Mission as loving a place
Reframe for a moment the mission of your church in this way: mission as loving a place. Imagine mission that begins with affection for the people and streets of your local area. Imagine a congregation of Christians that delights in the shapes and personalities of its suburb and desires to bless it, care for it and speak into it. This congregation shares a conviction that they have been placed by God in this place, to love and to serve.
Leslie Newbigin writes: ‘It is of the very essence of the church that it is for that place, for that section of the world for which it has been made responsible.[1]’ Being for a place means more than running evangelistic programs. It is an orientation toward a local community, from within that community, displayed in a deep investment of time and love in its individuals, families and structures. From this position of investment we speak the liberating truth about Jesus.
[1] Newbigin, L. A Word in Season: Perspectives on Christian World Missions. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1994, p53f.