Urban Garden (Update)

IMG_7316A couple of months ago, we started an urban garden. I want to update you on the progress and some of the spiritual lessons I have learned in the process.  We have planted basil, cilantro, spinach, parsley, thyme, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, garlic, bell peppers, and okra (can you tell we are from the south?). Our back deck is packed and our garden has spilled out on to the front balcony and the front porch.

IMG_7315We have learned a few things in the meantime.       1) Hail, diseases and bugs are detrimental to plants.  2) Not all seeds take or survive.  3) Gardens take time, work and the right mix of sun, water and fertilizer.  As I think about these lessons, I view these things through spiritual lenses.

Here is how I see these lessons applied to my life and church planting.  1) The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy.  But so many times we forget the rest of that verse (John 10:10).  Jesus has come to give us life and life to the full.  We have an enemy but we have a Savior who is greater and gives life.  We must turn to life, not death, and be willing to live to the full of all that Jesus seeks to provide.

image2) Jesus speaks of a seed and the sower (Matthew 13:1-23).  There are four types of soil discussed in this parable and though some seed falls on every type of soil, only one produces a harvest.  We are to be spreading the seed of the gospel and allowing God to move and bring about the harvest.

3) Cultivation of relationships, gospel conversations, and making disciples take the right mix of time, prayer, communication, and God’s move in the lives of others.  We are in the midst of this working and waiting process.  The fields are being worked and we are seeking to provide all that needs to be given for growth and we know that God must bring the increase and the harvest.image_1

I pray that as our urban garden grows and produces, so will our ministry.  Pray with us to that end.

What is Missional?

Missional is one of the hottest terms in the church. And if you were to ask ten people you would get eleven or twelve definitions. So below is my attempt at explaining how we are Missional and how we intend for our church to be Missional.

Missional is not a program. Missional is a lifestyle. We will have missions as part of our church but we are to live on the mission of God daily. This mission includes loving our neighbors, serving others, and discipling our children. All of those things require daily considering others better than ourselves, laying our lives down and being a servant just like Jesus.

In our increasingly secular world we need to live more like the first century church than the nineteenth century church. The first century church lived in community with other believers, lived in the margins of society, and served God through their lives.

Missional is not something that can be learned from a weekend seminar; it is something that must be lived out and caught rather than taught. We are building the foundation for our church by practicing these same principles. We will infuse the Missional lifestyle into our Missional Communities through serving the community in a way the group is gifted and by serving other members of the group.

One of the other tenets of Missional is seeing all Christ followers as the priesthood of believers. Too many times we rely solely on the paid professional holy men to minister, serve and provide discipleship. But the Bible is clear that all believers are Saints, Ambassadors, Servants, and Disciple Makers. Part of being Missional is seeing ways we can minister to others, lead them toward Jesus and live completely for Christ.

The journey toward Missional living has consumed much of my thoughts and struggles over the last four to five years. I am excited to have an idea of how to live, love and lead. And I am excited to see how God will use this type of life to build His kingdom and His church.