Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

Those of us who give serious consideration to the present state of the Christian church can commit the error of thinking only in global terms. We like to talk and think about the big picture, but we often fail to consider how missional strategy plays out in the real world.

Many who read this posting are working in the real world of the church. You are pastors, church staff members, and lay persons who have to deal with the practical issues of pastoral care, worship, Christian formation, maintenance, and budgets. In dealing with all of this, one may find it difficult to make the time to consider the bigger picture.

I would challenge you not to lose sight of what God is doing and wants to do with your congregation. Take some time each day to consider what small thing might be changed to help your church become more missional, more relevant in your setting.

A person who has helped me with this need is Alan Roxburgh. In the 1990s, Roxburgh turned his doctor of ministry project into the book reaching a New Generation: Strategies for Tomorrow’s Church. From his experience as a pastor of an inner city Toronto church, Roxburgh began to discern what the church must do to reach an emerging generation of believers.

Roxburgh recently filmed a video in this neighborhood that reminds us the importance of rethinking how we do church in the contemporary milieu. I recommend the video to you.

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