The Church: A Place Of Grace

June is almost over, and within the children's work we've finished our program for June. We spent the last month looking at Mission, with a particular focus on the nations. Within the fifty or so children we have, I've got no doubt that within that contingent there are many missionaries. We are all missionaries anyway, just as Jesus described himself in Luke 19:10.

The heart for mission is birthed in vision, which is one reason why Jesus gave us the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20. So to stir vision for mission, I wanted to get real life stories in to speak to the children. People who were living and breathing mission, because they were following a vision bigger than themselves to take the gospel to the nations.

To do this I didn't have to look any further than people within my local church in Hastings. Over four weeks, our friends weren't outside visitors or guest missionaries but ordinary men and women with a vision for mission. We had a couple, ex-elders of our church but who moved to South Africa and lived out there for a couple of years. Not stunning, beautiful Cape Town or hustling, thriving Johannesburg. But rural South Africa. With poverty, HIV, crime and cobra's. They were out there, giving of themselves and their gifts, building a local church

The second week we had a young man in, who himself feels called to China - again, to build churches - and he was sharing about his parents, who both moved to Valencia in Spain to start and establish a church in Catholicism dominated Spain. (Well done to Spain as well for beating Germany in the Euro 2008 final. Not only did Spain deserve it with their beautiful passing football, but its always a pleasure to watch the Germans lose!)

Week three had a lady in, who with her husband and a friend, are going to help establish a church out in the Middle East! The children were captivated as they saw video's and photographs of what life would be like, and the sacrifices that these people - especially the ladies, one of whom is pregnant and has a son under two - are willing to make to start a church community that takes the Gospel message of the Kingdom to Muslims.

The fourth and final week saw our lead elder come in to talk about India. He is involved in partnering with a handful of churches out in India, and spoke about his experiences out in the subcontinent. I know some of the children were touched when they heard about some of the poverty that some people their own age live in.

What was exciting for me was knowing that at least twelve children have felt God speak to them about going to the nations. Through Newfrontiers, we have the beauty of an apostolic network where there is a framework and friendship contacts to ensure their God-given dreams can take off as they grow older and want to test their calling.

Even from a young age, I want our children to understand that the bigger picture of God's purposes are always fulfilled through community - through the church. Ephesians 3:10-11 tells us that the church is the way God wants to unveil his manifold wisdom! The church - universal and local - is not an accident or afterthought but as verse 11 says, is a key part of the eternal purpose of salvation, realized in the death and resurrection of Christ!

The Church - my church - is a place of grace for me. A place where God can minister grace, mercy and love to me, through others. A place of grace where I can be used to minister grace, mercy and love to others. A place where together, we can be used to minister grace, mercy and love to a lost world.

I'm a realist - of course I get frustrated. Sometimes in my eyes, things can go too fast. Sometimes things can go too slow. Sometimes I don't agree with things. But is there such a place as a perfect church? And actually I'm a big part of that imperfection. My funny ways, my sin, my flesh, my immaturity, my self-seeking, my ambition, my foolishness, my unenlightened opinions, my lack of faith... someone said that forceful men take hold of the kingdom but I imagine people want to take hold of me by the throat! But at the end of the day, I remind myself that Jesus loves the church. She is his bride. He is passionately committed to her. Jesus said "I will build my church, and the gate of hell won't prevail against it!" (Matthew 16:18). If its good enough for Jesus, its good enough for me!

As people, we were created for worship - for intimacy with God. His plan has always been to walk the earth with a people who are his own (see, there is that plural noun again! Christianity is never meant to be individualistic but interdependent.) We are made to worship, and that is our primary call - its what we will do for eternity. But worship means putting God at the centre of ourselves and mission is one way we do that. In his book on mission entitled "Let The Nations Be Glad", John Piper writes "mission exists because worship doesn't."

So what method does the New Testament show me how we should do mission? Pioneering, planting, and building strong local churches.

The vision for mission means starting and establishing strong local churches that influence and affect their communities for Christ. All other missionary work done outside the context of partnership with a church, however good or well intentioned, ultimately runs the risk of drying up. Only a thriving community of believers will sustain and continue the work as they live the Kingdom in the society around them, influencing and witnessing to those around them.

I think what I am saying is this: when it comes to the purposes of God, where do you see the church? Irrelevant or integral?