Asking Good Questions

In an article titled, "A New Imagination for the Church" Dave Dunbar of Biblical Seminary introduces 3 sets of questions to help guide a church toward a missional engagement with their community:

• What means or activities in the history of our church have proven most effective in introducing non-Christians to the gospel? (This is not the same question as what activities have been most effective in adding members/attendees to the congregation.) What can we learn from this that might guide our present efforts?
• Jesus taught us to pray “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.” If the kingdom were to come today, what things would be different in our neighborhood? How might the answers to this question guide the participation of our church in the mission of God?
• The Abrahamic covenant promises that Abraham’s descendants will be blessed in order that they may be a blessing (Gen. 12:2-3). How is our church a blessing to our community? How would our neighbors answer this question?

I think these questions are a good starting point for any church, new or old, who wants to be an agent of change in the next twenty years. I imagine our church will wrestle through these questions rather soon, and I encourage you and your church community to begin asking (and answering) these questions as well.

Peace!