Our Global Community is living hour by hour through perhaps the most challenging times in history. The future is unknown, but today I am thinking about implications for the future of Church and Missions. Here are some things I would like to see as a result of our current battle.
- The big business of Church and Missions can convert into the ministry of Church and Missions. While fear and greed drive much of humanity, including sometimes even the Church, a scarcity of resources may require many institutionalized Church and Missions workers to reevaluate their commitment to ministry. Those who are left will not be there for a job but called to a ministry the includes embracing the financial sacrifices involved.
- A generation of our young people will be shocked into an internal strengthening to face life with increased resilience. This age of helicopter parenting, participation trophies, and generalized overprotection of children’s egos serves to cripple the development of a mature and balanced human being. If WWII produced the Greatest Generation, perhaps COVID -19 will create a new wave of strong and selfless leaders in our younger generation.
- The Church in the Global South will continue to rise into their rightful place in the Global Church. If, even for a season, the West is unable or unwilling to travel to “solve the problems” of the developing world, perhaps the space created will serve to further empower local leadership to further develop and fill that vacuum.
- The Western Church will embrace a new identity with their Suffering Saviour. In many ways, the Western Church has grown arrogant and seemingly free of actual trails and suffering. Rather than being so focused on our “freedom in Christ” and our idolatry of authenticity (foul language and drunkenness are common among us), perhaps we will adopt the humility of our Saviour, who set aside his privilege to suffer for us and to serve humanity.
- The House Church movement will replace the Megachurch. This Sunday in America, anyone who attends a large church will be doing so virtually. Will many decide the positives of this outweigh the positives of gathering on Sunday morning as an anonymous person attending a professional and scripted presentation? Meeting in homes with a smaller body of believers has the challenge of being human and managing relationships with people whose lives are a mess.
I think that’s enough for a Saturday morning. What would you add to this list? What comments do you have about what I stated above? Please join the conversation!
Missiologist 