I had an interesting lunch meeting with Lori Strang and Annie on Friday. Annie and I went to Toledo to meet with the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran and talk about a project that she wants to present to Zion's. We arrived at one of our favorite restos - Calvino's (if you've never been, you have to try it! It's the best pizza in Toledo) - and immediately after small talk and catching up, Lori began to present her "evangelism" idea. I was so impressed, I thought I would present it to the Council this month. I also talked with Lenore about it on Sunday and she thinks it's a good idea as well. So what's the plan?

Basically, the plan systematically looks at how Zion's functions within this community. This is a question I have had at every step of my life: What do I have to offer that might, in some way, present Jesus to others in a way that would help them to hear Jesus? It's basically the same question for Zion's. In a community of so many churches, of so many different flavors, why does Zion's exist? It seems to me a pertinent question as we discern together how God might be calling us to go forth in mission together.

To return to Lori's proposal, she attended with some people from Zoar, a seminar that has opened their small, redevelopment congregation to many options for ministry. Redeemer feels freed to move in any direction where God calls them; they almost feel completely unrestrained. Lori did not use these words exactly, but from her description, I saw freedom to be God's instrument written all over her words. An important part of her learning in the seminar is the need for input from outside the community in order to help us define who we are. If we decide to go into this process with her, she will ask us to hand pick 4-5 people from our church community and 4-5 people from our larger community. In this way, we can gain a larger perspective on God's mission here in Defiance.

To delve a little deeper, and since we are reading the little book, Emerging Ministry: Being Church Today, maybe it would be important for us to answer the second question at the end of chapter one: "What is the 'mission history' of your church community? Discuss the manner in which your church came into being - when, where, who, how and why?" Why would this be important?

Additionally, how could we answer the 4th question: "What does it mean to be the church as we live? Where are the new wilderness roads that are emerging around us? Where are the new wilderness roads to which you are being called, along which perhaps you are already walking?"

So, what do you think?

Peace,
Tim