Reimagining Church
Stories of How Innovative Faith Communities Work
Introduction
Mission Alive is excited to launch our second blog series in the Reimagining Church theme. This series is titled, Reimagining Church: Stories of How Innovative Faith Communities Work. In January 2024 Mission Alive launched our previous blog series, Reimagining Church: An Innovative Approach to Mission in North America.
The series wrapped up in June after 15 articles written from both a theological and a practical perspective. Leaders from Churches of Christ shared their perspectives on how the church needs to reimagine the work of ministry. The authors challenged us in missiology, ecclesiology, Christology, pneumatology, and so on. They also challenged us with practical ministry concerns like trauma, creation care, and leadership. Each author stoked our imagination for how the church can change for the sake of God’s mission in North America.
As I expressed in the conclusion of the first series, I am proud to be associated with such a variety of thoughtful and creative leaders. In my role in Mission Alive, I have the honor of interacting with leaders from many church traditions. I also interact with leaders from Churches of Christ across North America. At the end of the first series, I was struck by how impressive our leaders are. Many of the authors demonstrate not only theological insight but astute perceptions of contemporary North American culture. It was fun to reimagine the many creative ways to do and be church in the future!
Many of us find focusing on the past comforting. For many, the past brings warm memories of people and places. Focusing on the past is also easier. It is familiar. There are no hard choices yet to be made in our past. While there may be some value in reflecting on those choices to learn and gain wisdom, spending too much time there is like stepping into quicksand. As Suzy Kassem, American writer, poet, and philosopher wrote, “You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.”
The Next Chapter
As we turn our attention to the future, it occurred to us that while the theological and philosophical approach of the first series of articles was helpful, it may be additionally helpful to provide a second series of articles that narratively describe church innovation. Sometimes a good story makes a greater impression than any explanation. Furthermore, understanding how others have creatively adapted the church to European and North American culture may help us in our attempts to do likewise.
We have asked some innovative preachers, pastors, and church planters to describe their churches. Each one has courageously traveled the journey of reimagination. They have asked themselves what the church could look like in whatever context or community they have found themselves. We have asked them to help us understand their changes and why they made them. We hope this will help the rest of us think about our ministry contexts more creatively. We have asked ministry practitioners from Churches of Christ and from outside Churches of Christ to describe their work. Some of the authors who have an association with Churches of Christ include:
Jared Looney of Global City Mission in Tampa, Florida and Ben Cheek of Global City Mission in Westbrookville, New York.
Matt Dabbs of Backyard Church in Auburn, Alabama.
Nathan Pickard of the Newmarket Parish House, Newmarket, Ontario.
Some of the authors who come from outside Churches of Christ include:
Tomy Wilkerson of the Tampa Underground in Tampa, Florida.
Matt Lake of First Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
John Davis of Fresh Expressions and Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in Palatka, Florida.
We hope by reading their stories we will find inspiration to reimagine our own approach to ministry both to those already in the church and those who are not. Some of our authors have remained deeply connected to an established local church. Others have stepped away from established churches to start something new. We hope these stories will inspire you. We hope they will give you the courage to reimagine your own ministry. We hope they will help you rethink the shape, purpose, and focus of the church in general and the specific role you are playing.
Tod K. Vogt, serves as the Executive Director of Mission Alive in Dallas, TX. Prior to working as Mission Alive’s Executive Director, he served as our Director of Equipping. Tod joined the Mission Alive team in 2007 after several years in local church ministry. Tod began his full-time ministry as a church-planting missionary among the Fon people of Benin, West Africa.