A Message on Mission
Joining God's Mission
Above is the text of a sermon I preached while in Peru two weeks ago. It relates to some of the thoughts I've been sharing recently on mission, specifically how communities might move from being mere affinity groups or organizations designed to produce a good Sunday service to a diverse set of Kingdom companions, released to participate in God's missionary venture wherever that might lead them.
Here's a teaser quote that was specifically designed to ruffle some Peruvian feathers - namely the ones who get so enamoured with whatever the American church is doing this week:
"In the United States, people give approximately 40 billion dollars a year directly to churches. Approximately 70% of that money, 28 billon dollars, goes to maintain and build church buildings and paying church salaries. Yet, statistics show that church membership overall has declined in the United States. In spite of all that money, almost 20% of what the entire country of Peru produces in a year, the church in America has not grown. By comparison, the church in China has grown from about 1 million known Christians in 1950 to now well over 100 million. Although there are no official statistics, a large percentage of Chinese Christians worship in homes or very simple buildings.
Are you sure you want to be like the American church?"
Above is the text of a sermon I preached while in Peru two weeks ago. It relates to some of the thoughts I've been sharing recently on mission, specifically how communities might move from being mere affinity groups or organizations designed to produce a good Sunday service to a diverse set of Kingdom companions, released to participate in God's missionary venture wherever that might lead them.
Here's a teaser quote that was specifically designed to ruffle some Peruvian feathers - namely the ones who get so enamoured with whatever the American church is doing this week:
"In the United States, people give approximately 40 billion dollars a year directly to churches. Approximately 70% of that money, 28 billon dollars, goes to maintain and build church buildings and paying church salaries. Yet, statistics show that church membership overall has declined in the United States. In spite of all that money, almost 20% of what the entire country of Peru produces in a year, the church in America has not grown. By comparison, the church in China has grown from about 1 million known Christians in 1950 to now well over 100 million. Although there are no official statistics, a large percentage of Chinese Christians worship in homes or very simple buildings.
Are you sure you want to be like the American church?"
posted by Mike Bishop at 8:39 PM
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