• (Maryknoll, NY Orbis Books, 2002) 69.

22
make disciples

• Disciple appears 73 times in the Matthew, while
  occuring 46 times in Mark and 37 times in Luke.
• Make disciples occurs 4 times in NT 3 of
  which are in Matthew.
• Disciples does not refer to merely the 12
  disciples in
• Matthew (as it does for Mark and Luke) but
  also to the
• disciples that are to follow.
• Distinguishing marks of disciples
• They live in relationship with Jesus Christ.
• They live in expectation of Gods reign. (520)
• They are salt of the earth and light of the
  world. (513)
• David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission Paradigm
  Shifts in Theology of Mission, 73-74.

23
baptize

• Forgiveness is a central idea for Matthew.
• 612, 614f, 2628
• What God has done in Christ the forgiveness of
  sins is the point of departure of the new life
  of the disciple and is being sealed in the act of
  baptism. -- David Bosch
• David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission Paradigm
  Shifts in Theology of Mission, 79.

24
teach

• Jesus teaches the disciples, he does not preach
  to them.
• For JC, teaching is not merely an intellectual
  enterprise it
• is a call for a concrete decision to follow him
  and submit to
• Gods will.
• Context of JCs teaching is not the classroom,
  but the world.
• David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission Paradigm
  Shifts in Theology of Mission, 65-68.

25
to obey all

• Sermon on the Mount
• Disciples called to live out of step with
  society.
• Love of God love of neighbor becomes the two
  fold commandment to love. Go hand in hand.
• To believe and understand is to move to an active
  commitment that flows into deeds.
• David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission Paradigm
  Shifts in Theology of Mission, 65-68.

26
Go therefore

• Authority of Jesus over all is already implied in
  this phrase.
• If Jesus is indeed Lord of all, this reality
  just has to be proclaimed, (David Bosch, p 78).

27
I am with you always
28
Who are we called to be?

• In light of the Biblical text
• How do you think God is calling us, challenging
  us, to see our God-given mission?
• What are key verbs that should guide and shape
  our self understanding?

29
Gods Mission Our MissionPart II

• An exploration of our call in community.

30
Missio Dei

• Because God is a missionary God,
• Gods people are a missionary
• people. The churchs mission is not
• secondary to its being the church
• exists in being sent and in building
• up itself for its mission,
• (Bosch, Believing in the Future, 1995, p 32).
• Ubuntu
• I am, because you are
• We are because Christ is.

31
Missio Dei

• Mission is not a burden laid upon the church it
  is a gift and a promise to the church that is
  faithful. The command arises from the gift.
  Jesus reigns and all authority has been given to
  him in earth and heaven. When we understand
  that, we shall not need to be told to let it be
  known. Rather, we shall not be able to keep
  silent.
• (Lesslie Newbigin, Mission in Christs Way, 40)

32
Missio Dei

• UBUNTU
• We are, because Christ is.
• Our focus is not on,
• What do we want?
• But rather,
• What does God want for us?

33
Biblical Witness

• Matthew 2816-20
• Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to
  the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17
  When they saw him, they worshiped him but some
  doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them,
• All authority in heaven and on earth has been
  given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples
  of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
  Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20
  and teaching them to obey everything that I have
  commanded you. And remember, I am with you
  always, to the end of the age.
• The New Revised Standard Version,
  (Nashville, TN Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1989.

34
Matthew 2816-20

• Go! sentness for us and the disciples
• Called to make disciples
• Called to baptize and teach
• God does not send us alone

35
Biblical Witness

• Acts 241-47
• So those who welcomed his message were baptized,
  and that day about three thousand persons were
  added. 42 They devoted themselves to the
  apostles teaching and fellowship, to the
  breaking of bread and the prayers.
• 43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders
  and signs were being done by the apostles. 44 All
  who believed were together and had all things in
  common 45 they would sell their possessions and
  goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any
  had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time
  together in the temple, they broke bread at home
  and ate their food with glad and generous hearts,
  47 praising God and having the goodwill of all
  the people. And day by day the Lord added to
  their number those who were being saved.
• The New Revised Standard Version, (Nashville, TN
  Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1989.

36
Acts 241-47

• Faith lived out at temple, home and community
• All who believed had common bond/unity
• Generosity with one another and beyond
• Baptisms and devotion to the apostles teaching
• Signs, wonders, and prayer

37
Sacred or secular?

• In some societies the Church had a hard battle
  to rid
• itself of the insiduous distinction drawn
  between
• holy and non-holy things
• (J. Andrew Kirk, What is Mission?, p 213)
• Sacred special realm of life, spiritual
• to do with religious events, places, things
  
• to be treated with care.
• Secular ordinary things, worldly, material

38
The problem with holy things
39
Sacred or secular?

• From a Christian perspective this distinction is
  false.
• The secular, understood as the legitimate tasks
  of ordinary life
• family, work, scientific investigation,
  gardening, hobbies, leisure,
• friendships, political tasks, service in the
  community is sacred.
• The sacred is not another reality distinct from
  this
• Encounter with God is possible in any place.
• (J. Andrew Kirk, What is Mission?, p 213-214)

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Encounters with God in every possible place
41
Come, Holy Spirit Come

• To speak and live the gospel of Jesus Christ so
  that
• others might be drawn to Him and His Church.
• How is God calling us to look beyond our
  congregational boundaries into the greater needs
  of the local/world community? In other words,
  how can we reorient the congregation to look
  outward, rather than only inward?
• How can we help the people of Holy Cross see God
  at work in every aspect of life?

42
Gods hands, not ours
43
Prince of Peace, Burnsville

• The Prince of Peace Vision
• A thriving discipleship community that changes
  lives and leads society by growing passionate
  followers of Jesus Christ in every generation.
• The Prince of Peace Mission
• Prince of Peace Lutheran Church exists to make
  disciples (Matthew 2819) who pray, worship,
  read the Bible, serve, relate to others for
  spiritual growth, and give a tithe and beyond
  PoWeR SuRGe.
• Core Values Discipleship, Integrity,
  Evangelism, Community

44
Vision Statement

• How has God (and is God) equipping us for
  participation in the Missio Dei?

45
Mission Statement

• How are we going to live more fully into the call
  that God has given us?
• What are some words that might identify the
  action/response to which God calls us?

46
Values

• Attentive
• Authentic (2x)
• Caring
• Charity
• Christ-centered
• Community
• Compassion
• Courageous
• Education
• Empowered
• Energy
• Faith-filled
• Family (5x)
• Fellowship (2x)
• Forgiveness (2x)
• Generosity
• Golden Rule
• Grace (2x)
• Hospitality

• Intergenerational
• Integrity
• Love (3x)
• Mentoring
• Motivating
• Music Ministry
• Open Minded
• Ownership (2x)
• Passionate
• Prayer
• Safety
• Scripture based
• Serving
• Sharing
• Teaching
• Tolerance
• Tradition (5x)
• Transparent
• Trust (3x)

47
Values named by more than one group

• Tradition (5x)
• Family (5x)
• Trust (3x)
• Love (3x)
• Authentic (2x)

• Fellowship (2x)
• Forgiveness (2x)
• Grace (2x)
• Inclusiveness (2x)
• Ownership (2x)

48
Core Values

• What values do we share as a community as we live
  out our shared mission and vision?

49
God, give us good courage

• Lord God, you have called your servants to
  ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by
  paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.
  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not
  knowing where we go, but only that your hand is
  leading us and your love supporting us through
  Jesus Christ our Lord.
• Martin Luthers Morning Prayer, Lutheran
  Book of Worship, 137.

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Bibliography

• Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission Paradigm
  Shifts in Theology of Mission, Maryknoll, NY
  Orbis Books, 1991.
• Bosch, David J. Believing in the Future Toward
  a Missiology of Western Culture, Valley Forge,
  PA Trinity Press International, 1994.
• Homiletics Journal, Volume 14, Number 3,
  May-June, 2003.
• Homiletics Journal, Volume 13, Number 4,
  July-August, 2003.
• Kirk, J. Andrew. What is Mission? Theological
  Explorations, Minneapolis, MN Fortress Press,
  2000.
• Kise, Jane A.G., LifeKeys Leadership Workshop,
  July 2002.
• Newbigin, Lesslie. The Gospel in a Pluralist
  Society, Grand Rapids, Michigan Eerdmans
  Publishing Company, 1989.
• Newbigin, Lesslie. Mission in Christs Way Bible
  Studies, Geneva, Switzerland World Council of
  Churches, 1987.
• Wendt, Harry. See Through the Scriptures,
  Minneapolis, MN Crossways International, 2003.