Mission

We're in the process of chatting through the whole area of mission within sanctus, it is something that i am passionate and i think that we need have a missional theology before going on to outwork that mission. If we do mission without the thinking behind it then the danger is that we can perpetuate some of the old imperialistic models of church and mission...so here are few starter thoughts on the theology of mission:

1 - A missional theology starts with a belief in a God of mission...God sent his son into the world in an act of mission. God wants to be in relationship with humanity and consistently reaches out to humanity, this is shown in the Bible and throughout human history. God is a missional God and we are called to reflect God.

2 - God is already active in the world - God's mission did not end at with the sending of Christ. God is continuing in his misison now and our role as missionary people is not to take God into the world but to recognise what God is already doing in teh world and to work alongside God in his ongoing mission, This theology of mission prevents the dualism that has so often characterised Christian mission where we take a 'Good God' into a 'Bad World'

3 - I am becoming increasing convince that the greatest missional tool is 'hospitality' - so often in the world people are not hospitable, not welcoming, not inclusive and hence hospitality is not practiced. I believe the first step to being a missional church is to be a hospitable church.