Global Invitational Race
I got to go mt. biking Sunday after worship. I discovered very quickly what I already knew, I am out of shape. I was able to keep up with my riding buddy, because of my technique. Shifting gears, riding position, and momentum all are second nature to me, but where I suffered was on the climbs and the places where my heart, lungs, and legs came into play. To put it bluntly – I spent the day sucking wind. I relate this in a Missional sense to the traditional church. The traditional church has the techniques to do ministry. Our ministry teams operate well to plan and carry out the church purposes. Our worship fits the bill for who we are. Our buildings serve the current needs. We’ve got the technique. The situation is that we are no longer on our home course that meanders around worship hour and church property. We are being invited to an unfamiliar trail and in a long distance race with long climbs and flats where heart, lungs, and legs come into play. Technique is not enough for this race. Training is what we need. Our programs are going to have to focus on discipleship instead of inward needs. Our ministry teams should become boot camps for training people to be sent on mission. Our facilities need to be transformed from spas to outfitters. The good thing is that the technique is already ours. We know how to plan programs and adapt facilities. We need to train for a new race that is not on church property, but a global invitational race. God is inviting us to race with Him in the world.
