Missio Dei: A Church for the City

Blog Closed

2008-01-01T14:46:00.000-06:00

I've been doing a horrible job posting to this blog, and realistically, I don't foresee being able to do any better going forward. So, this blog is closed.

Please bookmark the Missio Dei website, www.mdtx.org

and my personal blog, It's a Start

Yet another example of the Experience Economy

2007-09-06T05:47:00.001-05:00

It's an undeniable fact of life in our times. How do we as a house-based congregation fit into this? run counter to it?

From this post on MYiTablet:

Turns out that when it comes to selling iPhones, Apple stores have AT&T well and truly beat; they outsold them seven to one. Now some of that is undoubtedly due to customers going into Apple stores knowing they want to pick up an Apple product, whereas AT&T sell a wide range of phones and who knows which one you’ll decide or be coerced into buying, but I think there’s also a big element of “occasion” to it.

Two Important Articles

2007-08-06T15:38:00.000-05:00

First, a mention of the study I've been referencing a lot as we've discussed Nehemiah, Urban Ministry, and Missio Dei

Second, Poll: Trust in Organized Religion at Near-Record Low

googling 'House Church'

2007-07-21T17:40:00.000-05:00

I know Wikipedia is pretty well-known, but I wanted to go ahead and link to the wiki on House Church there. It seems fair and thorough, from all I know, and from our limited experiences. Does this provoke any discussion with Missio Dei in mind?

I'm mainly posting this for reference, and for the extensive External Links section, but would love any and all comments here.

New Daily Houston Vlog

2007-06-08T04:15:00.000-05:00

This will be fun to follow - could be a great way to learn about and celebrate our city ...

Chicago Church's Mac v. PC Parody

2007-05-21T10:02:00.000-05:00

Very interesting. This church (Community Christian Church in the Chicago area) has a lot of influence in the church-planting world since one of the biggest trends in church-planting is the "multi-site" congregation, and they're having great success in drawing lots of people. Many congregations are forgoing establishing new congregations and starting "branches" (like banks - or, more similarly, like denominations a couple of generations ago - but most of them don't want to hear that comparison). While CCC's branches are just in the Chicago metro area, there are other big churches that are establishing "branches" in other cities and countries.

I'd love to hear your feedback on the ads. Here's my $0.02: in the original settings, as intros into sermons, I love them. But as viral videos, I don't see how they don't come across as "be a cool-Christ-follower like us, not a dorky, stoopid Christian like them", despite the protests of the creators. It hits home since a lot of my frustration with the church-planting movement centers on the fact that, while we use the language of evangelization and conversion of non-believers and nominal believers, in practice almost all of the "growth" of new churches comes from people who were involved with other churches. The on-the-street "marketing" and word-of-mouth for a lot of new churches - especially those with visions of being an attractional, attractive worship experience with large numbers of attendees - stresses how "different" the new church is from all the other churches. It seems to me that the reason these churches have to stress how different they are is that they are - in the words of Madison Ave - thinking in terms of capturing existing market share from "the competition" rather than creating "new customers".

HT: Judy

Spot on about Christian Television Today

2007-05-09T07:43:00.000-05:00

From Mosaic Church in Southern Cal

Link-What Young People Want in a Church

2007-04-12T08:45:00.000-05:00

Just Ran across this interesting post:

What Young People Want in a Church

Helpful Definition: Unchurched

2007-04-06T15:53:00.000-05:00

This is an interesting article, and it offers a statistician's definition of "unchurched", a term that's thrown about in church planting and church-growth circles but that seems to mean different things to different people. According to this article, someone who is classified as "unchurched" is simply someone who has "not attended a religious service of any type during the past six months".

While it is a clumsy term, it is also descriptive, and makes no judgment on "the unchurched" motives or beliefs, only in their lack of attendance.

Density

2007-04-06T13:41:00.000-05:00

This could be great. A 25-story apartment building will break ground at Studemont & Memorial (across Memorial from the vacant lot we're using on our Easter Promos/Invites. I'm all for mixed-use, dense building. Bring on the single-family houses, the row/townhouses, the multifamily buildings, the mid-rise condos, the mid-rise apartments, and the high-rises.

Let's not forget the quality-of-life infrastructure improvements like parks, sidewalks, mass transit, etc.

Our post-Christian reality

2007-03-20T11:24:00.000-05:00

Check out this article from Dan Kimball. It resonates with a a lot of what we've been encountering and considering over the past few months as a new church, reaching out with the message of Jesus to our neighbors who often have a negative impression of churches, but not necessarily of Jesus.

It's important that we read articles like this critically, to make sure they aid us in our authentic living-out of the faith. These types of discoveries too often become 'data' for the next 'church marketing' campaign. If we go down that road, we're making the same mistakes that have alienated so many from churches, which can be and should be authentic faith communities, marked by faith, hope, and love (not spin).

With this in mind, some of you might like Church Marketing Sucks.

Great Documentary

2007-02-21T17:08:00.000-06:00

I watched this amazing documentary, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, by Byron Hurt, on Independent Lens (PBS) last night! It's on hip-hop culture and the prevailing definitions of manhood that have emerged over the past couple of hip-hop decades. This is a powerful film. Earlier last night at Robert & Emerson's, some of us were talking about having some sort of Missio Dei film series/film festival soon. I hope we can add this one to the list.

New Urbanism in the 77007?http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

2007-01-26T16:27:00.000-06:00

Look what Allen House will be replaced by! And it seems like they're being pretty reasonable with the residents, too. This could be a great addition to the neighborhood.

In some ways, it reminds me of Atlantic Station in ATL.

Black Tuesday

2007-01-02T14:49:00.000-06:00

Anybody else feeling a little overwhelmed today?

The Daily Telegraph in Britain calls today Black Tuesday, and points out how today is the day when life ramps back up and people come back from time away from work, sometimes reeling from family conflict, holiday depression, etc.

To me, it feels like, after a week and a half of the world slowing down, the world is back to ramming speed.

Anybody else feeling a little overwhelmed today?

Casey and King's Highway this Friday

2006-11-13T10:19:00.000-06:00

Casey & King's Highway will be playing our first gig of the season as below:

Venue: The Connections Center
Date: Friday, 11/17
Time: 7:30PM

The address is 13150 Memorial Dr. and it is in a strip mall close to the intersection of Memorial Dr. and Wycliffe Dr. (about 1 mile outside of Beltway 8). The sign on the door says "Adult Recreation Center".

We will be part of 3 acts performing that evening. Come on out and join us as we kick off the Fall season!

Take care,
Casey D.

In the Neighborhood

2006-11-11T12:55:00.000-06:00

See this about the conflicts that come with city living.

Casey D in concert this Friday!

2006-10-24T07:05:00.000-05:00

See the following from Casey:

Hi friends!
I will be playing a gig this Friday (10/27) at the Connections Center on Memorial Drive as part of their Forth Friday Concert series. There will be three performers and the schedule is as follows:

7:15-7:45 - Rachel Boettcher

8:00-8:30 - Casey Dhevan

8:45-9:15 - Steven Coffee

Since I'm playing for only half an hour, I will be doing this one without my band "King's Highway". However, this should be a more intimate and cozy gig, so come on out and join us there. We'd love to see you!

The address is 13150 Memorial Dr. and it is in a strip mall close to the intersection of Memorial Dr. and Wycliffe Dr. (about 1 mile outside of Beltway 8). The sign on the door says "Adult Recreation Center" (go figure!!) :-)

Blessings,
Casey

Strapped

2006-10-22T22:51:00.000-05:00

I read this boook awhile ago, but some of the central themes keep coming up, and I thought I'd stick it out here and see if there are any thoughts from the 'sphere ...

One take-away is the author's use of the traditional life milestones used in our culture to measure whether one has established oneself as an adult

1) Moving Out of the parents' house for good
2) Getting a Job
3) Getting married and having kids

She cites statistics that in 1960, 65% of men and 77% of American women had reached these milestones by age 30. In 2000, 31% of men and 46% of women had reached these milestones.

Tamara Draut, the author, places most of the blame on the failure or absence of certain federal government entitlement programs. As a former inside-the-beltway type, I can identify with this assessment, but I'm convinced that this isn't the government's fault.

What cultural/societal factors are contributing to this trend?

Vision for Missio Dei

2006-10-22T09:14:00.000-05:00

I gave this article to the Missio Dei leadership team a number of months ago - just noticed that Leadership magazine has released it for public consumption through their site. I hope everyone connected with our new church will read this article and see within it a vision for where our church will be in 6 months to a year (structurally and in our neighborhood impact).

End of an Era?

2006-09-24T13:22:00.000-05:00

This no longer qualifies as current events, but still check out this article on the MTV Video Music Awards from about a month ago.

I think this article offers evidence of a significant cultural shift. This chronicles a trend (pointing to evidence in pop culture) that I've been noticing lately in my discussions about faith, politics, parenting, etc.

The era of "Not that there's anything wrong with that" (Jerry Seinfeld) has played itself out. I see this trend in many areas, from high culture (how many "fine arts" exhibits of dung, condoms, blood, porn, etc. can we take?), to pop culture (linked article), to faith (aren't more and more people asking, "on what basis do you make such claims about ______?"), to the environment (climate crisis, creation care, etc.), to politics (isn't it clear by now that what happens in the Middle East and elsewhere around the world directly affects every life?), and so on.

We're at the end of the era. What are the consequences?

New Comments Policy - No Anonymous

2006-09-19T15:39:00.000-05:00

In an effort to keep the ideas flowing here, I've decided that I will no longer post anonymous postings.

That may sound counter-intuitive, but let me explain. I've allowed every comment submitted up to this point to be posted in the comments section, but my personal blog, It's a Start, received a comment today that I cannot post anonymously. I've come to the conclusion that if we are going to have debates in a civil and vigorous way, we need to at least be able to identify the participants.

So, instead of censoring comments, I've decided to stop allowing anonymous posts.

I want to encourage those who have commented anonymously to the Missio Dei blog in the past to continue to comment, only with a name or handle attached to your comments going forward.

-Corey (your humble MDTX moderator)

Cell-Celebration Church in Pittsburgh

2006-09-15T13:47:00.000-05:00

Check out this article about goings-on in Pittsburgh

A Parallel Trend

2006-08-30T17:18:00.000-05:00

Anyone else see this article in the Chronicle recently? It's about the local and national trend towards house concerts given by recording artists. It instantly reminded me of Missio Dei's vision for Community Groups (variously known at other similar churches as 'House Churches', 'Home Groups', and 'Little Churches') and the reasons we felt like this was the way to organize our new church going forward. These concerts, like our Community Groups, offer an intimacy and connection with all involved in a way that larger gatherings cannot offer.

We need this in 77007

2006-08-29T16:13:00.000-05:00

Who's ready to get something like this started in our part of town? Society Bakery is a bakery in Dallas that donates 10% of its profits (that percentage sounds familiar ...) to local nonprofits.

Anyone interested in starting this kind of business that would benefit Missio Dei and/or neighborhood service agencies like Avenue CDC & Larkin Center?

James Meeks Brings It

2006-08-23T23:52:00.000-05:00

James Meeks, pastor at Salem Baptist Church in Chicago, hit it out of the park at the Leadership Summit earlier this month. Giving him all the credit, and wanting to share this with the Missio Dei launch team and others reading this blog, I present his 10 key points on the subject Enemies of a Growing Church:

1) Lack of Faith, i.e. no one believes their church should/can grow
2) Lack of Knowledge, i.e. no one has been exposed to growth, growth expectations
3) Failure to realize that God is no respecter of persons, i.e. God's laws apply accross the board
4) Growth is always the goal of a New Testament church, i.e. the church must have big ideas, churches must be in the business of meeting needs in their communities, Christians produce other Christians (just like a fig tree produces figs)
5) An unsure pastor, i.e. the speed of the leader is the speed of the team, pastors lead with too much ambiguity, churches need sure pastors, not politically correct ones
6) Failure to build on small victories, i.e. set goals, make them, celebrate them, build on them
7) Failure to preach the announcements, i.e. preach from the Scriptures on God's initiatives, then invite people to get involved with God's work
8) Lack of corporate fasting and prayer, i.e. this is what God's instructed us to do if we want to grow - is it worth it to obey his instruction on this?
9) Failure to get started: "go with the going crowd"
10) Bad motive, i.e. the motive of churches can only be on satisfying God, anything else represents an impure and ineffective motive

bored or lonely?

2006-07-26T15:11:00.000-05:00

George Weigel, in The Cube and the Cathedral, proposes that the biggest issue in contemporary western culture is boredom, metaphysical boredom. Wow.

How does that strike you?

He might have said terrorism, wealth inequality, the breakdown of social structures, or any number of other current issues. But, as I've been thinking about this, I'm more a more convinced.

And the next question: What are the alternatives?

Weigel answers that the best alternative to metaphysical boredom is "the high adventure of Christian orthodoxy." I definitely agree. Others might answer "mountain biking", "partying", "gardening", "Islam" ...

Exactly

2006-07-05T11:35:00.000-05:00

Just as to be God is not to be an individual but three persons inextricably interrelated as being in communion, so to be man, as male and female, is to be created for life in community.

Colin Gunton (1941-2003), The Triune Creator, writing on what it means to be created 'in the image of God' (Genesis 1:27)

Churches for the Cities

2006-06-09T16:18:00.000-05:00

Please check out this article by Tim Keller, Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, NYC. It states very clearly Missio Dei's position when it comes to being an intentionally urban congregation.

We've got something to learn from this ...

2006-06-05T11:20:00.000-05:00

There's got to be so much that the Church (and all of us starting new churches in particular) can learn from Apple's retail/marketing/brand management. This idea is sparked by the news that Apple has opened it's Fifth Ave, NYC, store (which seems to be a cross between the Crystal Cathedral and the Pyramid at the Louvre.)

What is Apple doing well that would translate to Missio Dei's (and other churches') efforts at reaching out?

The First Christians & Community Life

2006-05-26T15:34:00.000-05:00

This passage from Justin Martyr, First Apology (155 AD), gives us beautiful insight into the community life of early Christians. How does this inform our gatherings in Community Groups and in other settings?

How we dedicated ourselves to God when we were made new through Christ I will explain, since it might seem to be unfair if I left this out from my exposition. Those who are persuaded and believe that the things we teach and say are true, and promise that they can live accordingly, are instructed to pray and beseech God with fasting for the remission of their past sins, while we pray and fast along with them. Then they are brought by us where there is water, and are reborn by the same manner of rebirth by which we ourselves were reborn; for they are then washed in the water in the name of God the Father and Master of all, and of our Savoir Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. For Christ said, "Unless you are born again you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven."

Now it is clear to all that those who have once come into being cannot enter the wombs of those who bore them. But as I quoted before, it was said through the prophet Isaiah how those who have sinned and repent shall escape from their sins. He said this: "Wash yourselves, be clean, take away wickedness from your souls, learn to do good, give judgment for the orphan and defend the cause of the widow, and come and let us reason together, says the Lord. And though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them as white as wool, and though they be as crimson, I will make them as white as snow." . . .

After thus washing the one who has been convinced and signified his assent, [we] lead him to those who are called brethren, where they are assembled. They then earnestly offer common prayers for themselves and the one who has been illuminated and all others every where, that we may be made worthy, having learned the truth, to be found in deed good citizens and keepers of what is commanded, so that we may be saved with eternal salvation.

On finishing the prayers we greet each other with a kiss. Then bread and a cup of water and mixed wine are brought to the president of the brethren and he, taking them, sends up praise and glory to the Father of the universe through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and offers thanksgiving at some length that we have been deemed worthy to receive these things from him. When he has finished the prayers and the thanksgiving, the whole congregation present assents, saying, "Amen." "Amen" in the Hebrew language means, "So be it." When the president has given thanks and the whole congregation has assented, those whom we call deacons give to each of those present a portion of the consecrated bread and wine and water, and they take it to the absent.

This food we call Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ handed down to us. For we do not receive these things as common bread or common drink; but as Jesus Christ our Savior being incarnate by God's word took flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food consecrated by the word of prayer which comes from him, from which our flesh and blood are nourished by transformation, is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus. For the apostles in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, thus handed down what was commanded them: that Jesus, taking bread and having given thanks, said, "Do this for my memorial, this is my body"; and likewise taking the cup and giving thanks he said, "This is my blood"; and gave it to them alone. …

After these [services] we constantly remind each other of these things. Those who have more come to the aid of those who lack, and we are constantly together. Over all that we receive we bless the Maker of all things through his Son Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.

And on the day called Sunday there is a meeting in one place of those who live in cities or the country, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read as long as time permits. When the reader has finished, the president in a discourse urges and invites [us] to the imitation of these noble things. Then we all stand up together and offer prayers. And, as said before, when we have finished the prayer, bread is brought, and wine and water, and the president similarly sends up prayers and thanksgivings to the best of his ability, and the congregation assents, saying the Amen; the distribution, and reception of the consecrated [elements] by each one, takes place and they are sent to the absent by the deacons.

Those who prosper, and who so wish, contribute, each one as much as he chooses to. What is collected is deposited with the president, and he takes care of orphans and widows, and those who are in want on account of sickness or any other cause, and those who are in bonds, and the strangers who are sojourners among [us], and, briefly, he is the protector of all those in need.

We all hold this common gathering on Sunday, since it is the first day, on which God transforming darkness and matter made the universe, and Jesus Christ our Saviour rose from the dead on the same day. For they crucified him on the day before Saturday, and on the day after Saturday, he appeared to his apostles and disciples and taught them these things which I have passed on to you also for your serious consideration.

Ongoing Discussion - Gospel, Church, Culture

2006-04-27T10:14:00.000-05:00

Here's a useful definition of culture that I heard this morning:

Culture is the conglomeration of the following ...
Artifacts, e.g. dress, anything visual, jargon, music
Espoused Values, e.g. what is explicitly stated by the community
Assumed Beliefs, e.g. what others can tell about you

Doing Church for People Who Don't Like Church

2006-04-26T22:06:00.000-05:00

I wanted to pass along the following thoughts from Vince Antonucci, pastor of Forefront Church in Virginia Beach, Va.

He shared 9 principles and 2 questions for every church to consider in order to reach out to people who don't like church.

Principle #1: Uncross their arms - There will be great skepticism and apprehension, even when they show up. We need to be ready to put them at ease, make them feel at home, and let them know that this is a place for them.

Principle #2: Wear their shoes - Never forget what it's like to be in a totally new, foreign place. If we're having a hard time doing that, let's go and visit a Mosque or an Eastern Orthodox worship service.

Principle #3: Treat visitors to our church gatherings like visitors to our home - Be the consummate hosts, as individuals and as a group.

Principle #4: Check your influences - If we're trying wanting to reach people who don't like church and set them at ease, let's allow ourselves to be influenced by corporations, entertainers, etc., who are already doing a good job reaching this focus group.

Principle #5: Use their culture - Similar to #4 above. Allow Dave Letterman and Starbucks and others to loan us ideas. Learn from them and don't be afraid to borrow and adapt successful ideas and practices.

Principle #6: Your assumptions will create your crowd - We have to be careful about what we assume or expect others to know. If we have unrealistic expectations, it will drive away those who are uncomfortable or unfamiliar to a church setting, churchy jargon, etc.

Principle #7: Authenticity - Self-explanatory. Any of us can spot a fake from a mile away. How much better at fake-spotting would one be when they are already looking for hypocrites?

Principle #8: Offer what they cannot get anywhere else - People don't need to come to a church gathering to get great music, speaking, food, coffee, skits, etc. (all of which we can still do, and do well). No, the thing they can only get in a Christ-following community is grace, the unconditional love of Jesus Christ

Principle #9: The Joe DiMaggio principle - i.e. every time, realize that there is at least one person who has never been to Missio Dei or any other church gathering. Always give our best to welcome and accomodate our guests with the love and hospitality of Jesus Christ.

The 2 questions:

Where's your feedback coming from? We should value the feedback of newcomers and 1st-timers more than regulars, those who are committed to the vision and mission of Missio Dei.

Are you willing to sacrifice to be a part of a church that reaches lost people? It's worth it.

Gospel? Culture? Truth?

2006-04-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

Continuing our Launch Team discussion from yesterday ...

How do we communicate the Good News (Gospel) in our setting (Culture) as an open community of Christ-followers?

Any and all coments are welcome, even if you weren't at the meeting ...

Community

2006-02-27T06:16:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Beth for pointing me to this. A helpful discussion of transformative community.

Laundry

2006-02-16T15:17:00.000-06:00

It's something we all do.

This Saturday at the Washaterias, we will spend time simply being neighbors and showing God's love in practical ways. We will help people with the laundry, their children, etc. We'll have quarters on hand to feed the machines, and we'll spend down time getting to know neighbors as they wait on their laundry.

It's a fun, creative way to engage with people in the community as they go about their Saturday morning chores (thanks to Bryn and Marguerite for this creative idea).

Finally, this is a perfect opportunity to invite friends, neighbors, people on your prayer lists, and those in your community groups. Please make a point of sharing this invitation with others.

Speak Out - Super Bowl

2006-01-13T12:09:00.000-06:00

The Super Bowl is Feb 5, and will starting almost precisely at our usual meeting time, 5:30 PM.

We won't meet that evening for worship, but I'd love for us to get together sometime during the weekend to do something meaningful (besides watching the game, of course). Post ideas here (by clicking on the comment link below) for what we should do as a congregation that weekend.

A picture of democracy!

Committing

2006-01-13T11:05:00.000-06:00

What does committing look like at Missio Dei: A Church for the City? It has a lot to do with where and what one invests

1. Invest your passions – Honor God by following Christ personally and passionately. Your reputation is Christ’s reputation and the church’s reputation.

2. Invest your talents – Participate in the life of the congregation and the wider community through genuine worship, sharing, learning, and serving.

3. Invest your resources – Support the Message of Jesus Christ here and worldwide by tithing (10% of your income) and then by giving more as the Lord leads. Invest your time, skills, talents, and gifts in and through the Missio Dei community.

4. Invest your relationships – Develop authentic loving relationships with others in the church and establish significant relationships with those who do not know Jesus. Be an intentional, loving, and active neighbor, family member, and citizen.

(thanks to Mosaic, a great church in SoCal - their Membership Covenant was the main model for this post)

A Church for the City

2005-12-27T11:44:00.000-06:00

I loved this quote from Rodney Stark's, The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries. Read it with our city (Houston) and our new church in mind:

… Christianity revitalized life in Greco-Roman cities by providing new norms and new kinds of social relationships able to cope with many urgent urban problems. To cities filled with the homeless and the impoverished, Christianity offered charity as well as hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate basis for attachments. To cities filled with orphans and widows, Christianity provided a new and expanded sense of family. To cities torn by violent ethnic strife, Christianity offered a new basis for social solidarity. And to cities faced with epidemics, fires, and earthquakes, Christianity offered effective nursing services.

Our city faces all of these: homelessness and poverty, newcomers and strangers (migrants, immigrants, newcomers here for work, studies, family reasons), orphans and widows (and a predominance of single-parent families, which face many of the same issues as widows and orphans), violent ethnic strife (ethnic gangs, Houston v. New Orleans fights), epidemics (chemical dependence, HIV-AIDS, obesity, diabetes, the coming bird flu), and natural disasters.

How can we as a community of Christ-followers respond faithfully, motivated by the grace of God in Jesus Christ? What practical, prayerful steps can we take now?

About the Name

2005-12-18T11:35:00.000-06:00

Missio Dei (Latin, the sending/mission of God): A Church for the City

A Challenge to align with God’s will for Houston

A Charge to go into the city and all the world

A Vision for a community transformed by Christ

Values for Our New Church

2005-12-15T16:12:00.000-06:00

These are the values that have emerged for Missio Dei: A Church for the City. They are the result of our initial understandings of our community and the ways God is calling and sending us as a congregation. These values will drive the way we use our resources and engage our city.

Reconciliation - an ongoing commitment to the healing of broken relationships and the restoration of trust and unity within the congregation and in the wider community.

Community - acknowledging the primary importance of the other in our own growth in faith and experience of God.

Authenticity - living out our life in Christ in ways that are integrated, whole, consistent, and attractive.

Freedom - openness to the movement of the Holy Spirit within the community and in individual consciences in accordance with the Word of God.

Partnership/Collaboration - fostering and expanding networks of partnership and collaboration with other churches, social service agencies, civic groups, businesses, schools, etc.

Reaching Out - an untiring interest in those outside of the community of faith, marked by generosity, hospitality, service, and evangelism.

What if ... ?

2005-12-13T15:59:00.000-06:00

The following are dreams for our congregation and community as we begin this new church. What if ... ?

… legacy residents and new residents find common ground following Jesus Christ and loving others?
… all the residents of the area came to a common vision for a revitalized near-town?
… new residents saw the legacy populations as a credit to the area and encouraged socioeconomic diversity and affordable housing?
… residents benefited from their urban setting through vital connections with their many neighbors?
… members of the community were mobilized and empowered to contribute to the health and improvement of the city?
… balanced, sustainable lifestyles predominated and encouraged long-term commitments to the neighborhood among people of all generations?
… more and more community members coalesced around the Good News of Jesus Christ?
… leaders from the community were connected and coordinated in their efforts to serve the needy?
… community-building and relationship building occurred on a large scale?
… new churches in the area benefited and blessed established congregations, rather than approaching them as competition?
… all the churches in the area coordinated their outreach and service efforts for the benefit of the entire community?

Did you know ...?

2005-12-12T15:07:00.000-06:00

This is the first in a series of postings laying out the basics for our new congregation.

Did you know ...?

… the focus area, roughly comprising the 77007 zip code in Houston, is one of stark contrasts and rapid redevelopment?
… this traditionally working-class area of the city has become a popular location for more wealthy newcomers who are drawn to its proximity to downtown, the Galleria, Memorial Park, and other in-town neighborhoods ?
… the legacy population is predominantly Latino or African-American and working class?
… the legacy population is being displaced in the face of rapid gentrification?
… newcomers are drawn to the urban and socially diverse setting that exists in the area?
… new residents are generally unconnected with their neighbors and longing for relationships and connections in their new setting?
… residents report feeling crunched by job and family responsibilities, leaving little time for community engagement?
… community members are seeking believable, authentic, relevant answers to the big life questions?
… social service providers and churches are unconnected and serving in an uncoordinated way?
… within the three mile radius of the major crossroads (Shepherd & Washington), there are almost 128,000 residents (source: 2004 Claritas Site Reports)?
… both community engagement and statistical research show the area to be under-churched and mainly un-reached by the message of Jesus Christ?
… new residents do not make their way to the established churches in the area, which serve legacy and commuter populations?

Missio Dei: The Blog

2005-12-07T14:50:00.000-06:00

A place to collaborate, discuss, and challenge one another about the Sending of God, Missio Dei.