Draft11302012 THECENTERSMISSIONALSPIRITUALITY

WeareidentifyingarenewalandappreciationfortheparticularspiritualityoftheCenter.Our
goalinwritingthisstatementistoexpressourtestimonytohowweareconnectedwithandbeing shapedbyGodsactivepresenceintheworld,inthechurch,andamongChristianspersonally.Thework oftheSpiritaffectsandshapeswhoweare,whatwedo,andhowwedoitastheCenterforParish Development.

WeunderstandspiritualityinrelationtoGodsSpirit:GodblessestheworldthroughJesus ChristbypouringouttheSpiritwhoenablesustoparticipateinGodsmissiontoredeemthe world.IfwelivebytheSpirit,letusalsowalkbytheSpirit(Galatians5:25)characterizesfor usthewayofparticipatinginthemissionofGod,inrelationshipwithoneanother,forthesake oftheworldlycontextsinwhichwelive.Godworksinandthroughusaswecooperatewith theSpirit.1 Aspiritualityalsomeansforusakindofframeworkorsetofvalues,symbols,beliefs, attitudes,andpracticesthatwesetabouttryingtomakeourowninordertoberesponsiveto whatGodisdoingtodayintheworld.Ourspiritualityislikeareservoirfromwhichwecan drawtomotivateaction,tokeepontrack,andtosustaincommitment.Whenwespeakofa missionalspirituality,then,wemeanawholecomplexofideasandpracticesthatopenusto theSpiritinsuchawaythatthereemergesasetofpersonalandprofessionalpracticesthat taketheirforminaloving,creative,andpropheticdialoguewithparticularcontextsintowhich weenter.2 TheCentersspiritualitybeginswithGodsmission.Godispresentincreationandhuman affairsactivelycreating,saving,andtransforminglife.WithintherealmofGodsmissionis GodspresencewithGodspeopleforthesakeoftheworld.Wethechurchenterintothe missionofGodbygracethroughthelifeoftheSpirit.Theformation,ongoinglife,andrenewal offaithcommunitiesaregraciousworksoftheHolySpirit.Congregationallearningtodiscern andparticipateinGodsmissiondoesnothappenapartfromthispracticalunderstandingand experienceoftheroleandworkoftheSpirit.Thus,churchesexperiencerenewalor transformationmoreasspiritualitythanastrategy,aprocessoftheSpiritformingthechurch towardpurposefulormissionallifetogetherforthesakeoftheworldthatGodloves. DiscerningandlivingoutthemissioDeicannothappenapartfromtheSpiritformingthe church.Thisisvital. Tosupportsuchformation,theCenterbringsuniqueandneededpersonalandprofessional gifts. Weappreciatetheimportanceofprocessesofformation. WeassumethegiftednessoftheworshippingcommunityforthesakeofGodsmission.

BecausethechurchbelongstotheSpirit,thechurchhasavailableallthegiftsneededto participateinGodsmission. Weencouragetheseeking,surfacing,sharing,andcelebratingthegiftsandfruit,the resourcesandcapacitiesbestowedbytheSpirit. ExercisingthegiftsoftheSpiritinthiswayindicateshowthechurchexperiences, discernsandparticipatesinGodsmission.

AkeyquestionfortheCentersstaff,board,advisorycommunity,andclientsongoingishowdo wesupportpracticesthatfosterthesurfacingandsharingofthegiftsandresourcesoftheSpirit inwaysthataffirm,expresstheabundanceandoverwhelminggenerosityofGod? Weareinaministryofcultivatingthechurchsgiftsandcapacitiesaroundvitaldimensions. SometimesthesearereferredtoasapostolicdimensionsbecausetheyreflectNewTestament qualitiesthatbuildupthebodyofChrist.WhereEphesians4,forexample,indicatesgifts bestowedbyChristamongChristspeople,itisforthispurpose:toequipthesaintsforthe workofministry,forbuildingupthebodyofChrist,untilallofuscometotheunityofthefaith andoftheknowledgeoftheSonofGod,tomaturity,tothemeasureofthefullstatureof Christ.3TheCentersministryseekstocultivatethecapacitiesoffaithcommunitiesinways thatareessentialformovingtowardamorefaithfulandfruitfulmanifestationofChristinand forthesakeoftheworld.Thisiswhatwemeanbyformation. Thereisaparticularrelationalityinamissionalspirituality.ItisevidentinJesusministryandin theprayerinwhichheexpresseshisloveforthechurch4.Paulalsoencouragedcommunitiesto liveaspiritualitythatwasmarkedbyadeepsenseofgratitudeoftenconveyedinprayerfor thepeopleofGodandtheirleaders.Heexpressedlesssothanksgivingforeventsandthings, butconsistentlywasappreciativeandaffirmingofpeople.5Paulsays,DowhatIdo,observe me,livethewayIdo.Jesussaid,Followme.ThroughouttheNewTestamentletters,one another(allelon)relationalitycharacterizedthevisionandcontentoffrequentapostolic exhortationsforChristiancommunities. Thereisaparticularspiritualitythatismeantforthechurchnotjustanyspiritualitywilldo. Missionalspiritualityhastodowithwhatitmeanstobechurch.Missionalspiritualityshapes andisshapedalsobytheenactedlifeofthechurch,bywhatthechurchdoes.And fundamentally,thechurchsspiritualityisshapedbyitsparticularrelationshiptotheTriune God.Inrealitythen,thechurchsspiritualitywillberichlydiverseandcomplementaryinits expressions.Churchrenewalconversationstodayrequirerecognitionofandattentionto cultivatingfaithcommunitiesinamissionalspirituality. Thisspiritualityisnotameansofreachingotherends.Instead,itisbasicandconstitutiveofthe churchasacommunityoftheSpiritparticipatinginGodsmission.Assuchitis: integratedwithinthelifeandpracticeofthefaithcommunity,learnedandpracticedin fellowship,thecommunalworship,prayer,conversationandserviceofthefaithful. relatedtothechurchspurposeasacalledandsentcommunitythatwitnessestoChrist intheworld.
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practicedinwaysthatthechurchbecomesatangiblesign,foretaste,andinstrumentof thefuturetowardwhichGodisdrawingallcreation.

WebuildonthelegacyoftheCentersstaffwhohavebroughtthethemeofspiritualityto missionalecclesiology.6Recentlyotherwritershavecontributedtothepneumatological dimensionofmissionaltheologyanditsimplicationsforthechurch.7Amostencouraging aspectofthisemphasisontheSpiritisitsecumenicalpotential.8TheCentersministryis ecumenicalinacknowledgementthattheSpiritproducessimultaneouslyanextravagantarray ofdifferentnessandunityinthechurch. AmissionalorapostolicspiritualityisintheDNAoftheCenterandisfoundationalinallthatwe do.ThisfeatureparticularlystandsoutinthecontextofcontemporaryWesternculture.9The CentersministryfocusesontheworkoftheHolySpiritandtheSpiritsformationofthepeople ofGod.Assuch,wemoveawayfromthemodernistapproachofprovidingprimarily informationtocongregationsandtowardtheembodimentofpracticesthatmanifestthereality ofGodsempoweringpresenceinthelifeofthefaithcommunityasitsgiftednessforthesake oftheworld.Weseektoreflectthispersonallyandcommunallyinthelife,mission, management,andgovernanceoftheCenter,andinallofourministrieswiththechurch.We providedistinctiveandvitalsupportforthespiritualformationofchurchsystemsand congregations.Weseektoreachasmanycongregationsaspossibletosharethesegifts,in waysthatwillalsocontinuetosustaintheCentersministry. Thisiswherewefindlife.Thisiswherewewanttobe.Thisiswhatweareabout.
"Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can." (John Wesley)

Endnotes

Volf,Miroslav.1991.WorkintheSpirit:TowardaTheologyofWork.Eugene,Oregon:Wipf&Stock,ch.4. Bevans,StephenB.,andSchroeder,RogerP.2011.PropheticDialogue:ReflectionsonChristianMissionToday. Maryknoll,NewYork:OrbisBooks,p.89. 3 Ephesians4:1113,NewRevisedStandard. 4 SeeJohn17. 5 Fee,GordonD.2000.ListeningtotheSpiritintheText.GrandRapids,Michigan:Eerdmans,ch.4. 6 Dietterich,InagraceT.2006.CultivatingMissionalCommunities.Eugene,Oregon:Wipf&Stock. Dietterich,InagraceT.2009.AvisionforthesendingofthechurchinNorthAmerica.Adaptedfromapresentation attheAmericanSocietyforMissiology,Techny,Illinois. Guder,DarellL.,Barrett,Lois,Dietterich,InagraceT.,Hunsberger,GeorgeR.,Roxburgh,AlanJ.,&VanGelder, Craig.1998.MissionalChurch:AVisionfortheSendingoftheChurchinNorthAmerica.GrandRapids, Michigan:Eerdmans,ch.6. 7 Helland,Roger,&Hjalmarson,Leonard.2011.MissionalSpirituality:EmbodyingGodsLovefromtheInsideOut. DownersGrove,Illinois:InterVarsityPress. Kim,Kirsteen.2009.JoininginwiththeSpirit:ConnectingWorldChurchandLocalMission.London,U.K.:Epworth. Tyra,Gary.2011.TheHolySpiritinMission:PropheticSpeechandActioninChristianWitness.DownersGrove, Illinois:InterVarsityPress. VanGelder,Craig.2007.TheMinistryoftheMissionalChurch:ACommunityLedbytheSpirit.GrandRapids, Michigan:BakerBooks.
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Krkkinen,VeliMatti.2002.Pneumatology:TheHolySpiritinEcumenical,International,andContextual Perspective.GrandRapids,Michigan:BakerAcademic,ch.4. Krkkinen,VeliMatti.2002.TowardaPneumatologicalTheology:PentecostalandEcumenicalPerspectiveson Ecclesiology,Soteriology,andTheologyofMission.Lanham,Maryland:UniversityPressofAmerica,ch.5. 9 Dietterich,InagraceT.1996.Cultivatingmissionalcommunities:Spirituality.TheCenterLetter,26(8),August.