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Mission For Our Day : An Adventurous Vision

Mission For Our Day : An Adventurous Vision. Missionary WOWEE 2009. Doctrine and Covenants 163. Despite the challenges involved, it is my pleasure to be able to serve you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, who have been claimed by the adventurous vision and spirit of the Restoration movement.

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Mission For Our Day : An Adventurous Vision

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  1. Mission For Our Day :An Adventurous Vision Missionary WOWEE 2009

  2. Doctrine and Covenants 163 • Despite the challenges involved, it is my pleasure to be able to serve you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, who have been claimed by the adventurous vision and spirit of the Restoration movement. Steven M. Veazey President of the church March 29, 2007

  3. The Challenges Involved

  4. Understanding the Times • The World We Once Knew • A world of enlightened, rational thought • A world of answers • A world where scientific method promised to bring order out of any chaos • A world where humans are the ultimate of all God’s creation • A world where progress was inevitable

  5. The Modern World • Individualism - “I did it my way…” • Society is subservient to the individual – “I gotta be me…” • Idealism – “To dream the impossible dream…” • Rationalism – “Like a circle in a spiral…” • Humanism – “John Henry, he could hammer” • Work ethic – “Hi-ho, Hi-ho, it’s off to work we go” • Materialism – “Money makes the world go around…”

  6. The Modern World • The triumph of Western culture • Industrialization • Urbanization • Advanced technology • Universally accepted truth • Promote change toward progress

  7. But the World Changed • Two World Wars shattered idealism • Nuclear weapons called into question the wisdom of science and progress • Disillusionment with organized religion began • Questions no longer had answers • Truth, morals, ethics were relative • Television, computers and internet

  8. Post-modern Chaos • The impossibility of truth • Rejection of institutional religion • Rebirth of magic, myth, paganism • Permanence of chaos, fragmentation • Rejection of history, which is useless, unknowable, and unexplainable • Lack of meaning and purpose • Rise of escapism in media and life

  9. Decline of Churches • Growth of a “secular” society • Rise of radical fundamentalism—and the reaction against it to reject all faith • Scandals involving ministers • Multiple options for fellowship, for finding meaning, for connecting with others • Religion perceived as dry, boring, staid, irrelevant, ridiculous, or dangerous

  10. Traditional Church • Centered on the building – “If you build it, they will come” doesn’t work • Isolated and insulated from the struggles of life • Loyalty to the institution has disappeared • Comfort replaced active discipleship • Church is perceived as a social club rather than social transformation

  11. What Can We Do? • Offer something other than “traditional church” • Meet people where they live and make the Gospel relevant • Provide a small, safe community where people can be real and share themselves • TRACK 2: EFFECTIVE SMALL GROUP MINISTRY Welcome to the Adventurous Vision

  12. There’s More to the Story Postmodernity has a positive, hopeful side

  13. The Post-modern World • Each person’s story is as important and valid as every one else’s • Celebration of community • New emphasis on spirituality and Spirit • Embracing multi-cultural diversity • Non-sexist, non-agist, global • Participation and collaboration

  14. Community of Christ • Community of Christ provides the kind of community that is needed in the postmodern world: • Zion • The Kingdom of God than Jesus proclaimed • Communities of joy, hope, love, and peace • Our emphasis on the peace of Christ is desperately needed in people’s lives • Our values and principles fit the positive side of “postmodernity!”

  15. Each person’s story is as important and valid as every one else’s - WORTH OF PERSONS • Celebration of community - ZION • Spirituality and Spirit – HOLY SPIRIT,DISCERNMENT, CONT. REVELATION • Multi-cultural diversity – UNITY IN DIVERSITY • Non-sexist, non-agist, global – A WORLD-WIDE MOVEMENT • Participation and collaboration – ALL ARE CALLED AND GIFTED

  16. What Can We Do? • It’s easy to reach people! Just be yourself, and let God do the rest! • People aren’t looking for religion; they’re looking for something real – so be real! • Evangelism can be as simple as listening! • TRACK 1: INTRODUCTION TO MISSIONARY OPPORTUNITIES – THE NATURAL WAY Capture the Adventurous Vision

  17. Looking to the Future • When you look at an average congregation, how many youth are present? • How many young adults are present? • What is the average age of the leadership in the church? • What’s going on?

  18. Survey of Young Adults • 93% aged 12-25 believe there is a spiritual aspect to life • 55% said they are more spiritual now than 2 years ago • 32% do not trust organized religion • Church-goers are about as loyal to their brand of toothpaste as they are to their church denomination

  19. Where do you feel spiritual? • 1. Spending time in nature • 2. Listening to music • 3. Helping other people in the community • 9. Attending religious services

  20. Our young people are … • Finding spirituality in meditation practices • Feeling everything is connected in a larger whole • Rejecting the idea of making distinctions (“and religion is all about making distinctions”) • Looking for new and diverse experiences that transcend cultural and traditional barriers

  21. What can we do? • Listen more and talk less • Ask open-ended questions • Build bridges of understanding • Learn from their search and their vision • TRACK 3: YOUNG ADULTS AND ENVISIONING THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH Live the Adventurous Vision

  22. Capture the Adventurous Vision Live the Adventurous Vision Welcome to the Adventurous Vision THE ADVENTUROUS VISION

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