Basic Tools 22: Twelve practices of ministry in daily life a congregation might use
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Underlying these practices is the conviction that the primary agents of God’s reign, God’s mission, are the members in their daily living from Monday to Saturday. Sunday helps them to do it better.
1. Sermons and teaching proclaim God’s mission to make the world more loving and just by overcoming evil, sin, and death with love and justice; and Jesus as its center.
2. Teaching that, in baptism, we have joined Jesus’ mission to make the world more loving and more just.
3. Preaching and teaching that:
– challenge coming to church for solace . . . and pardon only / only to be forgiven and loved; and
– call all to go into the world to make it more loving, forgiving, and just; and
– seek to include at least one down-to-earth story of someone on mission in daily life in each sermon (clergy look for two such stories per week).
4. A group / groups using: what I’m doing now to make the world a better place (Basic Tools 2); the 7 worksheets to discern their missions in each daily mission field (Basic Tools 3A and 3B); the glance chart (Basic Tools 3C) and road map (Basic Tools 3D); gifts discernment (Basic Tools 4); and finding a teammate (Basic Tools 21); the pastor is part of this group and might lead it. [All at http://membermission.org/New-Website-Files/basic-tools.html]
5. Teaching that the commitments of baptism and confirmation / adult profession of faith are commitments to Jesus’ mission to make the world more loving and more just.
6. Discerning each of our daily missions as part of preparation for baptism and confirmation / adult profession of faith; and as part of orienting newcomers as much as possible.
7. Develop a mission statement that: reflects theological principles on ministry in daily life; reflects the members’ daily mission fields; and states clearly whether supporting the daily missions of the members is its primary purpose or one of its primary purposes.
8. Use of tested resources to orient leaders to be part of implementing a commitment to support the members’ ministries and missions in daily life.
9. Prayers for our daily missions are part of Sunday worship.
10. Wording of handouts, publications, signs, and public notices that imply being part of this church means to be an agent of Jesus’ mission.
11. An ongoing way for members to share the stories of their missions.
12. Work with each church group or activity to enhance its purpose to include supporting its members in their daily living as agents of God’s mission in Jesus Christ.
Proceed to Basic Tools 23 – Leading Another to Jesus and into His Mission.
