Church Prays – God Saves

Missionaries can identify their mission fields. In Christ, every believer is one sent; a missionary for Christ. Members of missional churches routinely define their primary mission fields. They become aware of people in their sphere of influence who have not yet come to know Christ. Then, they pray. They pray for God to reveal Himself to their friends, tearing down strongholds that keep them from seeing the truth of the Gospel. They adopt the passion of Paul saying, “My hearts desire and my prayer to God for my people is that they might be saved.”

The previous paragraph is not theoretical. It is being lived out by youth and adults at Calvary Baptist Church of Oak Cliff in Dallas. Pastor Jerry Barker told me that initially the church’s youth began sharing the names of friends who had no relationship with Jesus. Adults soon began to follow the leadership of their youth.

The church prepared simple cards on which members could record the names of their pre-Christian friends. Completed cards are placed on a prayer wall in a private area where members and staff can pray for those persons by name. Prayer works. Nine months ago the church began praying by name for friends, relatives, teachers, and neighbors. Since then, thirty-three people have been baptized as new followers of Christ. A large majority of those have been older teens and adults. God gets all the glory!

Prayer is a simple concept. Prayer changes the one praying. God hears and answers prayer. You have pre-Christian friends, loved ones, neighbors as well. Will you own your mission field in prayer? My hearts desire and prayer to God for ______ is that they might be saved. Fill in the blank and prayer.

Re-thinking “Incarnational”

Continuing our focus on Attractional and Incarnational, it is clear that there are those who use the word “incarnational” to identify any congregational ministry that focuses beyond itself. For example, a clothes closet in which members gather, sort and distribute used clothing to persons in need may be identified as a “missional ministry” because the target recipients of the ministry are persons who are not part of the congregation providing the ministry.

However, it is possible for a group to provide such “ministry” without ever intending to really connect with ministry recipients. I see this fashion of ministry provided routinely by churches who feel they must “do something” for those who are less fortunate. But, truly incarnational ministry never sees people as objects that need ministry, rather as people to be loved.

If I do all ministries possible and have not authentic love for those who are receiving the benefits of ministry, I may be doing good deeds, but I am not incarnating Christ. While others saw crowds of people, masses of humanity with overwhelming needs, He saw individuals for whom He came seeking relationship – people whom He would love, at whatever the cost that was required. True ministry always has a cost associated with it. When touching Jesus robe, the woman of Mark 5 was healed. And the text says, “Jesus felt the power going forth from Him.” While I do not understand the depth of that statement, I understand enough to know that ministry did not come without a price.

Sometimes ministry is offered as a salve, not to eliminate the pain of the other, but to soothe our own conscience. We feel better because we have done something for “those poor people.” But unless we long to become real friends with those people, to journey with them through the challenges of everyday life, we are a long way from the incarnation of Jesus. He did not say “I have called you recipients of ministry,” He said, “I have called you friends.”

Authentic incarnation means investing in relationships with people, not just giving them a hand-out. Incarnational mission joins Jesus in seeking those upon whom He can lavish His love. Who are the people Jesus is giving you to love in your sphere of influence? Where will incarnational mission carry you today?

View the second Attractional or Incarnational ministry focus video by clicking the picture above or following this Missional Church Center Video link.

Attractional and Incarnational

Yesterday I was overwhelmed as I read and reflected on Psalm 87. There God speaks his pleasure that once enemy nations are now “born in Zion.” His mention of Jacob and Zion reminds us that while he loves individual families who worship and follow Him (Jacob), His supreme love is for Zion (the assemblies of the faithful). While the church may have many weaknesses, it is still the object of His supreme love – His bride.

David Clarkson wrote, “Prayer and devotion sanctify every family, and diffuse a spirit of piety through all avocations of life, so that we need not retire from the world, but rather are called to show forth the virtues of the Christian life in it.”

In one sense, Psalm 87 reveals the emotion of God while Matthew 28:18-20 reflect the purpose of God for His church. We are called to be the incarnate presence of Christ in the world and to live in such way that the nations seek to become part of this Body. In terms used in contemporary dialogue, we are to be both incarnational and attractional. Not one or the other, His mission encompasses connecting with people where they are and bringing them into the community of faith. Both/and … not either/or – attractional and incarnational.

As we conclude 2008, I am grateful for each person who has journeyed with us this year. I never cease to be amazed at the opportunities that God opens inviting us to share with fellow believers what He is teaching us about His heart for neighbors and nations.

Urgent Call to Prayer - December 6

Today I received word from India that there is credible evidence that in the “…highly charged atmosphere of Orissa and the crucible of Kandhamal in particular…this Christmas could become a “Good Friday” for the Christians there…a bloodbath” in which many Christians may be killed. Terrorists have given the state government notice that if their demands are not met concerning resolution of the killing of a Hindu cleric and his associates, they will shut down the state on Christmas day.

We have been praying for brothers and sisters in Orissa, where more than 125 Christians have been murdered and where homes and churches of Christians have been destroyed. Now the climate of terror for these brothers and sisters escalates in this season.

I am inviting those whom God leads to join this Saturday, December 6, in a day of prayer and fasting for fellow believers in India. On that day, a strategic meeting will take place in Orissa that will seek resolution to this urgent situation. Without going into detail, requiring lengthy explanation of the sources of unrest between various socio-political and religious groups, my friends indicate that this meeting may well prove a “final opportunity” for resolve before even greater terror befalls Christians of Orissa and Kandhamal during this Holy Season.

Please join other brothers and sisters in intercession for God’s purposes to be realized and His name to be glorified in this situation. Ask God to grant peace to our fellow believers…not as the world gives…but that of the Prince of Peace, His shalom.

Latvian Mission to Baltic Pastoral Institute

Next week Milfred Minatrea will be in Riga, Latvia where he will be spending twelve days (December 6-17) with church leaders and church planters in training. As Baltic Pastoral Institute completes its first year in existence, Minatrea will facilitate the course, Empowering the Church for Mission. The course will be offered as a one week intensive and will provide opportunity for students to interact with Minatrea in both pastoral ministry and the development of missional cultural expressions within existing congregations as well as new churches being started.

Bishop Peteris Sprogis extended the invitation to Minatrea after obtaining a copy of his book Shaped by God’s Heart: the Passion and Practices of Missional Churches. Since regaining independence in 1991, the 88 churches in the country of 2.3 million people have struggled in a society with the fourth highest suicide rate in the world, where only five percent attend church regularly and only 1.5 percent of the population have the Bible.

Today there are 66 pastors for the 88 churches in Latvia. Leadership for both existing churches and for new churches is critical. Developing those leaders is the reason Baltic Pastoral Institute was begun. The Evangelical Union of Latvia has a goal of starting 100 new churches over the next eight years. New churches are essential if the Gospel is to reach the massive population of this country once dominated by communist occupation.

If you will pray for Dr. Minatrea in this mission to invest in leaders for Latvian churches that exist today and those that will be started tomorrow, please communicate via email to minatrea@missional.org. Simply indicate “I will support you in prayer during the Latvian mission.” If God prompts you to provide financial resources to help cover the costs of this mission, please make your check payable to Missional Church Center and designate those gifts on the memo line of your check For Latvian Mission. Checks may be mailed to Missional Church Center, PO Box 142412, Irving TX 75014-2412.