Helping Churches Shift from Maintenance to Mission
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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 Harris
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. Presently, Lauren serves at Mt. Pisgah A.M.E. Church in Columbia, MD where the Rev. C. Michelle Langston is senior pastor. 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. She is married and a proud mother of two children.
By Tom Bandy Many of you may have read the Easter opinion column by Ross Douthat in the New York Times: “It’s Easter 2050. Here’s What American Religion Looks Like”. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/30/opinion/easter-religion-america.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare. It’s a good article, and I have been reflecting on it from the point of view of demographic and lifestyle change. The writer predicts …
Jesus tells the disciples in Matthew 28:19 to go and make disciples of all nations, and for three days, the Rev. Dr. Michael Beck showed us how to do just that in the most unconventional places. I traveled with several pastors who are part of the Fresh Expressions Academy to Ocala, Florida, to witness innovative …
Recently I reread a classic text, “The Way of the Pilgrim.” This work was written by an unknown Russian author and is a profound exploration of spiritual searching and devotional practices. It is set against the backdrop of 19th-century Russia, and follows an unnamed pilgrim, who describes himself as one who: “by the grace of …
By Tom Bandy The internet has been valuable in so many ways. But the combination of digitalization and miniaturisation has raised ethical concerns especially for lifestyle research. Many churches and denominations also use lifestyle research (as we do), but there is always a risk that institutional priorities and hidden biases might unconsciously lead us to …
This is my third post in a random series of articles dealing with hospitality. I’ve spent time on this topic because it is so critical to church renewal and vitality. How we welcome the “other” is a foundational lesson of both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. A few weeks ago my wife and …