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For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in
Matthew 25:35
I heard somewhere that assumptions are like armpits. Everybody has two and they usually stink! I am wrapping up a class called Culture, Context, and Missions. A big part of this class is discovering and challenging the assumptions a church makes when they attempt to do ministry. The Holy Spirit has been faithful to show me some assumptions and expectations I have that might not be helpful. It’s not that they are wrong, they are just undeveloped and incomplete. One of the bigger problems with assumptions is we make decisions based on them, but they are often incomplete or inaccurate which leads to under thought decisions and flawed plans and we end up not maximizing ministry opportunities and, “Leave stuff on the table.” as Pastor Zach says.
Throughout this class I have been wrestling with the question, “What assumptions do I hold that do not match our ministry culture and our mission?" Or, put another way, “Am I making ministry strategy decisions that don’t fit the people we actually love and serve?” Here is a simple example of what I am talking about. Without really thinking about it I assumed that the Coffee House was for our church family; however, when I analyzed the demographics of our community around us, I learned that people are not really looking for a church or even specific belief systems. People are looking for a place to find friends. Notice, I didn’t say a friendly place. They want more than that. They want something relationally deeper than that. This is just one of the reasons the Coffee House is so great and effective. People have the time and space to connect even as they wait in line. The Coffee House is a place where people in different spiritual places can find the connections and develop the friendships for which they long. And it is these relationships that provide the space for meaningful conversations about Jesus and the gospel at the appropriate time. When I challenge my inaccurate assumption and develop better understanding, I realize that having a relationally safe community space like the Coffee House is not just nice or fun, it is a crucial part of our strategy, because it meets a core longing people are feeling, even if they don’t realize it.
So, I ask you what assumptions about our community are you hanging on to, and are they accurate? That has been a more difficult question for me to answer than I assumed. (Yet another assumption.) I pray that the Holy Spirit helps us all see the assumptions that might be creating barriers that keep us from being the church our community needs, and thank you Coffee House Team. You all are doing an amazing job!
Love you Trinity Family,
Pastor Don
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