beyondJerusalem

beyondJerusalem

Recalculatingfor

Mission

Recalculatingfor

Mission

Church in Charge

Confident!

Oops

When the Bridge is out

Recalculate!

Recalculating

Recalculate the Kingdom of God

is at hand. Matthew 4

Use the Correct Map

Using the Right Map

Three different worlds Three different worlds (contexts) in which we live and (contexts) in which we live and serve as God’s peopleserve as God’s people

Pre-church

Churched

Post-church

Three Mission Contexts: Three different Maps

Using the Right MapEach mission/ministry context has its set Each mission/ministry context has its set ofof

Cultural “Insiders”

Cultural “Outsiders”

Who? Where?

When? What’s the starting place?

Answered by Cultural Insiders

Using the Right Map

Using the Right Map

It is essential to know which world It is essential to know which world we are in order to serve we are in order to serve effectivelyeffectively

Are we cultural Are we cultural insiders?insiders?

Are we cultural Are we cultural outsiders?outsiders?

Cultural Insiders/Outsiders

CulturalCulturalInsidersInsidersProtectProtect

BoundariesBoundaries

CulturalCulturalOutsiders Outsiders PermeatePermeate

BoundariesBoundaries

Cultural Insiders/Outsiders

Are we the cultural insiders?

Are we the cultural outsiders?

That depends upon the context

Pre-Churched Context

Non-Christians Non-Christians are Culturalare Cultural

InsidersInsiders

Christian Missionary is Christian Missionary is a Cultural Outsidera Cultural Outsider

The Church has no The Church has no identity, thus no identity, thus no

credibilitycredibility

Churched Context

Christians are Christians are CulturalCulturalInsidersInsiders

Non-Christians are Non-Christians are Cultural OutsidersCultural Outsiders

The Church is essential The Church is essential to the communityto the community

The Churched WorldWe Assumed

• Significant for LC-MS Congregations

• 500 years of Confessional Focus

• Defenders of the true faith in the midst of religious error

• Sense of permanence

• Sense of theological and cultural objectivity

Post-Churched Context

TheThe Non- Non-Christians Christians areare

Cultural Cultural InsidersInsiders TheThe ChristiansChristians areare

Cultural Cultural InsidersInsiders

Post-Churched Context

TheThe Non- Non-Christians Christians areare

Cultural Cultural InsidersInsiders Can we choose to Can we choose to

become outsidersbecome outsiders once again?once again?

Post-Churched Context

TheThe Non- Non-Christians Christians areare

Cultural Cultural InsidersInsiders Can we choose to Can we choose to

become outsidersbecome outsiders once again?once again?

Recalculating

The Post-Churched Map

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the

ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

(John 12:24)

Post-Churched World• Three greatest challenges to moving

toward missions

• Moving from teacher/defender to learner

• Willingness to “unlearn” without compromise

• Moving from primarily Minister to equipper for and overseer of ministry

Post-Churched World

• Three steps in permeation

• Learner (Listener)

• Trader

• Story Teller (Proclaimer)

Who? Where?

When? What’s the starting place?

Answered by Non-Christians

Post-Churched World

Post-Churched World

•What are the starting places?

•First Article BridgesFirst Article Bridges

•Bridges go two waysBridges go two ways

•Asking the Gate KeepersAsking the Gate Keepers

•Partnering with communityPartnering with community

Post-Churched World• Focus on the unchurchedFocus on the unchurched

• High engagement with the unchurchedHigh engagement with the unchurched

• Maintain a porous boundary with the Maintain a porous boundary with the unchurchedunchurched

• Operate with Several Word gifts (Eph. 4)Operate with Several Word gifts (Eph. 4)

• Unchurched > EvangelistsUnchurched > Evangelists

• Churched > > Pastor/teacher

• Both > > apostle, prophet

• Develop Little structureDevelop Little structure

Post-Churched Context• Church and culture

• Assumption: Strong institutional loyalty (cultural value)

• Reality: Weak institutional loyalty, even among the churched

• Decreased investment in the institution

• Increased investment in personal relationships

Post-Churched Context• What are our cultural assumptions

underlying “Catechetics”?

• Role of church

• Role of society

• Society still “disciples” its children

• Why are so many young people leaving the church and not coming back?

• Where, when, and how will discipleship take place?

Relationship Distinctives

• Relationships center in truly loving my

neighbor

• Relationships require genuine commitment

• Relationships may not translate into

congregational membership.

Place #1

Place #2

Place #3

RELATIONSHIPS & 3RD PLACES

“Nones” on the RiseImportance of Shared Community

% saying belonging to a community of people where your value and beliefs is ...

Church Membership

• Churched Culture Order

• Believe>Behave>Belong

• Post-Churched Order

• Belong>Behave>Believe

• Cause>Belong>Behave>Believe

Discussion

•How would our congregation look at itself if it were a New Testament congregation– a lone small church located in a pre-Christian community possibly hostile to the Gospel?

This presentation is shared by permission This presentation is shared by permission of Dr. Robert Newton, President of the of Dr. Robert Newton, President of the CNH District of the LCMS. If you have any CNH District of the LCMS. If you have any questions or comments concerning this questions or comments concerning this presentation, please direct them to Dr. presentation, please direct them to Dr. Newton at Newton at prescnh@cnh-lcms.org or call or call 925-245-4000925-245-4000