A revolution is taking place right before our eyes – a mission revolution. Some might mistake it to be a rebellion against power and authority, but such a characterization would be wrong. A rebellion is an attempt to overthrow and unseat, while a revolution is the act of re-creating or re-forming from the bottom up. Rebellion takes place in the halls of power, revolution takes to the streets. Over coffee at Starbuck, on airplanes returning from Niger, in church offices, and at small gatherings, ‘like-hearted’ pastors and church folk are joining passions and resources into mission collectives.
In simplest terms, a mission collective is a group of people and churches united around the proclamation of Jesus Christ in word and deed. This means they are, above all, pursuing collaborative mission activity and contributing resources to the common witness of the collective. In its essence, collectivism honors the contribution of each church and every individual, trusts the work of the Spirit in each, and seeks involvement in the diversity of God’s mission. Absent are organizational enormity, top-down control, forced uniformity, and politicized, single-issue missions. Front and center is the mission of God – it is the sinew and muscle holding the collective together, the electricity empowering collaboration, and the nerve center providing coordination and direction. It is the singular reason for diverse, autonomous congregations and unique individuals to unite in trust and respect for mission.
In practical terms, a mission collective translates into churches giving people and money to joint mission endeavors, sharing ideas and materials, working across demographic and doctrinal lines to create and hold in common needed training materials, systems, procedures, strategies, and encouraging each other to do more and be the best possible witness to Jesus Christ. A concrete example of a mission collective is Global Connection Partnership Network. GCPN is “a community of churches committed to a direct global witness.” It connects, partners, resources, provides material, trains, collaborates, and supports in order for “God’s glory to be realized throughout the earth.”
While the traditional, hierarchical mission paradigm will not cease to exist, growing numbers of young students, adults, and pastors are looking for something different – something more organic, relational, and participatory. For them, mission involvement no longer rises or falls on promotion or mobilization originating from a distant place or a famous people. They see and hear mission all around them – in their churches, from fellow students, among friends and in their pastor. Mission is bubbling up from the bottom. The revolution is underway as collectives in Waco, Arlington, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, etc., form, grow, and encounter the world. Long Live the revolution!