August Vision Column

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
August Vision Column
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ-- he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." (Acts 10:34-43)

I had the privilege this past month of attending the Academy for Missional Preaching in Malibu. Around thirty pastors and seminary preaching professors gathered to think about what missional preaching is and how to do it. We then had the opportunity to write missional sermons, preach them in small groups and listen to feedback from our peers. I haven’t done anything like this since seminary. Listening to experienced pastor’s preaching was a real joy and I learned a lot.

Missional means that: times are changing and the church has to change as well. The old days when all we had to do was to erect a big brick church near the town square to reach people are over. Now we compete with other belief systems and other activities on Sunday mornings. So it is no longer enough to send missionaries to far off places. Today we have to be missionaries right here in Eagle Rock.

The Presbyterian Church is at the forefront of trying to figure out what all this means. The Academy of Missional Preaching was setup so that pastors who are dealing with changes in their churches could teach professors what is happening in our parishes, and seminary professors could teach pastors what they are learning in the academy. Also pastors could share what they have been learning with each other. Hopefully this exercise will guide the Presbyterian Church as it changes, and improve my preaching in the months ahead.

As a church we need to think missionally. Everything we do must be designed to attract new people to our church. If we are doing something that does not bring people to Christ then it is time to stop doing that and try something else. And those things which grow our church must be encouraged. This is the mission of the church.