If You Give a Church a Mission

The following post is from Tami Perriman from the Vista/Carlsbad, California congregation of Community of Christ.  I came across her article and liked it so requested her permission to re-post it here.  Her story mirrors the experience of her congregation in following Christ into mission.

Enjoy!

Carman Thompson

I must be inspired by an impending visit from my 18 month old granddaughter. One of our favorite books is If You Give s Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Joffe Numeroff.  I was thinking about the domino effect of mission in Community of Christ and feeling amazed, overwhelmed and blessed all at the same time.

If you give a church a mission, then the church might sell everything it possesses so that it can follow Jesus Christ. And if it sells everything, then it will need to find a new place to worship. If it finds a new place to worship, then the church is going to encounter new friends. If the church finds new friends, some of those new friends are going to be hungry and the church will want to feed them. If the church provides food, more friends will come. With more friends, come more needs, so the church will start giving away clothing, blankets, sleeping bags and personal hygiene supplies. If the church starts giving away stuff, they will need more stuff to give away. If they need more stuff, God will provide by calling on the community and other churches to help. If the community and other churches help, more people can be served!

This may seem a little simplified, but the truth is, the first step in mission is always divine encounter, and the willingness to allow yourself to be used by God. Leading Congregations in Mission encourages us to pray these words everyday, “God, where will your Spirit lead today? Help me be fully awake and ready to respond. Grant me courage to risk something new and become a blessing of your love and peace. Amen.”

It sounds similar to another prayer doesn’t it? "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" We are told that God blessed Jabez after he prayed this simple prayer. The Vista Community of Christ has seen God’s response to our prayer as well. In the children’s story, the author cautions against giving a mouse a cookie because of the never-ending cycle of events that happen. If you give a church a mission, prepare yourself for the same blossoming effects, and a never-ending cycle of blessings, for the church, the community, and for you personally as you respond to the call to be God’s hands, feet and heart in this kingdom.

Doctrine and Covenants 162:7a. There are many lives waiting to hear the redeeming words of the gospel, or to be lifted from hopelessness by the hands of loving servants. But they will be lost to you without the generous response of disciples who share from their own bounty that others may know the joys of the kingdom. 

Give a church a mission, share from your bounty.

Tami Perriman

Vista/Carlsbad Community of Christ

Sacred

I was privileged to enjoy a day visit to a reunion, arriving in time for the morning sharing service. The theme being discussed was “We share the Sacred Story.” I listened as several people shared how much the reunion community meant to them, and how the story of the grounds had become sacred in their experience. Perhaps surprisingly, as the conversation continued in that vein, I found myself growing somewhat uneasy.

It was not that there was anything wrong with what was being shared; in fact the stories were both touching and wonderful. What was scratching at the door of my consciousness, however, was a fear that we might grow to think that this is the place where the sacred story happens. To be more precise, I would not want us to think that this is the only place where the sacred story happens.

In that context, I began to let my mind wander and think of other places; other stories. I thought of our Montreal congregation with their passionate and joyful music and deep prayer life. I thought of that community gathering resources to share with our Haitian brothers and sisters who are so desperately in need following the earthquakes. I know both these places and all of these people to be sacred.

I thought of the little team of dedicated disciples who serve others through Sionito Development Corporation. I thought of the lives they touch: some the elderly poor, some persons who are physically challenged, and others who suffer with mental illness or addictions. I thought of the difference that our devoted Sionito team is making in their lives. I know these people and stories to be precious and sacred.

I thought of a group of young adults and others gathered around tables at GTA-West congregation, forming a production line to pack more than 150 lunches to be shared with homeless or poor people in the city of Toronto. I thought of the love that went into those bags with the cookies and apples and peanut butter sandwiches. I thought of the smiles those lunches produced. I know these moments to be sacred and precious indeed.

The point is that every life is sacred, and so is every encounter and every story. Our task is to share our sacred story with others, and to listen carefully to theirs. It is not just in our sacred space that this happens, but in every space made sacred by the fact of God’s creation and the presence of God’s children. It is in the sharing that we create new sacred stories. I know this deeply to be true.

As we each go throughout our day today, may we each be blessed by an awareness that each moment and each person we encounter is sacred, and may we share and create sacred stories as we go.

Posted by Carman

International

I sit in the midst of a group of church leaders from around the world. Ironically, for the first time, these leaders are gathered in the heart of the United States of America but with almost no American presence. (U. S. church leaders have gathered separately.) African nations, Asian, Eastern and Western European, Canadian, Australian, Central and South American, French Polynesian; all have gathered in response to the call and invitation to gather and confer together.

We talk and listen, sing and pray in many languages; Tahitian, Philipian, Hindi, French, Spanish, and English. Translation is very important.The First Presidency asks many questions. They listen, make note of the questions for later reflection and attempts to find answers. What will the contents of Doctrine and Covenants 164 mean for the church? How do we interpret the new understandings on Baptism? How quickly can we move on confirmation of those baptized into Christ by other ministers? Will National, Field, or Cultural Area conferences be able to establish policy for their area?

The list of questions goes on.What does it mean to be an international church? We probably do not entirely know yet, but I suspect we are now beginning to find out. It goes far beyond appreciating the singing of the Tahitian choir, or the costumes of the Africans or the Indians. It means understanding that questions that seem important to us may have no significance or relevance for others. At the same time, issues that we have not even thought of within our cultural context are serious matters in other places.

As I participate in these meetings, I often think of one of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The principle in question is, “Seek first to Understand, then to be Understood!” In an International setting, that means we must spend a lot more time listening than talking.

It is a wonderful practice.

Posted by Carman