Having a hand in the process of church planting has blessed my life in a multiplicity of ways. For the past week I have been apart of a Spring break trip to Pittsburgh to help in the beginning stages of what in the fall will officially be a church plant on the University of Pittsburgh campus. God has taught me much this week, and I am still mulling over it all even as I sit in a Panera next to Pittsburgh’s campus.
Each day, all involved have gone out into the city to gauge the spiritual climate of the city. Most of what I have felt God has taught me has to do with the staff and imagining myself in their position. The first night I was there I asked myself this question: “Would my life have to dramatically change if I were to be on a church plant now?” I think the answer would most likely be yes. Some might ask, what is the problem with this? If this were the case then it seems that the priority Jesus puts on making disciples is not as important the priority that an empty church places on the need for evangelism an missional living. Do I feel this priority now? I would say no. This is more than an external problem, but it is a heart issue. The priority on mission needs to be ever-growing as we grow in our relationship with Christ.
Mission (for us), must be birthed out of a brokenness for the world. The more we see the gospel as good news to us, the more we will share it. Mission all depends on whether or not our worldview is being shaped by Jesus or not. Jesus saw the world as lost and broken (what it is) and he saw himself as the ultimate cure (which he is). I witnessed this brokenness in one of the staff members going on this church plant this week. It was a brokenness that had been shaped by Christ. God has just begun to further this brokenness in me through this week.
I just got done having a follow up conversation with a guy I met Wednesday. Awesome guy. Our conversation was so engaging and we both brought up things that made each other think. The coolest thing was that I got to proclaim the gospel in a unique way. The gospel presentation took a unique shape because it took 2 hours or so to actually get through. Each part (3 parts in total) was surfaced naturally in the midst of the conversation. At one point creation was explained, and next was the story of Israel, and lastly was Jesus and the future hope. I thoroughly enjoyed that conversation, and so did my new friend.
God has refined me this week through the revealing of insecurities and in finding comfort and assurance in Him alone. I have enjoyed this week because I have seen God move.
Poiema 