A Place of Refuge

At the end of 2016 I will have been in ministry for 30 years. Almost all of that time has been spent in interdenominational para-church work. That has given me the awesome privilege of preaching in, working with, or otherwise visiting literally hundreds of churches all across Canada. I've been in formal liturgical churches, and in wildly charismatic churches. I've been in churches of 30 people, and in churches of 3000 people. I've been in tiny communities at the end of the road, and in all of Canada's major cities.

Over those years I've seen most of what there is to see in the Canadian Church, and I want you to know something.  The Mission is a very unusual place. 

Our vision statement says we are a place of refuge, restoration, and transformation. My interpretation of that vision statement is this. 

Come as you are, with all your problems and baggage, and you will be welcome here. Then let us come alongside to help you grow in your understanding of God and your relationship with Him.  Let us help you become more and more what He wants you to be, because none of us should stay where we are.

Our vision statement is one that many churches would happily subscribe to. For some of them it's still just a vision. For others it has moved beyond that toward becoming a reality. I'm pleased to say that The Mission is one of those churches where the vision is taking form, a place where people who are hurting and struggling and carrying baggage can find a place of refuge, restoration, and transformation. 

When struggling people find their way into a church they are usually very aware of the problems in their lives and are looking for a solution. Sometimes those who haven't quite got it all together yet find the church experience to be uncomfortable and unwelcoming. Thankfully, people are finding that is not the case at The Mission. We need to rejoice because God has been molding us into a place of refuge and restoration. 

Spiritual growth is an ongoing process for everyone, but some people who come in our doors are closer to the beginning of that journey than others. Those of us who have had an opportunity to be on the path for a longer time have a responsibility to come alongside and help. That's the process of discipleship, or to use the term Pastor Paul prefers, spiritual formation. It's the process of supporting one another, teaching, praying, and challenging one another. It's like a team where each member works to help every other member become the best they can be.

Does that mean The Mission is the perfect church or we have a lot of perfect people? (okay, stop laughing now)  If you know us at all you know we have a long way to go. In fact, being a place of refuge that welcomes struggling people also means opening our doors to a never ending succession of challenges of a kind that may not be quite so evident in a church full of "mature" Christians. But if we want to be like Jesus (you know, the Jesus who invited a tax collector to be his disciple, spoke life saving words to the woman at the well, saved an adulterous woman from stoning - you get the message), we need to continue being a place of refuge and love for hurting people.

Our message is "come as you are, but don't stay as you are". We welcome people in love regardless of where they are at. Then, also out of love, we show them how to come to faith in Jesus and be transformed into the kind of person He wants them to be. At least, that's what we are striving for.

As I look around the congregation at The Mission, I am amazed. We have people who have suffered alcoholism and other addictions. For some the battle isn't over. We have people who have spent time in jail. We have people who have been abused or perhaps perpetrated abuse. And we have people who have grown up in Christian families and served God all their lives in healthy nurturing environments. And all of us, regardless of our backgrounds and experiences, come together each Sunday morning in a spirit of acceptance and unity to worship together. Isn't that wonderful?

So what am I trying to say? I guess my message is this. If you see The Mission as a place with some problems and warts, and it makes you frustrated at times, you're not imagining things. But I encourage you to look beyond those issues to see a church that is welcoming and loving and discipling people as Jesus would. That's fantastic, and it's rare. 

So let's never lose sight of what we have or fail to give thanks to God for all He is accomplishing at this church in the middle of nowhere.