“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'”
Matthew 9:37-38 (NRSV)
What is the purpose of Mission Shaped Church?
The Church is the only institution that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members according to the Rev. William Temple, the former Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury. Do our churches exist for those who do not yet know Christ? What will it take for us to be this kind of Church? Our hope is this blog will help answer this question.
Who are we?
Rev. Dr. Bill Brown
Bill is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church and has served rural, city, and suburban churches in his 31 years of ministry. He is currently the Director of Innovative Evangelism for the Baltimore Washington Conference and is responsible for equipping our Conference to start new churches and work with congregations in need of renewal and revitalization. His passion includes helping local churches discern and implement their next faithful step. He has a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological, a Doctor of Ministry focused in Organizational Leadership from Drew University and is an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation. Bill is married to Michelle, who grounds and humbles him; they have a daughter, Torie, who amazes and impresses him every day. When not working, you may find Bill enjoying the 3 R’s – reading, the Ravens, and running.
Rev. Lauren Jones
Lauren is an award-winning writer and itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E.). She served at Reid Temple A.M.E. Church in Glenn Dale, MD for over 10 years under the esteemed leadership of Rev. Dr. Lee P. Washington. She also served in Columbia, SC from 2015 to 2017 with the Rev. Carey A. Grady at Reid Chapel A.M.E. Church. Most recently, she served at Mt. Pisgah A.M.E. Church in Columbia, MD. She has a Master of Divinity from Howard University and a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Maryland. She’s also been published in Parents magazine, Sojourners, Washington Family, Modern Loss, Gospel Today, and several others. In honor of her deceased husband, Gabriel Jones, she volunteered for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for five years and was a finalist in their search for a national president in 2018. Professionally, Lauren works for the Baltimore-Washington Conference of The United Methodist Church on Congregational Development.
The Latest Blog Post
- What’s New in MissionInsite?
By Tom Bandy MissionInsite (and its parent company ACS Technologies) introduced a revised system in February that includes a number of new and useful features. Congregational, District, and Conference users will need to update their passwords and log in anew, but you will find your saved shapes and plots still in place. One goal for … - Fresh Expressions: Birthed from Passion
Bill and I returned from the FXUM National Gathering a week ago, and we’ve returned with renewed energy and inspiration for Fresh Expressions ministry and our work. I have even already connected with a faith-based nonprofit in Anacostia to launch a Fresh Expression that’s been on my heart. I will teach women how to make … - Use MI for Leadership Retreats
By Tom Bandy Many churches hold leadership retreats in January or February. Aside from prayer and fellowship, these retreats are often about assimilating newly elected council and board members and strategic thinking for the coming year. Updated ComparativeInsite reports are an essential resource for both elements in the agenda. ComparativeInsite date compares current church … - Experiencing Christ at Christmas
One of the practices in which I engage daily is a review of notes and highlights I’ve made in the various books and articles I’ve read. The other morning, this quote by M. Scott Boren, in his book MissioRelate, popped up: “We spend far more time talking about Jesus than we do encountering him. All … - Why Bother? Changing Lifestyle Expectations of Worship
By Tom Bandy Lifestyle diversity and cultural change have created new challenges and opportunities for worship designers. The challenge is that the basic question people ask themselves on Sunday morning is no longer when to worship or preferred style of worship, but why should we bother to worship at all? Prior to the millennium change, …Read more “Why Bother? Changing Lifestyle Expectations of Worship”