|MOSAIC JUNE 2012
OK, I confess that when I started this article I had to Google ‘missional’. The term has been used so often in so many different ways that I needed to confirm what we were talking about. The fact that my Google search was filled with the question “What does it mean to be missional?” reveals that there is a lot of both confusion and reaction over the term. I even found an article on how ‘not’ to be missional!
From listening to Dan and Jered on the topic, my understanding of ‘missional’ has grown to our calling to both “be” and “do” as we live out the mission of God in every area of our lives (kind of like stewardship!). It is about asking the questions: Where has God placed me? What has God given me? What is God telling me to do with what He has given me? And what am I going to do about it?
I believe that stewardship is missional. And being missional is stewardship. We first recognize we are stewards because this is who we are. Then we steward resources (everything from time, money, abilities, opportunities, relationships and all our stuff) because they do not belong to us. All we have is entrusted to us – for a purpose – to help others – a “mission”. You become part of a missional movement when you start ‘doing’ what you are ‘being’.
As we look at the world both in and outside the church, we can see that God has placed us in a culture needing help, hope and truth – especially in the area of stewarding their finances. People around us are drowning in a sea of debt and materialism. But simply telling people that they should spend less, save more and be generous is not going to help them. They can Google a million-and-one ways on how to get out of debt, create a budget, live responsibly and become financially secure, but information alone doesn’t seem to be helping.
So what are we doing about it? The new Debt Advice Coaching Ministry aims at helping train people to reach out to those in debt in a confidential, non-judgmental way. It is not about accounting or financial planning. Rather it is about relationship. It is about offering real practical help. It is about offering hope where there seems to be none. It is about walking through the journey together decision by decision. It is about sharing life while teaching biblical principles. It is about offering Truth, Help and Hope in how to live as stewards of all that God has given us.
If you have any questions about the Coaching Ministry or are interested in starting a Money/Debt Advice Coaching Ministry in your church/community, you can check out the Coaching Ministry section under Stewardship Ministries on our website, or contact me at [email protected].
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