Untitled - St.Francis Magazine

St Francis Magazine Vol 8, No 2 | April 2012 were one in heart and mind. No-­‐one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.” (NIV) We are in a new generation of mission, and as the West is joined by those who come from less affluent countries, a return to this fundamental conceptualization of community needs to shape our relationships. In addition, God is building local expressions of his church, and these must be allowed to take their place in shaping ministry within their context. In responding to God’s work at this point in our history we need to honour the relationships of community and engage with all members of the community in shaping our policies. Mission agencies can no longer act in the way of colonial powers dictating the terms of engagement; they must seek to walk together in relationships of mutual submission with all those God is engaging in his kingdom work. The second principle, I believe, is found in Jesus command to, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34 NIV) Ajith Fernando says that: “The biblical model of community life is Jesus’ command to love one another as he loved us – that is, for members to die for other members.” 31 Transformational kingdom ministry needs sacrificial love that serves God’s purposes at work in our world, and this can be modeled most profoundly in community. Mission agencies that establish their principles of ministry on community will see their policies and practices shaped by this commitment to love one another as Jesus loved us, even until death. David Teague writes: “Community begins with God … Love and relationship lie at the very heart of everything. Community exists within the very being of God … Within God there is a constant expression of love, involving relatedness and genuineness, knowing and being known … The communal nature 31 Fernando, A. (2010). “To Serve is to Suffer” in Christianity Today:2 177