I posted the 100 year history of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska by Chip Swanson on Polar NewsFlash today. It's a pretty quick read and has tons of great information about ministry in the early missionary days. Thanks to Chip Swanson for giving me permission to post his book. As Chip says, history is His Story and more people should know what He has done in the Church. You can take a look at the book by downloading it below or visiting http://www.polarnewsflash.com/atimetoremember.html.
As an added bonus, here are 12 indicators that your church is a missional church:
1. The missional church proclaims the Gospel.
a. The story of God’s salvation is faithfully repeated in a multitude of different ways.
2. The missional church is a community where all members are involved in learning to become disciples of Jesus.
a. The disciple identity is held by all; growth in discipleship is expected of all.
3. The Bible is normative in this church’s life.
a. The church is reading the Bible together to learn what it can learn nowhere else – God’s good and gracious intent for all creation, the salvation mystery, and the identity and purpose of life together.
4. The church understands itself as different from the world because of its participation in the life, death, and resurrection of its Lord.
a. In its corporate life and public witness, the church is consciously seeking to conform to its Lord instead of the multitude of cultures in which it finds itself.
5. The church seeks to discern God’s specific missional vocation for the entire community and for all of its members.
a. The church has made its “mission” its priority, and in overt and communal ways is seeking to be and do “what God is calling us to know, be, and do.”
6. A missional community is indicated by how Christians behave toward one another.
a. Acts of self-sacrifice on behalf of one another both in the church and in the locale characterize the generosity of the community.
7. It is a community that practices reconciliation.
a. The church community is moving beyond homogeneity toward a more heterogeneous community in its racial, ethnic, age, gender, and socioeconomic makeup.
8. People within the community hold themselves accountable to one another in love.
a. Substantial time is spent with one another for the purpose of watching over one another in love.
9. The church practices hospitality.
a. Welcoming the stranger into the midst of the community plays a central role.
10. Worship is the central act by which the community celebrates with joy and thanksgiving both God’s presence and God’s promised future.
a. There is significant and meaningful engagement in communal worship of God, reflecting appropriately and addressing the culture of those who worship together.
11. The community has a vital public witness.
a. The church makes an observable impact that contributes to the transformation of life, society, and human relationships.
12. There is recognition that the church itself is an incomplete expression of the reign of God.
a. There is a widely held perception that this church is going somewhere – and that “somewhere” is a more faithfully lived life in the reign of God.
Indicators of a Missional Church
Written by Walter C. Hobbs in the book Treasure in Clay Jars, edited by Lois Y. Barrett
As an added bonus, here are 12 indicators that your church is a missional church:
1. The missional church proclaims the Gospel.
a. The story of God’s salvation is faithfully repeated in a multitude of different ways.
2. The missional church is a community where all members are involved in learning to become disciples of Jesus.
a. The disciple identity is held by all; growth in discipleship is expected of all.
3. The Bible is normative in this church’s life.
a. The church is reading the Bible together to learn what it can learn nowhere else – God’s good and gracious intent for all creation, the salvation mystery, and the identity and purpose of life together.
4. The church understands itself as different from the world because of its participation in the life, death, and resurrection of its Lord.
a. In its corporate life and public witness, the church is consciously seeking to conform to its Lord instead of the multitude of cultures in which it finds itself.
5. The church seeks to discern God’s specific missional vocation for the entire community and for all of its members.
a. The church has made its “mission” its priority, and in overt and communal ways is seeking to be and do “what God is calling us to know, be, and do.”
6. A missional community is indicated by how Christians behave toward one another.
a. Acts of self-sacrifice on behalf of one another both in the church and in the locale characterize the generosity of the community.
7. It is a community that practices reconciliation.
a. The church community is moving beyond homogeneity toward a more heterogeneous community in its racial, ethnic, age, gender, and socioeconomic makeup.
8. People within the community hold themselves accountable to one another in love.
a. Substantial time is spent with one another for the purpose of watching over one another in love.
9. The church practices hospitality.
a. Welcoming the stranger into the midst of the community plays a central role.
10. Worship is the central act by which the community celebrates with joy and thanksgiving both God’s presence and God’s promised future.
a. There is significant and meaningful engagement in communal worship of God, reflecting appropriately and addressing the culture of those who worship together.
11. The community has a vital public witness.
a. The church makes an observable impact that contributes to the transformation of life, society, and human relationships.
12. There is recognition that the church itself is an incomplete expression of the reign of God.
a. There is a widely held perception that this church is going somewhere – and that “somewhere” is a more faithfully lived life in the reign of God.
Indicators of a Missional Church
Written by Walter C. Hobbs in the book Treasure in Clay Jars, edited by Lois Y. Barrett
| A Time to Remember - Chip Swanson |
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