tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-123201127846687942.post3255886829753676947..comments2023-03-31T02:46:26.242-07:00Comments on A View from 6000 Feet: The Church as a MissionMark Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508112109135549871noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-123201127846687942.post-10321632460317823602007-11-14T08:46:00.000-08:002007-11-14T08:46:00.000-08:00Anonymous,Thanks for the comment. If you don't min...Anonymous,<BR/>Thanks for the comment. If you don't mind, next time, please give your name. I always like to know who I am talking to.<BR/>First of all, I think we simply need to give more attention to reaching our community and bringing the blessings of the kingdom to the brokenness of our community. I often here of people leaving a church because it isn't a home ("It's not meeting my needs"), but rarely hear of anyone leaving a church because it is not a mission. We spend most of our energy and money being a home and making sure our needs are met. I think we need to consider making reaching a higher priority.<BR/>Practically speaking, the most important step we can take is to get to know unbelievers as real people and real friends. The more we understand them and love them, the more we will be able to communicate truthfully and lovingly with them.<BR/><BR/>In regard to your second question, we need to make sure that we never compromise the truth, water down Scripture, or shrink back from biblical conviction--even if our culture might find these things offensive. However, we must work hard to make sure that it is Scripture that is giving offense and not our self-righteous or haughty attitudes. However, I do think we can teach the truth in winsome ways that our intelligible to the unchurched. The Apostle Paul was able to communicate the gospel to the pagan Roman Empire without compromise, yet in a way that was understandable to them. We also need to look at our ministries and see what elements of our ministries are based on Scripture and what are based on our traditions. I believe we often cling to practices, claiming that these practices are the "right" way to worship, even though we have no scriptural warrant for making such a claim. When we do that, we are allowing man-made traditions to interfere with God's mission.Mark Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11508112109135549871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-123201127846687942.post-21684788034033783152007-11-14T05:30:00.000-08:002007-11-14T05:30:00.000-08:00Hi, Mark. What practical steps can we as individua...Hi, Mark. What practical steps can we as individuals and as a body of believers take to live as a home and a mission? What does it look like for individuals and the church to be relevant without capitulating?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com