On Mission

I believe that we always need to be missionally minded. This means that we are constantly aware of the influence we want to have on our community and are continually looking for opportunities to further that mission. If we interact with the people around us with that mindset we will see our mission have the impact on our community that we desire.

I had two poignant reminders of that this week. We were serving breakfast to teachers at a local high school and had two dozen biscuits left over. One of our staff took a bag to the local police department to let them know how much we appreciated them. As the rest of us left the school, a prison detail showed up to mow the grass. We checked with their supervisor and were able to give them each breakfast and have a word of prayer with them before leaving. It was a powerful moment for us and I hope that these prisoners were blessed as well.

I was also out picking up some fresh catfish at my favorite local fish market this week. As I was talking with the owner she introduced me to a customer who is heavily involved in a neighborhood revitalization effort. Our church has actually partnered with her before and we were able to share a vision for a new project she is beginning. Before I left we had agreed to work together on another community project that will involve some of our men investing in the young men in this area.

When we realize that being on mission isn't a burden, but a privilege of community-minded Christ-followers it changes our perspective. We can then eagerly anticipate the new opportunities we will find to make a substantial difference simply by looking for those moments in day-to-day life.