The Priority of Mission
Mission is the central purpose of the church in the world.
All believers are witnesses to the good news of Jesus Christ.
Worship is about the whole of life rather than just meetings.
The gospel drives us out of our cosy, safe ghettos.
Gospel ministry is contemporary, daring and biblical.
It is better to take gospel initiatives that fail than to fail to take gospel initiatives.
The Priority of People
Church exists wherever believers are covenanted together under the authority of the Word of God.
Effective gospel ministry is long-term, low-key and relational.
Involvement in society is best done with other Christians.
Leaders provide an environment in which people can flourish.
Church activity is people-centred rather than programme-centred.
People are essential to a gospel ministry while buildings are not.
The Priority of Community
The church is an extended family.
A Christian community is a persuasive apologetic for the gospel.
People need to understand what is happening in Christian meetings.
Local churches grow by starting new churches.
All church structures and activities should be evaluated by the imperative of the gospel.
(Borrowed from The Gospel-Centred Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis)
The Priority of Partnering
We partner across artificial boundaries with like-minded believers to do kingdom work.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Sometimes Rome Makes Me Cry!
I must confess that Rome moves me to tears at times.
A couple weeks ago Brian and I took the Metro across town to the birthday party of our new friends' daughter. Coming out into the street, we drank in the gorgeous early evening air. I said, "Let's go for a passagiata!" (the Italians' customary evening walk). Now there's a benefit of being empty-nesters: impromptu change of plans just to seize the moment! Yet we had celebrated the first year of a cherubic little girl's life -- a few days after celebrating our own little girl's college grad in Ohio -- and our hearts were warmed by the blessing of children.
Anyway, we pondered where to go for our evening stroll. The challenge in Rome this half of the year is to avoid the hordes of tourists. I exclaimed, "Let's go up on Aventine Hill!" -- a spot that new friends from Agape had shown us. Yes, let's, and watch the sunset from there. So off we went, climbing up the road away from the Circus Maximus. There's a park filled with orange trees, next to an ancient cloister. The park looks directly over the Tiber River, and there's a sort of platform with a marble wall on which to lean, or if you dare, to sit. And from here is one of Rome's incomparable panoramic vistas.
When we approached we discovered quite a number of Romans already "waiting"-- and not one tourist -- only locals out on their passagiata too. Here they were, gathered as if summoned on a sultry Tuesday evening to admire the sunset! To my right, an old gentleman at the wall played the poet and philosopher as he eloquently described how a sunset should give pause for reflection on one's day, as one's life. To my left, a young woman and her sweetheart leaned while she was sketching the event with rapid strokes on a scrap of writing paper. "Ahh, just look", everyone murmured to each other. The sun was descending behind St. Peter's dome, behind Janiculum Hill's row of umbrella pines, casting a pink hue over all the ancient Roman architecture. I said to the artist, "Bravissima!" (You're very good!). She smiled and didn't stop.
Finally the show was over, and with sighs of satisfaction, the small crowd broke up. Can you imagine what romantic souls these are who seek out a vantage point on a work night just to witness such a routine occurrence? To ooh and aah such a "common" spectacle? It makes me appreciate the Romans: they are definitively Romantic! As we left to head down the hill, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was the artist. She held out her completed sketch. "Oh no, I said, I couldn't accept that." She insisted, with an broad smile. Tears came to my eyes. Such exuberant generosity! Me, a total stranger -- she joyfully gave me a beautiful gift for the sheer pleasure of sharing a moment not to forget.
"It is more blessed to give than to receive," Jesus said. I felt so grateful to God: for the exquisite sunset over Rome, for the spontaneous gesture of generosity, for this sign from my Maker that he loves me and has me just where I belong. It moves me to tears.
scala sacra
This also makes me cry...
We had been invited to our landlords' book signing in a local shop in town. Our landlords are both published authors, and they have been very kind in inviting us to cultural events in which they're involved. We are blessed indeed to be on such a congenial basis with them. On our way, we passed by the Pope's home church (no, it's not actually St. Peter's, in case you're asked this bit of trivia!), which is San Giovanni di Laterano. It is one of the most ancient. Across, are the famous "Scala Sacra" or Holy Stairs, known and revered by Catholic pigrims all over the world.
According to legend, these were the very steps at Pontius Pilate's palace which Jesus Himself climbed up to stand before Pilate. The story goes that Helena, Constantine's mother, brought them back from the Holy Land in the 4th century. The door to the stairs was open, and pilgrims were filing in. They are required to penitently mount the stairs on their knees.
Now, it must have been the cumulative effect of having seen innumerable expressions of religious devotion in the very center of it all, Rome. But the sight of these people streaming in and out -- sincerely believing that the act they were performing somehow made them more acceptable to God -- brought grief to my spirit. I began to sob over the burdens people carried up those ancient steps: sickness, sin, sorrow, fear of Hell... believing what they were taught -- that those burdens would be lifted and removed at the top of the stairs.
Yet Jesus said neither this mountain nor that place made any difference, rather, "true worshippers worshipped the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshippers must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4) The Word of God tells us "You have not come to a mountain that can be touched... Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe..." (Ch. 12).
It's another reason Rome sometimes makes me weep.
Monday, May 11, 2009
On the Move
Brian and I have been on the move lately as the Lord guides us through this adventure of faith! We are delighted to serve Him in Rome and to grow closer to our Heavenly Father. And we are continually reminded of the blessings poured out to us as members of the Body of Christ.
This past month we spent a week in London for meetings with our fellow City Team leaders. We're so thankful for our colleagues, that we can spur one another on to love and good deeds.
Then I (Sarah) went to Lyon, France to participate in a Conference on Human Trafficking, particularly in Europe. There were 14 countries represented. As the vast majority of trafficking consists of sexual exploitation of women and children, this was our focus: forced prostitution especially of immigrants. In fact, there are a growing number of ministries, local churches, and individual Christians who are responding to this injustice. Therefore many of them are networked into the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to hear from believers who are involved in rescuing, in advocacy, evangelism, deliverance, care and restoration of victims of the sex trade. I am humbled by their deep compassion and courage in the face of such pain and evil. We pray the Lord shows us what we should do about this scourge in our city too.
Brian has been meeting weekly with a young man (Italian) for a walk through the Gospel of John. They alternate one session in Italian, the next in English. It's a stimulating compromise that they both appreciate and benefit from!
At this moment we have a visit from Craig, our future teammate. Lord willing, he will join us next winter. The Rome City Team is growing, and we're overjoyed that the Lord of the harvest continues to raise up laborers.
Lastly, three cheers for our daughter Sarah Grace for graduating with a B.S. in Nursing with honors! We are immensely proud of her, and it is the fruit of her seeking first the Kingdom of God. Her greatest desire is to serve the Lord in her profession.
We cannot say enough how grateful we are to our supporters for making it possible for us minister in Rome. We recognize that this calls for faith in God and trust in us - and amounts to great sacrifice. We are humbled and honored.
This past month we spent a week in London for meetings with our fellow City Team leaders. We're so thankful for our colleagues, that we can spur one another on to love and good deeds.
Then I (Sarah) went to Lyon, France to participate in a Conference on Human Trafficking, particularly in Europe. There were 14 countries represented. As the vast majority of trafficking consists of sexual exploitation of women and children, this was our focus: forced prostitution especially of immigrants. In fact, there are a growing number of ministries, local churches, and individual Christians who are responding to this injustice. Therefore many of them are networked into the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to hear from believers who are involved in rescuing, in advocacy, evangelism, deliverance, care and restoration of victims of the sex trade. I am humbled by their deep compassion and courage in the face of such pain and evil. We pray the Lord shows us what we should do about this scourge in our city too.
Brian has been meeting weekly with a young man (Italian) for a walk through the Gospel of John. They alternate one session in Italian, the next in English. It's a stimulating compromise that they both appreciate and benefit from!
At this moment we have a visit from Craig, our future teammate. Lord willing, he will join us next winter. The Rome City Team is growing, and we're overjoyed that the Lord of the harvest continues to raise up laborers.
Lastly, three cheers for our daughter Sarah Grace for graduating with a B.S. in Nursing with honors! We are immensely proud of her, and it is the fruit of her seeking first the Kingdom of God. Her greatest desire is to serve the Lord in her profession.
We cannot say enough how grateful we are to our supporters for making it possible for us minister in Rome. We recognize that this calls for faith in God and trust in us - and amounts to great sacrifice. We are humbled and honored.
Monday, April 13, 2009
This is True Religion
We would like to give glory to God for the response of His believers in Italy to the crisis situation in the Abruzzo region. Rome is about 60 miles from the scene of the earthquake, which doesn't seem far to the outsider. Presumably the best response of believers in Rome would be to load into buses and make a bee-line to the tent villages over there - "to help." I admit that this was my first reaction. When people are in trouble, the impulse to go and serve is strong. Alas, this initial impulse is not necessarily the wisest. Nor would it be feasible or useful at this time. And that is a humbling admission when it comes to crisis response, because it can make us feel so useless!
Let's talk about limitations. First, the location of this tragedy and recovery is a mountainous area; many of the narrow roads are blocked or clogged with traffic since the quake. Help must be expedited, but it's no help if we block the way, or upon arrival - if we become a burden to those who are already stretched to capacity. Reports tell us there is a massive number of volunteers on site - praise the Lord for that. But volunteers must be fed and lodged too! Second, we don't have the level of language to where we could be of competent service without requiring translation, which would be a burden.
But how then can we serve, and how can we love our neighbors in such a crisis? Well, the Lord is building His church in Italy, and has moved the Body of Christ to to an effective and appropriate first response. An alliance of over 25 churches in that region is collaborating with some assistance from such agencies as Samaritan's Purse, and Operation Blessing. I stress in that region because it is crucial that local churches be encouraged to personally reach out to the victims. They are their neighbors! And they are the most trustworthy channel for getting resources to them.
Yet, we the larger Body in Italy and beyond were asked to give and give generously. Special collections are being taken in all the churches (1Cor 16:1-4;2 Cor 8:1-15). We are urged and committed to pray. On Easter Sunday in Rome believers wept as they prayed. We were exhorted to get out and share the Good News of Jesus Christ - the Living Hope - with our neighbors! According to a pastor in Rome, there is a national mentality fixated on tragedy and death, and needs to turn from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection! Churches in the surrounding regions will be on "stand-by" to minister in other ways as further needs (pastoral or material) surface.
Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, reflecting on the issue of compassion ministry, write:
"Our first instinct when faced with someone in need is to give something to them or do something for them... But the poor need more than that... They want to participate in community... They need community. They need Christian community. They need the church.(...) The best thing we can do for the poor is offer them a place of welcome and community. Our first priority in social involvement is to be the church, a community of welcome to, and inclusion of, the marginalized." (The Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community, Inter-Varsity Press, 2007)
I would suggest that later on - beyond this immediate crisis - local churches will be the ones ready and able to offer a welcome for these homeless and traumatized folks, just as they extended a loving hand in the wake of the tragedy. The faith community is a powerful witness in this way. We want to support the congregations of the Abbruzzo as they corporately love their neighbors.
By the way, you might ask: what did the Vatican first send to those who were struck by this tragedy? As far as we know from the media, they sent chocolate eggs, holy water blessed at St. Peter's, and some cardinals to perform masses for the dead.
Let's talk about limitations. First, the location of this tragedy and recovery is a mountainous area; many of the narrow roads are blocked or clogged with traffic since the quake. Help must be expedited, but it's no help if we block the way, or upon arrival - if we become a burden to those who are already stretched to capacity. Reports tell us there is a massive number of volunteers on site - praise the Lord for that. But volunteers must be fed and lodged too! Second, we don't have the level of language to where we could be of competent service without requiring translation, which would be a burden.
But how then can we serve, and how can we love our neighbors in such a crisis? Well, the Lord is building His church in Italy, and has moved the Body of Christ to to an effective and appropriate first response. An alliance of over 25 churches in that region is collaborating with some assistance from such agencies as Samaritan's Purse, and Operation Blessing. I stress in that region because it is crucial that local churches be encouraged to personally reach out to the victims. They are their neighbors! And they are the most trustworthy channel for getting resources to them.
Yet, we the larger Body in Italy and beyond were asked to give and give generously. Special collections are being taken in all the churches (1Cor 16:1-4;2 Cor 8:1-15). We are urged and committed to pray. On Easter Sunday in Rome believers wept as they prayed. We were exhorted to get out and share the Good News of Jesus Christ - the Living Hope - with our neighbors! According to a pastor in Rome, there is a national mentality fixated on tragedy and death, and needs to turn from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection! Churches in the surrounding regions will be on "stand-by" to minister in other ways as further needs (pastoral or material) surface.
Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, reflecting on the issue of compassion ministry, write:
"Our first instinct when faced with someone in need is to give something to them or do something for them... But the poor need more than that... They want to participate in community... They need community. They need Christian community. They need the church.(...) The best thing we can do for the poor is offer them a place of welcome and community. Our first priority in social involvement is to be the church, a community of welcome to, and inclusion of, the marginalized." (The Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community, Inter-Varsity Press, 2007)
I would suggest that later on - beyond this immediate crisis - local churches will be the ones ready and able to offer a welcome for these homeless and traumatized folks, just as they extended a loving hand in the wake of the tragedy. The faith community is a powerful witness in this way. We want to support the congregations of the Abbruzzo as they corporately love their neighbors.
By the way, you might ask: what did the Vatican first send to those who were struck by this tragedy? As far as we know from the media, they sent chocolate eggs, holy water blessed at St. Peter's, and some cardinals to perform masses for the dead.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Jesus said: "I Am the Resurrection and the Life"
Please see these clips (2) from the Italy earthquake relief effort.
1) Here is the text from the BBC World Service:
"Preparations are under way for the funerals of some of the victims of the earthquake in L'Aquila in Italy.
The death toll rose to 278 after three bodies were removed from a collapsed student building.
The Christian Evangelical Church as well as other churches have set up tents in the camp for people who have lost their homes."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7992231.stm
2)
1) Here is the text from the BBC World Service:
"Preparations are under way for the funerals of some of the victims of the earthquake in L'Aquila in Italy.
The death toll rose to 278 after three bodies were removed from a collapsed student building.
The Christian Evangelical Church as well as other churches have set up tents in the camp for people who have lost their homes."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7992231.stm
2)
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Members of God's Household
"For He himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility... Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household.... And in (Christ Jesus) you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit." (Eph. 2)
This week we participated in a weekly home group gathering of our Italian church. We were invited to join them a few weeks ago, and we've become "regulars." The group consists of 3-4 Romanians, a Honduran, a couple Italians, and ourselves: American-Belgians. It is one of our greatest joys to participate in the life of the Body of Christ in all its diversity. No borders or dividing walls in God's household! This is a striking reality given the social unrest in Rome concerning a certain ethnic group here. Actually, there is a prevailing distrust of foreigners; the public and private fear is palpable. But in Christ there is a new creation, and we know our brothers or sisters according to the Spirit, not ethnic origin.
It is so sweet fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Rome. They warmly embrace us in this small group, accepting us despite our limitations. They gently encourage us to speak up in Italian: whether reading the text out loud, sharing thoughts on the text, and Brian was even called on to pray in Italian! I (Sarah) was applauded for a 2-minute testimony! We feel loved just as we are, yet they're not satisfied to leave us on the sidelines.
The Church is an alternative community. We can show the world around us a radically different way to live. I am humbled and envigored by the holy calling to "joined together" in Christ with folks from all corners of the earth. What is more beautiful than this?
"For He himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility... Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household.... And in (Christ Jesus) you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit." (Eph. 2)
This week we participated in a weekly home group gathering of our Italian church. We were invited to join them a few weeks ago, and we've become "regulars." The group consists of 3-4 Romanians, a Honduran, a couple Italians, and ourselves: American-Belgians. It is one of our greatest joys to participate in the life of the Body of Christ in all its diversity. No borders or dividing walls in God's household! This is a striking reality given the social unrest in Rome concerning a certain ethnic group here. Actually, there is a prevailing distrust of foreigners; the public and private fear is palpable. But in Christ there is a new creation, and we know our brothers or sisters according to the Spirit, not ethnic origin.
It is so sweet fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Rome. They warmly embrace us in this small group, accepting us despite our limitations. They gently encourage us to speak up in Italian: whether reading the text out loud, sharing thoughts on the text, and Brian was even called on to pray in Italian! I (Sarah) was applauded for a 2-minute testimony! We feel loved just as we are, yet they're not satisfied to leave us on the sidelines.
The Church is an alternative community. We can show the world around us a radically different way to live. I am humbled and envigored by the holy calling to "joined together" in Christ with folks from all corners of the earth. What is more beautiful than this?
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
"Make new friends but keep the old; One is silver and the other is gold."
I learned this little ditty when I was in Girl Scouts at 10 years old. You might presume that I'm referring to the wonders of Facebook. True, that has been a great help in staying in touch.
But we want to testify to our faithful God and to the wonders of His Big Family in this world. To think that 6 months ago we moved to this place where we scarcely knew a soul (and I despaired... Oh me of little faith).
Since Christmas, in the midst of an exceptionally cold winter, our hearts have been warmed by old and new friendships. We are struck by the Lord's reminders that We are NOT alone. Friends come alongside us in the journey; this is God's precious gift to His children.
The Lord sent a retired pastor and his wife from Ohio just to encourage and pray with us. And He has sent brothers and sisters from our church in Brussels. They all wanted to make sure we were faring well - and that we didn't forget our French!
We have delighted in inviting new friends to our little apartment: our Italian landlords (with whom we spoke English), a Swiss retired missionary and a German Bible School student (in Italian), A Dutch Gospel worker and a Dutch law student, the pastoral couple of our church, an American family, and tomorrow, a fellow language student and her fiance. In turn, we were blessed to be invited to a young American couple in a fledgling ministry here.
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