Mission Alive

In 2004 Becky and I began a journey—a journey to join God in his mission in North America. The planning and dreaming for the journey were exciting but the doubts disconcerting. With little financial support we pursued a vision of helping churches become church planting churches—to once again become parents who have spiritual children, churches with the vision and joy to plant churches that plant still other churches. We frequently felt like pioneers, like Abraham who stepped out by faith believing in God’s promises. We knew only the direction to take but were uncertain of the terrain we would traverse. And at times we doubted and questioned—asking how God could possibility provide the support not only for Mission Alive but for the numerous church leaders who desired to plant churches in the growing cities of North America. Awe and anxiety are part of the journey, even the spice of life, the drama of God’s mission.

We visualized the North American landscape as a forest. Old trees, some grown to maturity, some dying, some providing the seeds for new trees, many existing for their own purposes. Young saplings growing among the older trees, filling in the gaps, extending God’s forest, growing to adulthood, and in the process both reflecting God’s glory and making their own mistakes. God loves all trees in his forest who reflect his gracious love, awesome holiness, and focused faithfulness, who express the joy of God’s Good News.

Stories of the journey have emerged. Stories about courage to continue when finances are inadequate. Stories illustrating that the kingdom is more important than personal ease. Stories of Antioch churches sending out their own preachers and their own members. Stories of generous giving from scant resources.

Stories of sacrifice, rejecting professional advancement and position for the greater purposes of the mission of God. Stories of dozens of people who are coming to Christ and growing to spiritual maturity.

Stories of transformed nominal Christians becoming spokespersons for God’s kingdom. Stories of “opening of eyes, turning from darkness to light, from the dominion of Satan to the kingdom of God, receiving forgiveness from God, and a place among those sanctified by faith in Christ.”

• addicted, broken women and men living on the street become maturing leaders in new churches,
• lay members become vocational ministers and pastors,
• and those poor in earthy substance give generously to help their church toward self-support.

We have felt tears of grief at the deaths of our oldest son, a long-term African co-worker, and my mother within one year. “Satan! Satan! How great is your sting!” But in the midst of grief . . . God, who tenderly nurtures and cares for our hearts.

In the midst of these tears Mission Alive has matured over the last three and a half years into an effective church-planting organization. Seven Christ-formed, outreach-focused churches have been planted from Atlanta to Austin from Denver to Denton. Dozens of un-churched and de-churched people have come to Christ because of the incarnational, kingdom-focused strategies in these churches. They are planted to be externally-focused—distinctive, growing communities of the kingdom of God. New church plantings are just now getting started. They include Charles and Julie Kiser and Ryan and Claudia Porche church planting in Up-Town Dallas (just north of Downtown); Bob and Patti Grigg, who once facilitated the St. Louis internship, in San Antonio; Shane and Kara Alexander and Marshall and Lara Jane Coffey in Waco, Texas. We project seven new church plantings in 2008.

Mission Alive is maturing in two significant ways. First, God has blessed us with qualified co-workers to create a church-planting movement. Dr. John Cooke, elder at the Riverside church and director of the Carpenter’s Shop in Lewisville, works half-time as Director of Church Planter Care. Tod and Candace Vogt have joined us full-time as Director of Planter Equipping and Director of Ministry Support Services. Tod’s major function is to train coaches and spiritual directors who work with him as Partnering Teams to nurture and plan with church planters. We believe that “no one should church plant alone but within a community of equipping and encouragement.” Candace, a lawyer by trade, works to coordinate and plan activities of Mission Alive, develops patterns for children’s ministry in church planting, and works with many of our women involved in church planting. Becky works with me as Facilitator of Church Planting with an emphasis on women’s care. I coordinate the ministries of Mission Alive while working with churches to plant churches and with church planters to develop patterns of missional church planting. We thank God for a wonderful team of co-workers.

Second, with the addition of skilled co-workers, the infrastructure for developing a missional, Christ-formed church-planting movement is coming into place. Tod Vogt is doing extensive training through Bob Logan and CoachNet to receive certification to equip other coaches. CoachNet will work with Mission Alive early in 2008 to certify a new generation of coaches to work with church planters. To a certain degree our effectiveness in church planting is commensurate with our equipping of coaches. In addition, I am now blessed with the freedom to work with church leaders in various parts of the country to facilitate church planting and with church planters to develop theologically-informed, spiritually-focused patterns of church planting for post moderns of the 21^st century.

Would you join us on this journey? The increase in staff and expanded ministry brings an increase in financial need. Specifically, Mission Alive must raise an additional $200,000 by December 31, 2007, in monthly commitments or one-time contributions to operate at our current level in 2008. We have currently raised almost $100,000. A Swahili proverb says, “Haba na haba hugaza kibaba” (“A little here and a little there fills up the measure”). Would you help us “fill up the measure?” If God touches your heart . . . if you are able, would you make a monthly commitment or a one-time gift to God’s mission through us in Mission Alive?

Please send your tax-deductible contributions to:

Mission Alive

P.O. Box 117575

Carrollton, TX 75011

One final note to those 70 ½ or older: Congress has provided an excellent tax incentive for charitable contributions. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 allows individuals 70 ½ or older to make tax exempt charitable contributions up to $100,000 directly from their IRA assets to an eligible charity like Mission Alive. The transaction must be made by December 31, 2007, as it is not certain that this provision will be extended. This allows for contributions in excess of the normal IRS limitations. It also allows a tax benefit for those who normally take the standard deduction. Note www.themoneyalert.com/PensionProtectionAct.html

For the sake of His kingdom,