At Bristo we are presently seeing a change in the constitution of our meetings together, as we move into a more blended support of two complementary forms of meeting:
a. ‘teaching, support and prayer’ meetings, primarily for Christians
b. ‘missional’ meetings, which intentionally invite, involve and serve non-Christians.
For many years, the focus at Bristo was on gathering Christians into fellowship, in addition to the times of Sunday worship, so that there would be some further teaching, support and prayer’ during the week. Indeed, out of these gatherings was born missional activity such as involvement in the Care Van, Night Shelter, the IT club and Alpha. In addition, we now have both the International Club and Home from Home serving immigrants and foreigns students. And there are and will be more opportunities to reach out to the unreached.
As we look towards the future, I see the need to recognise the place of encouraging Christians into a blended involvement in both ‘teaching, support and prayer’ meetings and also ‘missional’ meetings. Changes in culture had forced us to recognise that Sunday alone can no longer be the only occasion for ‘teaching, support and prayer’ meeting. Cell groups can and do function quite appropriately to supplement Sunday support. At the same time, there is a place for intentional, missional gatherings of Christians for varied forms of missional activity and service.
So here is the challenge. For the development of disciples, rather than the sating of consumers, we need to have Christians exposed to gathering and also working together, both for ‘teaching, support and prayer’ meetings, and also ‘missional’ purposes which intentionally invite, involve and serve non-Christians.
But with one qualification: let’s not look for gimmicks as platforms for these missional meetings. Let’s remember the Old Testament theologian Brueggemann’s definition of Biblical righteousness. And pursue it, as those who participate in the life of Christ Jesus:
‘Righteousness concerns active intervention in social affairs, taking an initiative to intervene effectively in order to rehabilitate society, to respond to social grievance, and to correct every humanity-diminishing activity’.
