Have you ever felt homeless?
That is one word I can think of to describe where I was leading up to Missio’s very first gathering in 2013.
No, I wasn’t living on the streets—I was searching for a tribe.
In the years prior, I had become excited about the conversation happening around the Missional Church.
My dream was to be a part of planting churches that presented the gospel in a new and fresh way to my friends and neighbors who needed Jesus. But where were these churches? These planters? And the leaders who could equip them?
I wanted to be a part of a movement that worked for justice—not just in the world around us, but through the Church.
But where could I join such a movement?
There were other exciting, dynamic, growing tribes. But to be honest, none of them sat well with me.
Some tribes talked about “missional” but the way they used this language seemed superficial at best, with no real theological backbone to it. Others had more of this, but seemed fixated on niche issues that excluded many others. And to be honest, some of these other tribes just seemed…angry. They were presenting the gospel, but in a manner that didn’t sound like Jesus.
Where can you find people who are passionate about the mission of God? Committed to the centrality of the local church? Dedicated to justice, especially regarding gender and race? And convicted over the need for respectful dialogue and teaching?
This led me to hunt for people who were doing this.
I was thrilled when I heard about Missio Alliance. By gathering women and men from a broad spectrum of denominational backgrounds, and platforming those of different races and ethnicities—they seemed to be living up to their name.
The first gathering lived up to my hopes and dreams. We had the chance to learn from missional practitioners like Jo Saxton and Bruxy Cavey. We were introduced to mind-blowing ideas from new voices like Amos Yong, Cherith Nordling and Howard John Wesley. We heard from Anabaptist, Anglican, Charismatic, Reformed and other corners of the Church that seem to seldom (if ever?) be brought together to listen and learn from one another.
I came into this gathering thinking, “Can I ever find a tribe of people who share my dream for the Church in the U.S.?”
I left knowing that I was not alone.
Over the years since then, I’ve only grown in my appreciation for Missio Alliance. The second NA gathering solidly built on the success of the first. Regional Gatherings have unflinchingly gathered Christian of various stripes to talk about everything from sex to the future of our denominations.
So of course, I jumped at the opportunity to join the Missio Alliance team as Content Strategist earlier this year. I’ve been overwhelmed with the focus and courage of our small, bi-vocational team.
I’m writing you because I want you to share my experience by attending Missio’s upcoming 3rd North American gathering.
Yes, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn from scholar-practitioners like N.T. Wright, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, Greg Boyd, and many others.
Yes, it will introduce you to a diverse group of voices, exploring God’s mission from their different personal, sociological, and theological points of view.
But that’s not why you should go.
You should go because you need a tribe. You need a group of people who share your passion for joining God’s work in the world.
You should go because that tribe needs you, too.
This is important, and we’re better together.
Click HERE to register today. Don’t wait, because prices will go up on New Year’s Day.
Sincerely,
Chris Morton
Content Strategist, Missio Alliance