City of God Church: Lafayette

Thoughts on "Living on Mission"

At City of God we frequently talk about living as people on God's mission. The Bible is the story of God on a mission to restore his relationship with fallen humanity, and ultimately to make all things new (2 Cor. 5:19.  In John's Gospel, Jesus is presented as coming to earth, sent from the Father, to also live a life of mission (Jn. 8:42; 12:49; 17:25).

The church is the continuation of Jesus' mission to preach the message of reconciliation.  Prior to returning to the Father, Jesus "sent" his disciples (Jn. 20:21), and gave them a mission to live out (Mt. 28:18-20).

So as faithful followers of Jesus how do we begin to live out this mission?  God has placed each of us in a unique family, neighborhood, employer, and location to be about this work.  At the heart of mission is going in to the world like Jesus, and engaging people where they are.  We'll continue to develop this idea in the coming weeks, but what are some ways that you can begin to engage people in intentional relationships leading to gospel ministry?

1. Invite Someone to Dinner

Everyone loves to eat...why not do it with someone?  Invite a neighbor or co-worker and their family over for a meal.  Eating together is a great way to begin building relationships with others.

2.  Enjoy a Hobby or Passion (outside of the church!)

Frequently churches gather together like minded Christians for the purpose of pursuing a hobby or recreation together.  While this might be enjoyable for everyone it likely won't lead to opportunities for mission.  Rather than playing basketball with a group at church, why not go to your local Y?  Rather than joining a book club at church find a local book club to get involved in.  Don't simply meet with moms from inside your church, but find a moms group already meeting in your community.  Your passion is an easy avenue to begin pursuing mission.

3.  Get Out Into Your Community

It's possible for most people to do almost anything today without any human interaction.  You can pay for gas at the pump, go through the drive through, use an ATM, build relationships through social networking, and do an entire host of other things without being face to face with someone.

Pick some spots in your community where you will start frequenting.  Go to the same local grocery store.  Go in to the same gas station each time you need gas.  Go in to the bank and make conversation to deposit your paycheck.  While it will ultimately cost you a few minutes and some convenience each day you will begin to build relationships with those around you.