THE NECESSITY OF EACH OTHER IN MISSION by Dan Kimball

eric posted on October 14, 2009

SOME THOUGHTS…

I recently returned from the 2009 Youth Specialties Convention. They are experimenting with some new formats as part of the convention by creating space for people to have dialog around topics the people attending determine.

It reminded me of some of the earlier Leadership Network events where you met with like-minded people in similar leadership situations. The conversation gets so much more intense and deep as we make up the topics to discuss with each other. When we create these spaces, it leads to an openness of diversity and differences. In Leadership Network, we had many denominations represented, yet we all possessed the same core, historical, orthodox theology. We had lot of diversity on what I would call non-essential things – but stayed together on core historical doctrines. This is what I believe “evangelical” was originally about. It is wonderful when you are with others listening to stories and ideas and gaining insight that you may never hear otherwise. It is needed more and more today to break down barriers for the sake of the gospel being known among future generations. We really don’t have time to be bickering, resistant to change or pointing fingers at some of the things we do today – when lives are at stake.

I feel we are in a period of healthy desperation. By desperation I mean that when Christians and the church get desperate about mission – then denominational barriers break down more, our non-essential theological difference don’t matter as much. When we become so desperate for people who don’t know Jesus that our attitude and posture changes towards others… when we are so desperate with the reality that there are people who may be spending eternity apart from God… our petty differences seems so incredibly insignificant.

How do we argue about musical styles when people’s eternal lives are at stake? How can we hog control in a church or create leadership bottlenecks when our selfishness or insecurity can lead to people being empowered and mission being hindered? How can we think that formats of ministry developed 500 years ago (as beautiful as they may be if you are familiar with them) should be retained at the sake of people’s lives outside the church being affected as they don’t connect with these approaches?

How can some denominations care more about doing things a certain way with systems developed in past times – than they do about future leaders who may not “fit” their systems of approval, subsequently losing innovative leaders? Would they rather see their denomination die while holding onto to rules and order rather than rethink what they do so mission can occur through young leaders who know the current culture?

How can youth leaders today not be seen as ultimate heroes? They are underpaid, generally underappreciated,  and have so much impact on the church today and the church of the future since so many decisions for Jesus and major life decisions are made during the youth years. I think youth leaders may have the most difficult job in a church, quite honestly. They don’t bear the weight of the whole church but they bear the weight of teenagers living in a very confusing world. Communicating the gospel and being a listening ear to the craziness of life that teenagers are processing is tremendously burdensome.

I love Youth Specialties for taking a risk and trying out some of these new formats and bringing people together. I love Leadership Network for bringing these formats into church leadership. I love that many people who are taking risks today for the gospel. I hate that we put up so many human-made stumbling blocks so often. Forgive me Lord, when I do that.

And this is why I am excited to be in the Origins Project too – because it is inter-denominational, we are in agreement on the essential doctrines and have diversity with others. We won’t be arguing about theology with each other - but we will be passionate about mission from the theology we all believe in. I just wish we would all be so incredibly desperate for seeing emerging generations come to know Jesus that we would be utterly ashamed at the things we sometimes do which can ultimately prevent that from happening. God help us.

Dan Kimball is Pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, California.