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What if the church isn’t the pews, the programs and professional staff, but rather, all those seeking to discover, participate in and bear witness to good news that the kingdom of God has come near?

Mission happens in all the places where God’s people exist, regardless of the specific titles we carry or countries in which we live. Mission happens whenever and wherever God’s people embrace God’s mission in the world.

“ALL NATURE SINGS.” So says the hymn This Is My Father’s World. The hymn-writer, Maltbie D. Babcock, was echoing Scripture. Take, for example, Psalm 96: “All the trees of the forest will sing for joy.”

The smell of freshly-brewed coffee hugs you the minute you walk into the portable … Regulars sit at “their” tables, board games already unpacked. There’s a buzz in the air, punctuated by the regular opening and closing of the portable door.

Last spring I took my pruning shears to a couple of rose bushes that hadn’t produced a single flower in more than four years.

For many years, God has been impressing on me the centrality of community to my walk with him and to a vibrant, dynamic and discipling Church. The life of following Jesus is done in community with other believers.