'Tis the season for gathering with loved ones around good food and conversation. While many of us may avoid conversations with Uncle Ralph about politics... what might happen if you talked a bit about mission. (Give it a try, you might be surprised!)
Some guidelines:
- Be clear about what you are talking about. The dictionary offers over a dozen potential definitions of the word "mission". If you were to search for common themes, you'd find that most of the definitions center on someone (or something) being "sent". When you think about your congregation's mission... is there some aspect that includes sending?
- Think about who you are talking with. What might they want to know? Conversation about mission can help others discover the heart of your church.
- Consider why you are talking about Mission. This shouldn't be an opportunity for personal glory ("My right arm will never be the same after packing those 1,000 turkeys last night") or ecclesiastical Olympics ("Our church houses the homeless every other week, unlike those Methodists down the street") but rather a chance to share good news ("I was at church the other day, and it was wonderful to see so many people involved in preparing hygiene kits for those made homeless by the fires"). Follow-up with an invitation to further the conversation - "Have you seen other ways that people are responding"?
Local mission in our Presbytery ranges from small churches providing assistance with food insecurity to larger congregations offering full programming for those who are underserved. Mission within the Presbytery extends around the world. Folks from
New York Avenue might talk about the
annual trip to Cuba while those in
Ashburn might speak about their connection to
Farthest Corners. If you're interested in exploring what your sibling churches are doing around the world, check out the Global Mission link below.
So... let's talk about mission at the table this year. You may be as surprised by the conversation as you were when you tried brussels sprouts for the first time as an adult!
Thankful for you and for your ministry of mission! - Karen
