No one comes to your church with an empty mind. From the mildly curious with no apparent faith through to the most passionate of disciples, from the first-time visitors through to the long-term members, everyone comes with minds shaped by the information they have received. They may or may not be conscious of all that occupies their minds: all of us take so much for granted such as the values embedded in our cultural, economic, educational, and political backgrounds. These realities are multiplied in an International Church (IC) with all the diversities of nationality, denomination, culture, language, education, occupation, personality, and beyond. 

It is imperative that all church leaders take seriously how much every person present in your church has been inundated with information from multiple sources: and this is happening every day of every week. For the IC, the diversity of information diets is beyond number. With rare exceptions, the input from the Scriptures is only one small part of this volume of input. The information diet of the people in your church is extensive and relentless. Two books that I have read recently explore this reality.

• “Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention” by Johann Hari (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022).
• “The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Then Back?” by Jim Davis and Michael Graham (Zondervan Reflective, 2023).

The first is the more extensive exploration of the two into information inputs. A variety of contributing factors are discussed including how electronic media is changing the ways our minds work, why both attentiveness and comprehension are declining, and how the profit motive for media companies drives many to manipulate the ways we engage with the information that we receive (algorithms are designed to keep you engaging so that profits from advertising are maximized). 

The second examines the research into why millions have left the church in the USA even though most retain some level of belief in Jesus Christ. It includes a chapter on information diets. “People will consume social media, podcasts, YouTube, radio, books, blogs, television, and movies. Whether we realize it or not, this volume of information is constantly forming and shaping our vision of what is true, good, and beautiful. Compound the information diet with algorithm-fed division for profit.” (p. 186-187). Note the many other sources of information not listed in the quote. Even for most Christians within the church, or dechurched, this gluttony of information from so many sources far outweighs in volume and frequency the information from the Scriptures (Bible reading and study, teaching, books, and the like). This critical imbalance in our information diet is worsening as time put into learning from the Bible continues to decline for so many churches and Christians. 

We need information to simply be human, to be responsible citizens, to know how to love God and to love others, and to know who our God is so that we grow in our faith. But we also need to know how to analyze and evaluate the information we receive, whether from the Scriptures, from the church, or from the world we live in. Two high-priority disciplines are critical essentials to be built into our churches and our discipleship.

First, more than ever before all Christians need serious and sustained engagement with the text and theology of the Bible. The common practice of devotionalized proof-texting will never build up disciples into theological maturity (cherry-picking our way through random texts). Sacrificing Biblical learning for spiritual experience is driven by culture and works against the building up of faith through the knowledge of God. There is far more to Biblical theology than just teaching a simple, disconnected collection of doctrines. We need to open the eyes, minds, and hearts of all to grasp the exciting vision that God has for the creation and His people by exploring the ever-developing purposes of God laid out in the narrative from creation to the new creation coming together in the new heaven and earth. 

The story from Genesis to Revelation is an inspiring and wonderful story but how many people in your church can tell the story, and link the story to the world around us? How many know the story well enough to critique the information input of their everyday lives? (There is considerably more to this than the common black-and-white versions of sexual morality.) Jesus caught up this visionary story in the phrase “The Kingdom of God” but how many can tell the story of the promise and fulfilment of the Kingdom? And apply this story of the Kingdom impacting all of life to the daily information flood?

We can no longer take anything for granted as Western churches did in the long-past days of Christendom. Growing depth and strength in our theology should be given high priority if our people are to be equipped to process the input of their everyday information diet. Everything now is up for grabs. The way people think and process information has changed. The prevalence of dubious cultural priorities and political ideologies in our churches reveals just how much we have much work to do.

Secondly, Christians need to learn how to engage maturely with the flood of information coming to us from everywhere. Cutting ourselves off from the world is simply not an option if we follow the example and instructions of Jesus. Our calling is to engage with the world around us as witnesses to Jesus and the Kingdom He has already inaugurated. We need the information that is true but how to discern what is true from all the nonsense?

Furthermore, our capacity to engage with those beyond the church, and to connect the Gospel with their lives, requires us to be familiar with the deluge of information that currently shapes their beliefs and practices. 

The following is a relevant extract from what I wrote in June 2020 regarding the information flood surrounding COVID-19. The full article is here: https://micn.ca/understanding-the-times-five-missional-imperatives-the-kingdom-in-the-times-of-covid-19/ 

2. Truth.

Perhaps it is obvious that we serve the God of all truth (John 3:33, 1 John 5:20), that grace and truth live in Jesus (John 1:14, 14:6), that a passion for truth is evidence of the presence of Christ in us, in whom are “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Truth is not something about which we can pick and choose. God’s love of truth is comprehensive and applicable to all of life and the created order, every nation and society, every issue currently being debated. A passion for truth is inextricably an outcome of knowing God. 

When surrounded by the prophets of conspiracy theories and other forms of nonsense to justify various political ideologies or doomsday worldviews or just various forms of adolescent rebelliousness, Christians need to be seen to be people of truth. This means being people committed to evidence, information, research, critical analysis, careful articulation, and honesty. It means we will not misrepresent those with whom we disagree, we will not misrepresent our own perspectives with hyperbole or cover-up. Unfortunately, much of the evangelical church does not have a good reputation in this area thereby undermining the credibility of the Gospel.

In general terms, many Christians and churches are guilty of what Paul called “factionalism”, a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:20). “Divisions” is another word for it, but I still prefer the old RSV term “party spirit” so that the attitudes that feed factionalism are included. Party spirit, whether theological, ecclesiastical, or political, is a loyalty that has priority over truth. For the sake of the party, we exaggerate the positives and blindly reject all critical analysis. “Truth is the first casualty of war” and war may well be the wars of words and loyalties.

Truth includes what the Scriptures present and this truth has an authority and power that must not be weakened. How we engage with Scripture, and its application to all of life, will contribute towards how well our people learn to distinguish truth from error. Simplistic proof-texting, idealistic spirituality, or just moralizing the text are some of the many ways we can be unhelpful in teaching our people the value of truth and the ways of discernment and study needed to identify the truth.

Unfortunately, in our world with its flood of anti-truth gullibility, claims of fake news, and a paranoid readiness to latch onto any kind of bizarre alternative, we now face the need to teach Christians how to think. The capacity to think is an essential requirement for missional engagement. This includes:

• How to research and find the relevant evidence, and then process and evaluate this information.

• How scientific research works so they can discern the legitimate scientific claims from the dubious. You do not have to be a scientist here as there are established basic questions for this.

• How to see through the scams, the political rhetoric, and the hubris of some Christian leaders.

• The importance of critical analysis and why some claim this is bias when it is not. How to pick the difference.

• The anything-goes nature of social media whereas mainstream media has far more checks in the system, with one notable exception. 

• That patriotism does not mean being positive about everything, that genuine patriotism includes critical analysis. 
• That any kind of party loyalty, including denominational and political, produces a real risk of compromising the truth.

Attention to these is not a lot of extra work. It is partly just a matter of good role models of thinking in preaching and teaching, and in helping people think through the application of Scripture to life and mission. It is about helping people see good examples of finding and processing the evidence from Scripture, and the evidence from life, needed for wise and mature application.

This is not a peripheral need. Capacity to think directly impacts all aspects of Christian life and mission. Capacity to think is an important part of the enlightenment that comes from the filling each day with the Holy Spirit (contrary to the mistaken idea that the Spirit’s work bypasses our minds). The capacity to think is a significant factor in discerning well how we are to love one another and love those in the darkness. The Gospel’s credibility is undermined every time Christians buy into arguments and opinions that lack credibility. For the sake of the credibility of our Gospel, our mission, our hope, we consistently must be people of truth.

There is a third need, the enlightening, liberating, equipping work of the Holy Spirit. To this end, there needs to be an urgency in our calling to pray without ceasing. It is best if we collaborate with the Spirit in the two areas I have just summarized. 

In conclusion, one statement from Jesus often comes to mind because of its relevance to these concerns, Matthew 12:43-45, and Luke 11:24-26. Jesus seems to be talking about more than just people being demonized. There are implications for Israel as well as for individuals. I think of Christians who are largely empty of Biblical perspectives, values, truths, priorities, and theology. They are vulnerable. When Biblical input is limited, the world fills in the gaps. The more people are ill-equipped to critique and evaluate their information diet, the more the world fills in the empty spaces. Do not doubt just how powerful and intrusive this can be. Everyone brings to faith the information diet of their past. Maturity in discipleship comes as we work our way through the perspectives, values, and practices that we inherited from our backgrounds, and as we critically analyze the information fed to us every day. But to do so, we need thinking skills as well as Biblical knowledge. 

All that we have surveyed above is compounded in every IC. The mix of people and their diverse backgrounds, and the information inputs that swamp their perspectives every day from an even wider range of sources, effectively multiplies the challenges for all IC leaders. Yet it is not an impossible task. Equipping our people to be wise and discerning can be developed in every sermon and Bible study, every prayer and song, every announcement, and every pastoral engagement. Through us, the people of the church learn by our example and explanation how to “rightly handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). This means not using the Bible as a launching pad for whatever opinion we want. IC leaders need to grow in their capacities to do this well, thereby preparing the people with the critical thinking skills they will need in the week to come as our people are deluged with such hugely diverse information diets from around the world.

We want our churches to demonstrate the life and community of the Kingdom. We want our churches to be growing in maturity. We want Christians to be people who can engage well in serving those beyond the church, and in serving the societies in which they live. We want to see God’s glory fill the earth as the Kingdom increases. Facing the challenges of the massive information flow into the lives of our people is one essential ingredient to make it so.

Be encouraged in this, the Spirit is already at work!

Graham Chipps

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Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:2

Most companies offer an employee benefits package, typically including incentives like health and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, retirement plans, bonuses, profit-sharing and stock options, paid time off for vacations and sick leave, and/or a myriad of other attractive perks to draw and maintain workers who will serve their company well. As the wife of a retired airline pilot, my favorite benefit has undoubtedly been the privilege of traveling without cost wherever the airline happens to fly, often in first class. This perk has enabled us to minister around the world without requiring compensation from those we serve, and it lasts a lifetime—or as long as the airline lasts. 

However, one must know how to apply this benefit judiciously, seeing it as a privilege rather than an entitlement. There is a written code of conduct, including specifications for appropriate attire, regulations for onboard behavior, and the implicit understanding that paying customers always have priority over non-revenue passengers. One must be a family member of the employee in order to qualify. Over the course of thirty-five years, we know the drill inside out. 

So how was it possible that we completely overlooked another valuable benefit—hotel points? Well, commercial airline employees don’t accrue these points because the major airlines negotiate with hotel chains to accommodate their crews at costs far below the rack rates. So occasionally we’d hear friends talk about using points to stay at a hotel or resort, but since this information didn’t apply to us, we didn’t retain it. When my husband Philippe began flying for a small charter company after his airline retirement, we were unaware of any tangible benefits.

When we were preparing to go to the MICN Global Gathering in Turkey this past October, a close friend and fellow member of the APT, Karen Boutch, mentioned she was planning to use hotel points to stay overnight at a Marriott hotel in Izmir after the conference. Thinking it would be fun to join her, I suggested to Philippe that we consider this possibility. Never having done this before, he opened his Marriott app, astonished to discover hundreds of thousands of points he had accumulated over the past three years while flying for this little charter company! We could stay at a luxury hotel for almost nothing because the previously-hidden benefit was there for us to use anytime we wanted. We were giddy like little kids at Christmas, dreaming about all the places we might stay without having to pay. 

It struck me that many of us, as members of the body of Christ, are likewise unaware of the magnitude of the benefits our Lord has set apart for us simply because He loves us and we carry His name. Psalm 103:2 reads, Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Over the course of the next several verses, the psalmist, King David, recounts one benefit after another: He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases; He redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion; He satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 

With unstoppable momentum, David’s Spirit-inspired words crescendo to a climax: For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. What worldly benefit could possibly compete with that? The sin that once separated us from our Father in heaven has been blotted out by the blood of His Son, never to be remembered again. But His love remains.

While praising the Lord, the psalmist reminds us to “forget not” His benefits. In other words, we must choose to remember, to call to mind what the Lord has done—to count our blessings. I was given an object-lesson opportunity to put this into practice very recently. Two days prior to our anticipated departure for Europe in late September, Philippe visited his flight doctor for a compulsory commercial pilot physical, including an electrocardiogram. Upon reading the EKG, the doctor said, “Look at this bottom line. I’m reading it as a possible infarction—a heart attack.” 

As Philippe began protesting, “Well, we’re leaving for Europe in two days…”  his doctor interrupted with, “I don’t think so. I’m send you to a cardiologist, stat.” 

Phoning as he left the medical office, Philippe broke the news to me. Although I was a bit nonplussed by this unexpected turn of events, perfect peace soon washed over me like a gentle spring rain. Remembering the assurance of God’s abiding presence I’d experienced seven years ago on hearing of my own diagnosis with cancer, I was able to praise Him in anticipation of the benefits I knew would be available to us again. 

When Philippe walked through the door that morning, I hugged him for a long time. Then I said, “Now we’re going to praise the Lord, because this is what we know is right to do.” In complete agreement, we began to bless the Lord, remembering His faithfulness to us in the past, anticipating that same faithfulness in the future. As I laid hands on my husband and began to pray, the Holy Spirit manifested His power through repeated electric-like jolts, reminding me of the words of Jesus saying, “I felt power going out from me.” And we gave thanks to the Lord for that.

The following morning, Philippe met with the cardiologist recommended by his flight physician. Doing a repeat EKG in his office, the doctor looked at the printout and said, “Well, this is different from the one done yesterday. I don’t really see a problem here.” But just to cover all the bases, he ordered a nuclear stress test as well as an echocardiogram to be done the following week. When we met with him to learn the results, he smiled at Philippe and said, “Well, you have a strong, healthy heart.” 

Obviously, we were deeply grateful for this confirmation of the Lord’s benefit expressed in verse three of Psalm 103, “and heals all your diseases.” While saddened at not being able to represent the Ambassadorial Prayer Team at the Global Gathering, we purposed to look beyond our immediate disappointment to consider how the Lord might apply this lesson for an even greater benefit to the body of Christ. Perhaps it is to encourage you right now as we close out 2023 and prepare to greet a brand-new year. 

What hidden benefits are just waiting for you to discover? He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases; He redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion; He satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s. God’s benefit plan is available to every one of His children for the asking. What better resolution with which to begin the New Year than to praise the Lord and remember His benefits?

As part of our ministry as MICN prayer ambassadors, we make ourselves available to travel to member churches to teach on prayer, preach, and pray for pastors and their families, staff, and members of the congregation. We invite you to consider this opportunity and contact us at [email protected] for more information. Don’t wait. Discover yet another benefit the Lord has set apart for you. 

Jan de Chambrier
MICN Prayer Ambassador

The post Forget Not All His Benefits appeared first on Missional International Church Network.

We concluded last time with a recognition that a theology of justice and righteousness raises up many questions. They are questions that challenge us with our traditions and cultures.

4. FOUR CHALLENGES MUST BE FACED IF WE ARE TO ENGAGE WITH A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON JUSTICE:

1. There is the need to expand our ideas about what is “S/spiritual” so that we stop prioritizing what we narrowly label as spiritual and thereby neglect the whole of God’s agenda for us and for the nations. Everything about God is S/spiritual. Every detail of His work is S/spiritual. There is a Spiritual dimension to all of creation. All God’s work in the world is a work of His Spirit, from Creation to Kingdom completed. Christ, the Word of God, is filled with the Spirit and so all His work is Spiritual. God sustains the whole creation with His Word (Psalm 33:4-11, 148:5, Hebrews 1:3) and Spirit (Psalm 104:27-30); God works in all human history with His Word and Spirit. It is a false dichotomy to claim some things are spiritual and some are not. Justice is as much a S/spiritual reality and issue as anything else. To focus on some S/spiritual needs to the neglect of others misrepresents Christ. The S/spiritual needs of individual persons are very real but so are the S/spiritual needs of societies, nations, and the whole earth. Individual spirituality does not exist in a vacuum.
2. It takes real determination and a well-developed theology to hold together the full range of our missional calling as Christ’s disciples. Those who focus on making the Gospel known, calling people to faith in Christ, too readily become neglectful of standing up for the full range of human need. Working towards justice is not an optional extra as is clear from the foundational truths listed in Parts Two and Three. Those who focus on caring for the needy and working towards justice can just as readily become neglectful of the need for the Gospel to be made known. Mission effectiveness is enhanced when word and deed, action and Gospel, are integrated together (as consistently demonstrated by Jesus). Reductionism is a real temptation of the human heart: we like to make things easier for ourselves thereby domesticating, disempowering, and controlling the faith.
3. There is a need to break out of the preoccupation with individualist spirituality. We know that so much culture is highly individualistic, as is common across ICs and the Western church. Yet, discipleship is about being “individuals-in-community”. For example, Paul’s letters are to churches and address how churches are to function as communities of faith in Christ. Of course, individuals matter here but so does the body of Christ which is more than just a collection of individuals. We need preaching that gives equal time to being the body of Christ, being a church, as we do to individual spirituality and discipleship. Faithfully being a church driven by the NT values for church life together inevitably draws in perspectives of justice, or at least it should. Our priority is not an individual’s relationship with God but the glory of God in the reign of Christ over all the earth which is expressed in all things being fully characterized by the character of God. If our passion is the glory of God as revealed in Scripture, as expressed in the promises of the Kingdom, a love of social justice inevitably follows.
4. International churches exist in a great diversity of contexts. The post-Christendom world of most of the West in many ways takes us back to the world of the early church. Some ICs function in very closed and restrictive countries in which it is easy to offend politically and legally: some in countries with high levels of religious sensitivities. There is an art and wisdom in effective advocacy for justice, and this takes time to develop. Even in quite open countries with high levels of freedom of speech, this wisdom is essential. ICs need conversations to consider how they can witness to Christ and His justice in their own context. No two contexts, no two ICs are the same, and no church can do everything. There is no one-size-fits-all. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 applies here.
5. There is a need to break out of the preoccupation with sexual identity, sexual orientation, and sexual morality. Clearly, these are real concerns but so are a wide range of other issues. Too many of us become so focussed on issues of sexuality that we become blind to the range of justice and morality issues across society. Furthermore, we need to back off from making public statements (which mostly just come across as unjust and uncaring judgementalism) and realize that we are far from agreement across the Christian community. A commitment to the Bible as the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct has not produced agreement. I recommend that we work together on developing a far better understanding of all aspects of human sexuality, as well as a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of all that the Bible has to say on these matters. We have much work to do here. This is essential if we are to engage with the issues of justice in ways that help people see and appreciate how much justice is integral to our God. The credibility of the Gospel is at stake here.

6. IGNORANCE IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM.

Too many are nowhere near as informed as they think they are on the injustices in their own nation let alone other nations. Too readily judgements are made that tend to blame the victims for the issues they face, or simply explain away the problems. Note the passion of God for the weak, the needy, the oppressed, the afflicted, those who cry out (Psalm 72), the fatherless, the poor, the oppressed (Psalm 82), the widows and the foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:18). Note Isaiah 1:17 and Malachi 3:5. God understands, but do we? It takes time to understand just how trapped people can be in such circumstances, just how much they are powerless, just how much people can be disadvantaged, and how societies unjustly contribute to their sufferings. If we do not take to time to understand, to listen to the stories of injustice, then we will inevitably simply take up the rationalizations of our political and cultural background.

Ignorance of the realities of injustice as it is actually experienced by people is one of the reasons for vast differences of opinion on many social justice issues.

Too easily we can be like the lawyer who asked, “Who is my neighbour?” This is a question searching for a rationalization to be selective in whom one loves, and how and when and for whom we are to work for justice. Ignorance feeds the attempt to minimize the realities of injustice. Such rationalizations, reductionisms, live in the hearts of all of us sinners. We want to pick and choose when justice matters, and for whom. Political loyalties readily overrule the evidences of injustice.

Those with wealth and power, those with vested interests who want to hold on to the status quo, often are the loudest voices in the media. They confidently promote their rationalizations and play on our fears. Their horror stories of what we happen if do not comply with their agendas are mostly invalid. Often, the loudest voices are from those with other agendas.

This statement was on social media recently, “Being taught to avoid talking about politics and religion has led to a lack of understanding of politics and religion.” The same could be said of social justice as many Christian leaders urged us to focus on spiritual matters not realizing that justice is a profoundly spiritual matter. Justice is woven into the Gospel because any Christ-centred proclamation cannot be true to Christ if such an important feature of His rule is ignored. Now the lack of engagement by the church in matters of social justice is one of the contributing factors in the decline in credibility for the Christian faith in many parts of the world. Justice is a moral issue, always was, and always will be. The church claims to stand up for morality but undermines its message as we pick and choose what matters to us, what fits with our political presumptions.

7. IN CONCLUSION.

Many have tried, some repeatedly, yet without exception not one has succeeded. Claiming to be preaching the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible, preachers have proclaimed the Word year by year without giving due attention to the recurring and strong concern in Scripture for justice, God’s justice, God’s love of Justice, God’s passion for justice to prevail in all the earth and its nations, and God’s promise to bring justice into all nations through the rule of His Messiah.

We have laid out the OT foundations for understanding God’s commitment to justice across all of life. We have summarized the coming of Messiah, the Son of God, who now rules the nations with an agenda for transformation that includes justice and all that goes with being a just people. We have briefly noted some of the more fundamental shifts needed in our perspectives and practices if we are to truly live as disciples of the Messiah.

To be a missional church that expresses the fullness of God in our engagement with the world we must be disciples with a passion for justice. There is no other way for the glory of God to be seen in us. We must never be selective about which of God’s passions to practice and which to ignore. We must never narrow down the Gospel to little more than personal spiritual benefit. If we are passionate about His love, mercy, forgiveness, holiness, salvation, gift of new life, and His vision for hope, then we must appreciate well just how indispensable justice is to each of these, and blends into the essence of each one. May the Word and Spirit of God in Christ increasingly enlighten us.

There is a wealth of good material from Evangelicals published on social justice. I encourage you to read as much of this as you can.

Below is a hymn, a prayer, calling out for God’s justice. The tune, Thaxted, is from Gustaf Holtz, The Planets, from the middle section of the Jupiter movement. Thaxted can be found in most hymnals.

Graham Chipps

The post Blessed are Those Who Cry out for Justice 3/3 appeared first on Missional International Church Network.

At the centre of all good theology is God Himself. He is the reference point by which we figure out all the rest. Last time we just how passionately God is a God of justice who loves justice. God works for justice. God commands justice be practised. God condemns injustice. God promises justice will come through Messiah’s Kingdom.

The comprehensive nature of God’s justice is further expressed as follows:

• The common parallelism of ‘righteousness’ and ‘justice’ highlights the comprehensive character of the language, as well as making it impossible for us to think that we can have one without the other: just two different ways to say the same thing. Job 29:14, Psalm 11:7, 36:6, 50:6, 72:1 & 2, Proverbs 8:20, Isaiah 1:27, 5:7, 5:16, 11:4, 16:5, 28:17, 32:1, 32:16, 51:5, 59:9, 59:14, Jeremiah 12:1, Amos 5:7, 5:24, 6:12, Habakkuk 1:4.
• Likewise, the common pairing of these two words in other ways.1 Kings 10:9, 2 Chronicles 9:8, Job 37:23, Psalm 33:5, 97:2, 103:6, Proverbs 21:15, 29:7, Isaiah 9:7, 33:5, Jeremiah 9:24, Hosea 2:19, Zephaniah 3:5.

Righteousness and justice are also integrated with other realities of God’s character and work:

• In Psalm 33:5, YAHWEH’s love for righteousness and justice is at the heart of His expansive lovingkindness that fills the earth. Cf. 1 Kings 10:9, 2 Chronicles 9:8, Isaiah 16:5, Hosea 2:19, 12:6.
• Isaiah 11:5 parallels righteousness with faithfulness in describing the Messiah. See also Nehemiah 9:33, Psalm 40:10, 85:10 & 11, 89:14, 96:13, 119:75, 132:9, 143:1, 145:17, Isaiah 1:21, 1:26, 16:5, 26:2, 42:3, 61:8, Ezekiel 18:9, Habakkuk 2:4, Zechariah 8:8.
• Isaiah 51:1-6 integrates the coming of justice, compassion, light, righteousness, and salvation to the nations. Included here is the restorative renewal of Zion which will bring Eden-like gardens and much celebration. See also Psalm 36:5-7, 85:9-13, Isaiah 1:27, 46:13, 56:1.
• Genesis 18:25 declares, “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” God’s righteousness/justice determines the outcomes of His judgements. Whether in restoration or condemnation, the Judge of all the earth makes right what is wrong. See also Psalm 9:8, 72:2, 94:15, 96:13, 98:9, Isaiah 11:3-4, 16:5.
• Isaiah 5:16 states that the holiness of God requires justice and righteousness. Cf. Psalm 97:12, 145:17, Amos 2:7, Daniel 9:24.
• As Psalm 85:10 expresses so well, righteousness and peace come together in a kiss. Justice and peace are interdependent. See also Isaiah 9:7, 32:15-17, 59:8. The implications for Colossians 1:15-20 are enormous. Isaiah 32:15-17 describes the impact of the pouring out of God’s Spirit, peace incorporating justice and righteousness transforms the land.

The Old Testament anticipates a transformation of nations in which each nation is put to right and holiness, salvation, justice, and so on are one integrated package. This is the agenda of the Messiah, who is Lord of Heaven and Earth, the Suffering Servant, and the Son of God. Through Christ, through repentance and faith, through forgiveness and new life, being included in this new world becomes God’s gift to us. Abandonment, banishment, and death is the alternative.

Most of the Biblical detail about what we can expect of Christ is laid out in the Old Testament. Our understanding of His agenda, and the agenda we have as His disciples, is seriously weakened when we fail to devote substantial study to the wealth of OT information that sets up the coming and work of the Messiah.

Our God has a deep love of and commitment to all who suffer from the injustices of human society. Such love flows from the most fundamental essence of who God is. The OT promises of a new day in which righteousness and justice flow throughout the earth (Amos 5:24) are all pivotal to the reign of Christ. His Kingdom comes to put all to right.

We have laid out a summary of the Old Testament foundations for understanding God’s love for justice. A new day dawns for justice when Jesus, the Son of God, comes to rule.

1. MESSIAH’S COMING INAUGURATES THIS NEW ERA OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE.

Jesus’ Kingdom, though so small in its beginnings, eventually will fill the earth with the liberation (Romans 8:18-23), renewal (Revelation 21:5), and reconciliation (Colossians 1:15-23) of all things. For humankind, repentance and faith continue to be the gateway into this new global order. In Christ, our righteous God will put all to right and so fill the earth with His glory. Justice will be perfected in every nation. This new order across His creation is God’s gift to His people. Hence, setting aside a people for Himself by grace through faith is an indispensable component of Christ’s agenda.

Jesus repeatedly speaks up and acts against injustice, as we would expect given Isaiah 11:1-9. When Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” the wealth of OT material on justice and righteousness leaves us with no doubt that justice is integral to Jesus’ words.

The inauguration of this Kingdom incorporates the whole of the First Advent from the Incarnation to Jesus’ enthronement at the right hand of God. The decisive moment is His obedience unto death whereby He dies the death that should have been ours, and confirms His worthiness to rule supreme which includes His victory over all the powers of rebellion.

Consider these New Testament big-picture visions. This future directs and shapes the current agenda of the Son of God as He rules to bring all nations into submission (Psalm 2:1-12).

Given the promises that Messiah brings justice and righteousness to all the earth (see part two), justice for the poor and the victims of injustice, justice in the affairs of nations and between nations, then ….

• When Jesus declared, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18), justice and righteousness are inevitable consequences of His rule. He has the authority to make it so.
• When Jesus referred to the coming restoration/renewal (Matthew 19:28), righteousness and justice are integral to this expectation. See also Acts 3:21.
• When Paul states that Jesus has been exalted to the right hand of God above every power and authority (Ephesians 1:19-23), justice and righteousness are on His agenda for all the earth. All things caught up in Christ (Ephesians 1:9-10), and all things in submission to Christ (Philippians 2:9-11), and therefore all things perfectly characterized by all aspects of righteousness and justice.
• When Paul writes of the reconciliation of all things (Colossians 1:15-20) and the liberation of creation from the curse of human sin (Romans 8:19-23), justice and righteousness will be fully woven into all things. Note the comprehensive nature of “all things” in Colossians 1:15-17.
• When John declares that renewal of all things is coming with the new heaven and new earth, with the arrival of the New Jerusalem, and the presence of the Lord God Almighty, justice and righteousness will be perfected in everything (Revelation 21:1-5).

We have surveyed the groundwork for appreciating God’s love of social justice. There is the wealth of expressions throughout the Old Testament about what it means for God to be a just God. The New Testament builds on this foundation in Jesus Himself and in the Kingdom He announced as commencing in Him.

All good theology stirs up many good questions and God’s love of justice is no different. Next time we will engage with a few of these.

Graham Chipps

The post Blessed are Those Who Cry out for Justice – 2/3 appeared first on Missional International Church Network.

In his book, Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind, Tom Holland surveys the two millennia since the beginnings of the Christian movement, including the ways the values and ethics of Christianity have pervaded and shaped the post-modern Western mind. Now, he concludes, much of the criticism of the church has developed out of these values of morality, justice, compassion, grace, equality, love, freedom, and kindness. The “standards by which they stand condemned …. are themselves Christian” (page 525). Undoubtedly, we can all find exceptions and distortions when such generalizations are made. But there is some truth to this; we live in a world where so many are crying out for justice and the values that are fundamental to justice. Yes, it is complicated, and many see it differently, but the fact remains that the justice and compassion values of the Christian faith are being applied to the church, and to the wider society, and much is found to be wanting.

Why does this matter? Why does social justice matter? What about God and the recurring and strong concern in Scripture for justice, God’s justice, God’s love of Justice, God’s passion for justice to prevail in all the earth and its nations, and God’s promise to bring justice into all nations through the rule of His Messiah.

Injustice develops out of ignorance, selfishness and greed, love of and abuse of power, political ideologies, rebelliousness against God, fear, vested interests and political ambition, tribalism, racism, sexism, inadequate laws and legal systems, and weak theology. Injustice is often systemic, often due to the corruption of those in high positions of wealth and power, and an inevitable consequence of the deceitful work of the demonic principalities and powers.

Given the prevalence of injustice across every nation and every city in which there is an International Church (IC), it is surprising and disturbing that often justice is a neglected topic in the church. How is it possible for something so deeply embedded in the character, heart and mind of God to be neglected?

As a consequence of this neglect, most Christians seem to be unable to engage meaningfully with others on the social issues that are a significant factor in how an increasing number of people respond to the Christian faith. Without a strong Biblical perspective and theology, Christians resort to the standardized (and unconvincing) arguments of their political, social, and economic backgrounds. And most stop listening.

1. WHY DOES JUSTICE MATTER?
1. It matters to God. It matters in Christ’s Kingdom agenda. It matters if we are to truly represent God as He is. It matters if we are to preach and teach the whole counsel of God as laid out from Genesis to Revelation. It matters because God never ceases to work towards justice (He cannot deny Himself), and we are His servants/agents in this work. It matters because justice and righteousness are integral to holiness and salvation. It matters because God’s glory matters: when His glory fills the earth, justice/righteousness will characterize all the nations.

When we leave out God’s love of justice, and His promise to bring justice to the nations, we make God seem weak, as if He has nothing to offer as the world cries out for justice across a range of legitimate issues. By implication, are we effectively saying that He is ignorant of the sufferings across the world, or He just doesn’t care, or He simply is powerless to do much about it? As always, silence speaks loudly.

2. It matters to much of the world around us. How can we equip the people of our churches to engage meaningfully in conversations with those outside the church? From the individual victims of violence and corruption of all kinds, through to the selling out of future generations by our weak responses to global warming, there is much on the minds of people. Do we have a message of hope for those who cry out for justice? If all we have to offer this world is an escape to heaven, we come across to the world as morally bankrupt. Our credibility as witnesses to Christ depends on how well our people can engage in meaningful conversations with family, colleagues, friends, and neighbours.

Younger generations tend to have a much more integrated view of reality than the more compartmentalized perspectives of the past. They tend to see the injustices of society more readily.

When the world seems to bring despair and hope becomes elusive, it is hardly surprising that so many retreat into finding meaning and emotional fulfilment in entertainment, materialism, addictions of various kinds, spiritual self-indulgence, music, sport, extremist politics, and conspiracy theories. For some, music concerts have become religious experiences (as one popular musician recently stated). In spirit, the Roman circus is alive and well. What is our message of hope for all these?

Meanwhile, the church is bleeding. We read of the de-churching of huge numbers: I know people who have de-churched. While there are many causes for this, the reputation of the church is a major factor. Hypocrisy, paedophilia, ignorance and silence on the mega-issues of our societies, siding with conservative politics against the victims of injustice, hate-speech, spiritual and sexual abuse, judgementalism, and arrogant presumptions that societies should conform to our ways as if Christendom is still with us (it is not). This Christendom mindset is particularly intolerable to many in our societies. In the minds of many, injustice, arrogance and lack of compassion are characteristic of the church. The fixation on sexual morality to the neglect of the injustices across every society is seen as just another area of hypocrisy. What is happening in Western societies today is what is coming for non-Western churches and international churches tomorrow.

Sadly, such images of the church fail to appreciate that there is also much in the church that is not like this.

2. LAYING OUT THE ESSENTIAL BIBLICAL FOUNDATION.

Consider these Biblical themes on social justice:

• God is a God of justice who loves justice. Deuteronomy 32:4, 2 Corinthians 12:6, Psalm 9:16, 11:7, 31:1, 33:5, 36:6, 37:28, 45:6, 50:6, 89:14, 97:2, 99:4, 101:1, 106:3, 117:7, 119:137, 144, Isaiah 5:16, 30:18, 41:10, 61:8-9, Jeremiah 9:24, 12:1, Zephaniah 3:5.
• God works for justice. Psalm 10:14-18, 103:6, 140:12, 146:6-8, Isaiah 51:4-5, Amos 5:24, Luke 18:1-8.
• God commands justice be practised. Genesis 49:16, Exodus 23:6, Leviticus 19:15, Deuteronomy 16:19-20, 24:17, Psalm 45:6, 72:1-17, 106:3, 112:5, 119:121, Proverbs 21:15, 24:24-25, 29:7, Isaiah 1:17, Jeremiah 22:3, 22:15, Ezekiel 18:5-9, 18:19, 18:21, 18:27, 33:14-16, Zechariah 7:9, Hosea 12:6, Amos 5:15, 5:24, Micah 3:1, 6:8, Zechariah 7:9.
• God condemns injustice. Deuteronomy 27:19, Isaiah 1:21, 5:7, 5:23, 10:1-4, 29:20-21, 56:1, 59:4, 59:8-15, Jeremiah 5:28, Lamentations 3:34-36, Ezekiel 22:29, 45:9, Amos 2:7, 5:7, 5:10, 5:12, 6:12, Micah 3:8-12, Habakkuk 1:4, Malachi 2:17, 3:5.
• God promises justice will come through Messiah’s Kingdom. Psalm 45:6, 72:1-17, Isaiah 1:27, 2:4, 9:5-7, 11:1-9, 16:4-5, 28:5-6, 28:16-19, 32:1-2, 32:15-17, 33:5, 42:1-4, 51:4-5, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15, Ezekiel 34:16, Hosea 2:19, Amos 5:24.

These are long lists, but I decided to not shorten them in any way so that you can simply see the volume of Biblical input on justice. Yet even this list does not include the multiple passages referring to the wide-ranging practices of justice and injustice without using the word (e.g., Read through all of Amos, or Isaiah, or the Law of Moses).

But what exactly is it? We need to avoid just assuming that our words and their meanings simplistically equate to the meanings of such words throughout Scripture. As with most Biblical language, there is no narrow or fixed meaning. Righteousness, right judgement in accordance with truth and without partiality, judicial government, legal justice, moral and ethical standards, and social justice all express the concept. Justice and righteousness are best evident when mercy is extended to the needy and helpless, when workers are paid as they should be, when cheating and deceit are completely absent, and when all are treated equally with respect and kindness. Generosity flows out of righteousness (Psalm 37:21) as does practical care for “the least” (Matthew 25:31-46). Justice and righteousness bring equity and equality to societies, to churches, and to all relationships.

We should note that when the Bible addresses God’s passion for justice and injustice in society, most frequently the concerns focus on the poor and disadvantaged, the vulnerable and oppressed, orphans, widows and foreigners, and a wide range of others. The fact they all are also sinners does not seem to weaken God’s commitment to them. Largely, social justice is at the heart of His commitment.

God is just and right in all He is and all He does in every aspect of His engagement with the world. If we are to live out His glory, we must take up these qualities of His character and nature. Righteousness includes moral purity and freedom from sin, injustice, evil and corruption. Perhaps, ‘righteousness’ gives some emphasis to the essential character of God while ‘justice’ and ‘judgement’ express the social practice of His righteousness.

Next time we will explore further the Old Testament’s comprehensive understanding of social justice.

Graham Chipps

The post Blessed are Those Who Cry out for Justice – 1/3 appeared first on Missional International Church Network.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the world in unprecedented ways. It is creating new opportunities and challenges for various sectors of society, including the church. How does AI affect the mission and vision of the International Church movement, a network of churches that seeks to spread the gospel across cultures and nations? I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Bill Koogler, a theologian and leader within the movement, to get his insights on this topic.

Dr. Koogler began by acknowledging the positive impact of AI on the church, especially in terms of communication, education and outreach. He said that AI has enabled the church to connect with people from different backgrounds and locations, to provide them with relevant and engaging content, and to reach out to those who are marginalized or unreached by traditional methods. He also mentioned some examples of how AI has been used for good in the church, such as:

– Translating sermons into different languages using speech recognition and natural language processing

– Creating chatbots that can answer questions, provide guidance and offer prayer support for seekers and believers

– Analyzing data from social media, surveys and feedback to understand the needs, preferences and trends of the church members and potential visitors

– Developing online courses, podcasts and videos that can teach biblical truths, doctrines and skills to learners of various levels and backgrounds

– Using facial recognition, biometrics and blockchain to verify identities, protect privacy and ensure security in online transactions and interactions

However, Dr. Koogler also warned about the potential dangers and pitfalls of AI for the church. He said that AI poses ethical, theological and spiritual questions that the church needs to address carefully and critically. He said that AI can also create a false sense of security, dependency and complacency in the church, leading to a loss of human agency, creativity and responsibility. He urged the church to be vigilant and discerning in using AI, and to always prioritize human dignity, relationships and values over technology.

Dr. Koogler concluded by sharing his vision for the future of the church in light of AI. He said that he hopes that the church will use AI as a tool and not a master, as a means and not an end, as a servant and not a lord. He said that he believes that the church can harness the power of AI for God’s glory and purposes, while also being aware of its limitations and risks. He said that he prays that the church will continue to be faithful, relevant and innovative in fulfilling its calling to make disciples of all nations.

Author: Chat GPT

That’s right, the whole article above was written in 8 seconds by Chat GPT AI with one prompt and little editing. My mind was blown, and I (this is Bill writing now, I promise) started thinking,

“What does this mean for thinkers and theologians moving forward in the IC movement?

“In an already content-saturated online ministry environment, what does this mean for content creators and thinkers?

“Will busy pastors in a pinch use AI to write emails, sermons, or books? What would that mean for our integrity?”

“Is AI habit-forming?”

AI is moving beyond a novel website link to show friends a disruptor of a magnitude yet to be realized. Depending on what voices you listen to, AI may be a passing fancy, a minor disruption, or the introduction of an era like Guttenberg or Apple. Only time will tell.

Historically, the church has responded with mixed success to leveraging technology for ministry in a timely manner. Unfortunately, there are seasons where the church has been apathetic and even oppositional to technological shifts. The use of written Bibles, electricity, musical instruments, overhead transparency projectors, computer software, digital ministry, online streaming, etc. The list could go on and on. In many situations, the church has been very late to the party in embracing technology for use in ministry.

Why are Fortune 500 companies so quick to leverage technology for financial gain and the church so slow for potential missional growth?

If I can challenge us with two seemingly contradictory statements:

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore AI and how we can use it to share God’s timeless message.

Don’t worry, AI won’t make or break “your” ministry.

That’s right, the church has the eternal edge on growth and success. We have the power of the Holy Spirit guiding us. Be about God’s most valued business, salvation. In recent decades, the churches thought that coming up with relevant and creative content would attract people to our churches and to our Lord. During COVID, we realized that the world is already saturated with excellent content. Now insight is needed even more than content. Even now, content and insight are fine, but we must see the value of insight as mere customization or personalization. AI can customize and personalize in seconds what it takes us hours to do—and many times “better” than we can.

People still value insight, but I believe that in the future, customization and personalization will no longer be the most desirable elements of content or information. The most desirable element will be the one thing that AI cannot offer: humanity. The human touch is an insight that truly mirrors human-to human, soul-to-soul, person connections.

The church specializes in human connection. The church specializes in a message of good news about humanity’s connection with our creator! The one who not only knows our soul intimately but gives us the very breath in our lungs God himself is not only connected with the church but also died and came back to life for the church so that an eternal connection could be possible. We remain connected through the Holy Spirit. As great as computers get, AI will never be able to beat HS.

As “human” as AI may become, it isn’t made in God’s image. God himself didn’t create AI, nor did Jesus die for AI. AI is like clay tablets, paper, books, and phones: AI is just another tool to use to reach a world longing to know the creator of humanity. We are entering an age where human touch and soul connections with our creator will become the ultimate values. The International Church is poised for significant ministry, and I look forward to what God will do in and through us.

I’m humbly thankful God uses us on His mission to save humanity from sin and eternal isolation.

In Him,

Human Bill  

Bill Koogler
Church Stregthening Coordinator                                                                                                               

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Come with me to the Congo as we piece together this puzzle. Having been asked to preach at a citywide evangelistic campaign in the Republic of Congo-Brazzaville, I thought I was armed and ready after weeks, even months, of diligent preparation. But when a quick survey of the crowd revealed a sea of restless, despondent faces reluctant to make eye contact with mine, I knew only the Holy Spirit could lead us to some common ground. Feeling rather presumptuous, even embarrassed, by my First World privilege, I wondered if those who struggle to eke out a subsistent living would be able to relate to the Jesus I know. I jettisoned my carefully constructed notes in favor of simply presenting myself as a letter to them from Christ.

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This May, I went through an event that I had been both expecting and fearing for some time, the passing of my dad. He would have been 100 years old this October.

I dreaded his passing for years, not only because he was my dad, but also because all throughout my childhood, I tried to connect with a man who was not emotionally available.

I always knew that my dad loved me. He provided for his family. He was always there for us, he was a rock that we could count on at all times. A hard working man, a family man, but not a communicating dad.

Raised by a single mom, my dad had never learned how to display his emotions. He grew-up stuffing his feelings deep inside, as it was expected of him. Then came the Second World War. As a young man, he joined the French resistance and the French Army, participating in the liberation of Europe. He came back from the war even more emotionally closed off. He had lost all of his friends at war, and had a tough time reintegrating the “normal civilian life”.

Getting married and building a family didn’t change that reality. He suffered from a “survivor’s guilt” syndrome his entire life, and was embarrassed with any display of emotions, good or bad.

Why I am telling you this?

Because when we live in an international setting, we are not really different.

As international workers we too, suffer from repeated losses, it’s just the reality of our lives.

Which ones? First, the family and friends we left back home. Then the new friends we made who suddenly have to move to a different country. Or if we ourselves have to say goodbye, filled with guilt, because we are the ones moving away because we accepted a new position, somewhere else on the planet. Friends, colleagues, church members… the list is endless and it’s the same for our children.

Multiple losses, multiple repeated grieving processes forced on us because of our obedience to God…

As a consequence along the years, we develop an almost spontaneous resistance to sharing emotions too deeply with those we live life with, especially when they belong to the category of those we will potentially have to say goodbye, “one of these days”.

So, most of the time, unknowingly, we begin to protect ourselves with emotional walls that we develop around our heart and soul, in order to not hurt too much when we will inevitably have to say goodbye. Those walls are supposed to protect us from emotional pain and you know what? They do succeed to a certain point.

The problem is that because they seem effective, we tend to unknowingly, expend them also toward those who belong to our inner circle. These walls end up not only protecting us from painful emotions, but also keeping us from feeling deeply connected with those we love the most. They don’t have full access to our heart anymore!

What can we do when we see these walls in us? Has someone you love or value already told you about your emotional distance?

Back to my dad: Because I knew that he wasn’t able to give me what I needed from him. I  intentionally decided years ago, to go get these emotions from him.

I spent hours purposely talking to him about emotional topics, like his childhood, his years as a soldier, his dreams, his doubts, his faith…

He didn’t know how to say “I love you”, but after telling him numerous times that I loved him, in addition to a special training session he received from my wife Rachel, he was able to tell me those “magic words”several times before he past away!

He wasn’t a hugger, but I hugged him multiple times whenever I was with him. Then he was the one who wanted to hold my hand.

I spent hours talking to him, leading the conversation towards what I needed from him, and by doing so, also giving him the opportunity to process and share his own emotions with me.

Be intentional, this is key.

Chose to prepare yourself, whenever it’s possible, by intentionally spending time with those who matter to you. Don’t push it off to another day.

Let them know how important they are, how much you appreciate them, what they mean to you. Use words, don’t just think about how much you love them, tell them!

Tell them what you want them to know about you, don’t let them guess.

Go to them, create opportunities instead of forever regretting not doing it.

Open up, take risks, you’ll see it will be worth it.

When my dad passed away, I felt the great loss of not being able to have access to him anymore. But to my surprise, the grieving process wasn’t as painful as I was expecting it to be. Somehow I felt like, by being intentionally sure that I would have no regret about my relationship with him, I had already prepared myself. It was still difficult, but I was at peace.

Living in an international setting puts us in a place of regular and inevitable grief of relationship. Let’s not be victims of those repetitive emotional shocks. Let’s not allow them to become a trauma that defines us. It’s easy to wall-up inside an unreachable emotional fortress, unavailable to our family and even ourselves, but it’s painful to everyone.

It’s going to require courage, and determination from you, to leave these walls behind and allow yourself to hurt again. But it’s emotionally healthy. You need it for your own personal growth and stability. Those living around you, need you to be emotionally available to them. Do not deprive them of a display of your affection. You need it as much as they do.

Ask yourself these questions: “Lord, am I 100% emotionally available to my spouse, my family, my friends, those around me who matter the most? Am I going to regret not doing-not saying something to someone who matters to me, a member of my congregation? 

What is stopping me from being emotionally available? 

What can I do to change my behaviour?

In this matter, as in every other, Jesus remains our best example, the one whose steps we can confidently follow:

When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.” (John 11:33-36 NABRE)

The post Learning to say goodbye appeared first on Missional International Church Network.

“Value-adding” is a term used by economists and others to refer to how a product or service can be enhanced, added to, or improved so that it can attract a higher price. I want to apply this term to a church.

In one way this is a bit foolish! The value of a church is in Christ and all He brings to a church: salvation and hope, love for one another, the power of Word and Spirit, the unity of the body of Christ, and the growing impact of Kingdom promises being fulfilled. His presence in the church gives it a very high value. We cannot make the church more valuable than Christ Himself!

Yet, the value of a church is also a matter of how well the church lives out these truths practically. How well is Christ seen and experienced in your church? As the various letters to churches in the New Testament make clear, all churches have things that must be worked on if Christ’s glory is to be fully revealed in the church.

I want to focus on one collection of people who bring much value to a church simply by being there. They bring opportunities for the church to be what it is actually supposed to be. How well the church welcomes, accepts, loves and serves these people is one of those things at the heart of glorifying Christ in the life and ministries of every church. I am referring to the difficult, needy, and burdened people.

These people come in all sorts of variations and degrees of severity: the disillusioned, despairing, lost, lonely, hyper-critical know-it-alls, hurting, angry, ignorant, anxious, bewildered, with psychiatric illnesses, sinners of all kinds, addicted, fearful, depressed, socially inept, the indiscrete, bad-mouthers, divisive, stuck, frail, sick, eccentrics, under-dressed or overdressed, cultural minorities within the church, those with disabilities. Often, the ones who leave others feeling uncomfortable, the high-maintenance people. These are “the least”, the vulnerable, the easily overlooked, the too-readily dismissed.

While it is true that everyone has flaws and struggles in these areas, my concern is for those not coping so well, those struggling with inner realities that debilitate them in more than just a minor way, and those that the church finds hard to care for (sometimes because the church is not even aware of their struggles).

These are the people God brings into our churches because He loves them. God brings them into our church so that we might learn to love as God loves. Love of the un-lovable and undeserving is at the heart of agapē.

I often say that the most valuable person in our international church (IC) in Phnom Penh was a paranoid schizophrenic, who was stateless, poor and unemployable, and living in the illusion that he was a refugee. He mumbled, was hard to understand (ESL), behaved strangely, and sometimes did inappropriate things (like asking single women he did not know if they would marry him). But he was harmless, came to the prayer meetings, was willing to serve, and tithed his meagre income from those who helped him. Loving him with warmth and ensuring he was included facilitated the maturation of the church.

The bigger the church, the busier the church, the more mono-cultural the church, the more doctrinaire the church, the more legalistic the church, the greater the risk that these people will be overlooked and invisible. Consequently, the church will have effectively dismissed this gift of God to the church. Sometimes, churches can become too task-oriented, too caught up in their own rhetoric of the self-congratulating kind, too concerned about feel-good spiritual experience, or too inclined towards social cliques.

Amongst other things, the calling of the church is to love the unlovable, with warmth and affection, generously, and wholeheartedly. Yes, it can be hard when those who need us most are simply inept in conversation, largely just keeping quiet or responding with just a few words, and offering little. Sometimes they can be sociable and gregarious thereby effectively hiding the realities within (like many church leaders). All are to be welcomed and accepted at least as much as the easy-to-like, multi-gifted, psychologically healthy, mature Christian who is willing to serve.

When we do so, it brings maturity to the individuals of the church and to the whole church as one body. Such people are a valuable asset for the church as this facilitates learning the lessons of love and unity, justice and compassion, personal Christ-like sacrifice, patience, and a much-improved understanding of human suffering and human vulnerabilities.

Jesus, Paul, and James each advocate for the wholehearted inclusion of these hard-work people.

Jesus likens the Kingdom of God to sharing meals together or a great banquet (Luke 14:1-24). In both, Jesus expresses judgement against those Jewish leaders who elevated themselves and their friends above the most vulnerable and alienated people in the community. Priority should be given to those least likely to receive an invitation, “the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame” (Luke 14:13 & 21).

Jesus is even stronger in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46). Failure to love and care for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40 & 45) brings extreme condemnation. Here the least are hungry, thirsty, strangers, needing clothes, sick, and imprisoned. Why? Because serving the least is the true measure of what we really think of Christ Himself. Yes, we can debate who exactly is Jesus referring to as “these brothers of mine” but however inclusive or exclusive we understand Jesus here, we best remember The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)! Of course, multiple other passages in Scripture feature caring for the poor and needy. In the practice of love, as soon as we start to fixate on “Is s/he one of us, or one of them?” then we have lost the plot.

Paul’s brilliant exposition of the character and practice of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:1 – 14:40) lays out the same valuing of the least in the practices of church life and ministry. Every member is needed, every member has a part to play (NB: 1 Corinthians 14:26), and no one is merely just there to fill the pews. Here is every-member-ministry, each one giving and receiving. That well-known statement of love neatly comes in the middle of this exposition by Paul. While we might like to feature this passage in weddings, Paul wrote it to ensure we understand that the body-life and every-member-ministry of the church is an outworking of genuine love. True love for one another facilitates the being and doing of the body of Christ, and love must be a priority in how all ministries are practised and received.

We do well to routinely consider how well this might describe our own church. “²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:21-26).

James, like Jesus in Matthew 25, is hard-hitting. When we favour the rich over the poor, the well-dressed over those in rags, then we blaspheme the name of God (James 2:1- 10). Any kind of favouritism in the life and ministry of the church is completely unacceptable. Yet we can so easily do so as we gravitate towards those we like, those who serve the church well, and those with whom we feel most comfortable. People like us: same ethnicity, or nationality, or denomination, or generation, or gender, or sexuality, or theology, or personality. We can favour some over others so easily. The bigger the crowd at church, the easier it is for “the least” to be lost in the crowd. The greater our role in the church, the more likely we will overlook the invisible people as we rush around organizing this or that after church.

Let us get a little more practical. But remember, there is no one-strategy-fits-all solution for all churches and every needy person in the church. Each church is unique and each needs to figure out what is best in their own context.

• Managing culture. Our faithfulness to God is measured by how well we love and serve that collection of people outside the mainstream of church life and culture. Most international churches do have a dominant culture even if being inclusive is worked on. Including the least is facilitated by identifying the dominant culture and intentionally looking out for those who are different. Those in the dominant culture usually underestimate just how much others are not like them.
• Small groups are indispensable. A routine gathering of 10-15 people is essential if the least are to be served well. The larger the church the more this is true. Here the least can most readily be included in mutually supportive friendship and fellowship. And given a role in which they serve others as much as anyone else.
• Train up the whole church. Preach, teach, exhort, and train not just the leaders and pastoral carers but work towards a culture in the church of looking out for others, for those they don’t know. Help them to be able to identify those in need, from the welcomers at the door through to those serving coffee afterwards. Train up the pastoral care team to likewise look out for the invisible ones, the vulnerable, and the struggling. Sensitivity is needed because it is easy to be impatient and rush people. Remember, some simply want to be invisible, to be ignored: social engagement is just too stressful.
• The larger the church the greater the risk. There is a need to understand how your church is at risk that the least will be routinely ignored, invisible. The larger the church, the greater the risk, and the more needed is serious critique: and strategies to ensure no one is left out. In larger churches, it is so much easier for the vulnerable and hurting to be lost in the crowd: especially in large gatherings.
• In the IC. We need to understand the ways in which ICs, with their high turnover and greater diversity of people, must work extra hard to ensure each one is loved well, and welcomed and included warmly.
• Everyone serving. Find ways to enable each one of the least to be a contributor, to have some kind of ministry in the church, a real contribution and not tokenism. For example, there are roles in the church that do not require so much social engagement, and some that do. Perhaps, just ask someone to help you in your role in the church. Being involved in some way can be quite effective in helping others feel they are included. Care is needed here as the larger the church, the more there is to do, and the greater the risk of burning out the workers (a common characteristic of mega-churches).
• Do not implode. Mission works best when the least are loved well in the church community: and the love of one another in the church works best when the church is missionally oriented. Do not sacrifice the mission of the church to the wider society by putting time and energy into caring for those within the church. Nor the reverse. Both the internal and the external engagements are essential and each facilities the effectiveness of the other. Christ calls His church to take both seriously and proactively.
• A key player. Assign someone to focus on identifying the least and linking them up with others who will love them well. I remember one couple in Phnom Penh who after every service would invite several people to join them for a meal in a relatively cheap local restaurant. They would ensure most were people new or on the fringes of the church with a view to helping them feel welcomed and facilitating connections between people. When they left the country, we noticed the difference in the church.
• In the Western world, failure to care for the least by trampling over sensitive people, is a major factor in the negative image of the church in the minds of many.

Many years ago, two people talked with my wife about how they felt in the church. One about a week before the other. Both said that they did not feel like they were part of the church community – and named the other as an example of someone who was!

The glory of God in Christ is revealed and expanded when the church functions in all the ways the Scriptures feature that we are individuals-in-community, together engaged in God’s mission in every nation. Doing church His way may be quite different to the ways of the world, but His ways increase the impact of the Kingdom in the church and into the world. The more the least are served well, the greater is the revelation of the character of our God. May the Spirit and the Word make it so!

Graham Chipps

The post Value-adding a Church appeared first on Missional International Church Network.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.  (Matt 5:14-16 NIV)

In today’s world, the communication of church ministry information is important in so many ways. For the international church, it has become, I believe, the most important means of drawing people into services, Bible studies, and all kinds of events. In our global society, people are continually on the move. Many find themselves coming into a country or city and wanting to locate a church in which they can worship. Yet for many in foreign countries and unfamiliar cities, this is often no small task.

While planting and pastoring an international church in Florence, Italy we quickly found out the importance of a good web presence. Students, international residents, locals, and tourists looked to the web to find a place where they could worship. Over a fourteen-year period, we asked people how they found the church and eighty-five percent of those who came through our doors said they found us through the Internet. So, it became very apparent that our presence on the web was of extreme importance. We learned some lessons that helped us develop a web presence that gave people the answers they needed to find our church and learn about the ministries offered by the church.

Now I realize that there are churches and ministries that are in areas where an open use of something like a website is prohibited and they have to work with other forms of outreach. In those areas, much of what I am addressing in this writing will not be applicable. However, all churches need to have an effective plan and method of outreach and making their mission one of reaching, teaching, and worshipping.

While many churches do have a website, as I look over those sites, I find that a large number do not clearly show the information that people are looking for in locating a church. Many are too focused on graphics and gimmicks. However, most people when searching the web for a church want to know some very basic information. Let me explain the most important areas that need to be quickly located and clearly presented on your church’s website to be effective in drawing people in.

1. Church Location and Contact Information. Contact information and location is essential and must be clearly visible on the opening web page! This includes phone number, with country code, email address, and complete physical address (street, city, and country should all be included) for the church should be located on the very first web page. The phone number and email address of at least one leader should also be there. The location and contact information are important basics and should always be located on the first page.

Display a map on the site showing the church’s location and outline all the major routes to get there, along with a picture of the church so people know what to look for. In Europe, many of the cities have limited access to car transportation in the city’s center. So, we included walking routes from major stations and transportation hubs. Include taxi information with phone numbers and some general costs along with tram and train services that could get a person as close as possible to the church. If cars are allowed, then routes and places to park should be clearly indicated. We also listed travel times from major known locations. Anything to help people be able to find the church easily and reduce the stress of searching and becoming lost in the process of trying to find the church.

2. Service and ministry times and day(s). Note the services that are available in your facility such as restrooms, coffee, and water, or even that it is a place to come and relax and find out information during non-service times are beneficial. Our church often was an information center for many, so noting the times and days the church was open was important. Also, it can be helpful to state the approximate length of services.
3. Language(s) offered in the services and various ministries. Our church was listed as an English-speaking church, but we offered some translation as well. We found it very important to show the language(s) boldly in the description of the ministries offered.
4. Dress expectations.Many want to know what clothing is acceptable and what is not. We made it very clear that we were interested in the person and not a particular dress requirement, but we also included a comment that casual dress was quite appropriate.
5. Availability of childcare. Let people know if childcare is available, during which ministry times, and for what ages.
6. Style of worship music and ministry.Note the style of worship music and ministry your church commonly uses. Be it traditional, contemporary, liturgical, or whatever it will help people to know what to expect and gives them a sense of comfort.
7. Pictures of the pastor(s), staff, and church leaders. Incorporate an information page listing names and ministry/leadership titles and a short, description of who they are and what they lead in the church. Be sure to include a picture with the description. This can help people make connections before they come into the church, often helping them to be more at ease when they do attend.
8. Action pictures.A few pictures or short videos of services in action give people an idea of what to expect.
9. Basic beliefs. This should not be long and drawn out, but with a quick glance, the person can learn about the basic beliefs of the church.

Each of these areas is very important for individuals looking to find a place of worship for either a single service or long-term. Especially make sure the basic information about your church such as contact and location are the first things they find when they are directed to your website! If people cannot easily find answers to many of these questions, they will continue to search for answers elsewhere.

Every Sunday or mid-week in our services we heard people tell us how easy we were to find and how wonderful it was to feel they knew what to expect and they were welcome. Many expressed how in traveling Europe often they could not find this kind of information and thus ended up not attending a church even though they wanted to.

Also, use a program that will give your site dominance on the web search engines. Out of all the churches in Florence most of the time we were the number one international church that came up in a search in Tuscany, Italy. I recommend using a site map program to boost your presence on the web.   An excellent program that is very inexpensive is from Rage Software. It can be used on Windows or Mac systems, and it will promote your site on 5 of the major search engine sites. It also will help tag areas of your site that do not display well and help you correct them.  It is an easy program to set up and use. It costs only 29 US dollars and they do also take other online orders worldwide in the country’s currency. Here is a link to that program: https://www.ragesw.com/products/googlesitemap.html  

With keeping our web presence simple and giving the information people look for we normally had as well as our regulars as many as 30 nations in our Sunday services. Do not overlook the importance of a simple and informative website for your church and ministry organization. It will draw people into your church. Never underestimate the opportunities of ministry to visitors and tourists. For our church, it became normal to have those individuals accept Jesus Christ as Lord in our services. We would then help them find a church in their area to continue to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Our people learned that salvation was the first big step but discipleship was a lifelong endeavor.

The international church is truly one of the fastest-growing tools for reaching the lost and growing them in Christ. Make sure people can find you and once they do find you, make sure they feel the warmest welcome and encouragement anyone can have. Help your church to know that every believer is called to be a witness of and for Christ. Once this happens amazing things will begin to take place in your church.

Randy McGehee
Regional Coordinator for Europe

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