Outreach, not indrag!

Elaine and I were praying for all our MSCs this morning and it has left me filled with such hope and excitement about all that is happening here at HT. Our MSC Learning Community this weekend was a time of real breakthrough, strengthening and encouragement, and I remembered a section I read in ‘Breakout’ by Mark Stibbe and Andrew Williams (I really recommend it)…

When we look at the direction of the river in Ezekiel 47 it is supremely important to note one simple fact: the river does not flow into God’s house; it flows out of God’s house. The momentum suggests OUTREACH, not INDRAG…We are no longer at the centre of every community, able to appeal to a community that is still Christian, and bid them ‘come to us’. Rather, we need to ‘go to them’, planting mission-shaped communities where the unchurched masses of people live, letting these communities grow organically so that they provide what the communities really need.

Lord, I pray that you continue to bless and strengthen our MSCs and they step boldly into this new way of being church!  May Your kingdom come in every area of our city.

Carl