Emerging into to new ways of doing mission

When we began our series on Acts at church, we produced a postcard about Being part of God's Big Plan. It listed the following items:

Just walk across the room • Seek to serve • Show kindness • Show mercy • Pay attention • Share your story • Listen to someone else’s story • Ask open questions • Be natural • Let God lead you • Giveaway time • Ask God for opportunities • Get involved in something outside of church • Be generous • Be a good neighbour • Pray for someone • Be available • Spend time with the missing • Do what’s doable • Exploit the ordinary

Just recently I discovered Withreach.com, and found a comparison between traditional "outreach" and emerging "withreach". What interested me was the list of characterisitcs for "withreach".

You'll have to see the whole thing to get the comparison, I just wanted to think about those things about "withreach" that connect with being outwardly focused and a part of God's big plan.

What challenges me particularly is that for far too many years I feel that we, the church, have disconnected the mission mandate of Jesus (the Great Commission) from the fundamental challenge to Love God and love our neighbour (the Great Commandment). I seem to remember that somewhere in The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren talks about a great committment to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment makes great Christians.

I still struggle, but I'm trying to hold these two things together. I'm trying to love my community into the kingdom of God, but it's not as easy at it looks!