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For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13
What are our practices?
How then does our missional community live? How does it challenge the City of Man? How are our values expressed to the world, in Plymouth a straight forward, relatively poor, grey yet arty city that likes to party and surf? Well we can say what we are committed to doing, rather than saying we must do so many things so many times a day or week. Acts 2v42, the early church was dedicated to a number of things, teaching, prayer, fellowship and breaking bread in homes (some commentaries see this as mission expressed).
Acts 2v42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
What are we committed to; well if we see life as a cycle of things we could express it like this: Learning Listening Sending Blessing Thanking Eating
What do these commitments mean? By committed we mean it is a regular focus and priority for every member of the community. This in turn then places a demand on the nature of membership of the community and what is expected from members.
Learning. We are committed to learning about God through shared study of God’s word and expository teaching. We are committed to personal study of scripture and exploration of good doctrine to influence positively how we live today. Rom 10v17
Listening. We are committed to listening to God in prayer, scripture and prophecy (spectacular and mundane) to establish where he is prompting and leading us. We are committed to listening to each others and the world’s stories, hurts, joys and needs. Mar 11v24
Sending. We are committed to sending and encouraging each other into the city of Plymouth as every ‘member is a missionary’; thus seeing every work place, school, university, toddler group and home as a mission field. This is characterised by the sense of living the gospel out seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Mat 28v19
Blessing. We are committed to blessing everyone we engage with, whether Christian or not. We seek to serve the city sacrificially for Jesus’ glory wherever we find ourselves. This has a heavy emphasis on growing and developing friendships with those around us, to understand their needs and desires, and working as a community to serve these. Zac 10v1, Eph 2v10
Thanking. We are committed to thanking God for everything, and pursuing a lifestyle characterised by joy, enjoying creation, hope in the future and fearing God not our circumstances. This is expressed in joyful charismatic worship, regular shared parties and pursuits such as sport and recreation. This accompanying an attitude of facing and overcoming all problems with the Gospel. Rom 12v12, 1Thes 5v16, Psa 27v13
Eating. We are committed to regular shared meals and breaking bread whenever the community gathers.
We are committed to having our homes as the focus for welcoming others into the community through meals, coffee and tea. Rom 2v42; Rom 12v13
'So I will watch over them to build and plant declares the Lord.' Jer 31:28b
It's not the big armies that win, it's the good ones.
- Maurice, Comte de Saxe