VULNERABLE MISSION
VULNERABLE MISSION
VULNERABLE MISSION
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A <strong>MISSION</strong>AL CHURCH IS . . . :<br />
ARTISTIC EXPRESSIONS OF A FUZZY CONCEPT<br />
by Aaron Sparks<br />
The Chattahoochee Valley Church in Columbus, Georgia commissioned the “Missional<br />
Church” series after Mark Woodward presented a series of lessons. I had done a few<br />
smaller projects for earlier themes the ministry staff had presented to me.<br />
Each of the posters is purposefully simplistic and relies on symbols to portray the statements<br />
in a way that expands upon each of the ideas. It’s great to have the opportunity<br />
to use artwork to inspire, encourage, and develop the church in a way that will hopefully<br />
get them thinking more missionally. I hope that these images will serve to communicate<br />
to everyone from longtime Christians to newly reborns. It’s my hope that these images<br />
are able to constantly preach, every time someone views them. For example, if they<br />
remember the image of the church building with its walls felled and pointing outward,<br />
then imagine how they are to bring Christ to the world outside those four walls, I would<br />
deem the purpose of the images a success.<br />
I hope the message received is that the whole church body, not just its leaders, is tasked<br />
with sharing the gospel to its neighbors, coworkers, and friends. I’m struck by how quickly<br />
the early church was able to spread the gospel, even through persecution, because<br />
all had taken on the duty of spreading the good news. They were excited about it. I’m<br />
not sure what steps need to be taken to stop the pervasive cultural misconception that<br />
mission work is “not my job” among the church members. We’ve assumed the roles of<br />
spectators and performers rather than a unified cause for Christ.<br />
Aaron Sparks is a former youth minister who moved to the UK in 2010 to attempt vocational mission work and is now<br />
starting a career in social care work for young people. He has a beautiful wife, a five-year-old Star Wars fanboy, and a<br />
three-month-old Princess Leia in training. He is most likely found in a coffee shop reading a good book.<br />
MISSIO DEI 4.1 (FEBRUARY 2013): 155–161