The church lives in an ever-changing society where the realities of suffering and strife are everywhere. The good news is that in and through Jesus Christ, God is bringing about a new creation. By the power of the Spirit, the church bears witness to this new creation—the good news of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God embodied. This is participation in the mission of God.

Practically speaking, participating in the mission of God is following Jesus Christ. It involves discerning where God is at work in order to join his work through fresh innovative ways of serving while remaining faithful to God and his will revealed in Jesus Christ. This includes teaching others to follow Jesus as participants in the mission of God too.

This is also why planting new churches as well as equipping Christian leaders for participating in the mission of God is necessary. This is why Mission Alive seeks “to bring about the holistic transformation of marginalized communities through starting and renewing innovative churches that address the most challenging issues faced by their neighbors.”

One way of pursuing this vision is through digital media. Our digitall media platform not only includes this blog but also our Discipleship Conversations podcast, and our Innovative Church Conversations hosted on the Mission Alive YouTube channel. Each platform offers opportunities for reflecting on how the church may faithfully participate in the mission of God.

The most recent Discipleship Conversation podcast, hosted by Jeremy Hoover and Steve Carrizal, features an interview with Wes and Amanda Gun, who planted the Redland Hills Church in 2014. The Redland Hills Church is located in Wetumpka, AL, a city just outside of Montgomery, that seeks to connect with people by proclaiming the good news of Jesus. The most recent Innovative Church Conversation, hosted by Tod Vogt, features an interview with Stacey Gaskins, who serves as the Global Movements Director at Tampa Underground located in Tampa, FL. The Tampa Underground is a network and movement of churches with a passion for the poor and lost.

Our desire is that these platforms will stimulate a new imagination for how the church might participate in the mission of God. Beyond that, we hope these platforms might inspire more people to consider church planting and more churches to consider supporting new church plants. If that’s something you’ve thought God might be leading you to consider, please contact Mission Alive.