Sisterhoods

Latest Blogs & Podcasts:
Cash4Jesus And Other Ideas From The Mind Of Josh McKamie
Upcoming Events:
Catalyst Group and Late Night Bible Studies

Lately, we've been hearing a lot about the missional vs. attractional church. The key difference in these identities being where one sees the focus of your community. Attractional churches try to "bring people in" with quality worship and programs. Missional churches "go outside the walls" to work at bringing the kingdom of God to fruition in neighborhoods and in people's lives who may not be members.

The recent stage-sharing between Adam Hamilton and Mike Slaughter at the Church of the Resurrection Leadership Institute was a great example of how these are the dominant themes in many of our more successful churches. Adam's church does attractional quite well actually, and Ginghamsburg has been claiming a new identity as a missional community.

But in each case we should be ready to ask tough questions of how our church builds relationships with new people. I could imagine a church so focused on saving a city that they forget to ask the current residents how they are already at that work. I can imagine a church so successful at getting people in the doors that their neighborhood is falling down around them just beyond the gated parking lot.

We've been talking about ways to develop enduring relationships that lead to Christ here through Detroit Villages, Emergedetroit, Catalyst, and other components to our ministry. We were wondering what it would be like to engage faith communities in "sisterhoods." These would be long term, personal connections with other communities which through common shares in a mission together each community could be transformed. What would it be like if our churches ceased being well-meaning benefactors, and claimed their sibling-hood with another community? How would that effect rich, suburban churches. How would that effect poor communities?

If in either our attractional or missional communities, there was no "us" ministering to "them" only "us ministering together for the world" how would that change us? We'd love to know your thoughts. Drop them in the comments section for this edition of the newsletter.

Looking for sisters in the faith,
Carl
carl(at)emergedetroit.org

Visit the emergedetroit.org calendar, subscribe to the emergedetroit podcast, follow "emergedetroit" on Twitter, or join the emergedetroit facebook group for updates on upcoming emergedetroit.org gatherings, events and conversations.