After church on Sunday, Rev. Ellen Marquardt, Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Long Island made a presentation about becoming a congregation more focused on doing the work of God in and with the local community and less focused on congregational structures, organizations and buildings. She called this outward focused type of congregation "missional," because every participant in the congregation's life and worship sees her or him self as a missionary in every aspect of their lives. Church structures then exist to energize and empower their congregations to be missionaries.
This is a radically new/old way of "being church" rooted much more in the ministry of the 1st Century church than in the ministry of the congregations many of us grew up in. To underscore this, Ellen led those present in a study of Luke 10, the story of Jesus appointing 70 of his disciples to go out into the neighboring towns and villages to cure the sick and bring a Spirit of peace.
Click below to view Ellen's Power Point from the workshop
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