OK, What Do We Do Now?
By January 2010, I had been an American congregational preacher for 22 years in 3 churches of 3 sizes (small, medium, and large), and I was confused and burned out. I had seen the problems with the programmatic attractional model of church and had been pursuing a missional vision for over a decade. I even relocated to a church better suited for a missional vision that eagerly embraced the change in 2001. Still, nine years into that ministry, I had to face that the ability of an existing church with a long history to make major transitions in church culture was greatly limited and engendered much push back, even with a united leadership. I wasn't sure I knew how to lead the church where I was and other preachers and churches I talked to seemed to be facing the same set of challenges and were struggling to find ways forward.
It was a perplexing time for me. While things looked good on the surface at the church where I served, I could see massive obstacles ahead and didn’t know how to move through them without losing the critical mass of the congregation in the process. The demographic trends were going to overwhelm us in the next decade. I did not know what to do. We were working too hard for the results we were seeing. The church was trying to follow where I was leading, but they were disoriented and emotionally drained much of the time. We were only partially through a massive change of vision, and the will to keep going was faltering. Most people wanted to camp where we were. I couldn't do that in good conscience. For two years, I didn't know what to do.
It was at that time when I got a call from the MRN board about interviewing for the lead role here. It didn't make sense to me at first. I had never been a missionary. I never lived overseas. I was well versed in missional theology but not in missiology for the global church, and those are not the same, though they are related. I had served on the board of a couple of missions organizations and had done short-term missions, but I felt like a fish out of water when I thought of leading MRN. However, I felt God calling me to engage in the process, and when I was offered the job, I was surprised and had a hard call to make.
I thought then, and think even more now, that the American church is not going to plan its way out of its decline with structural and programmatic changes. While there were a lot of factors that went into making the move, the one that was most compelling to me at the time and still looms large in my mind is my desire to learn from what God is doing in the global church for the sake of the American church. As I wrote in an earlier blog post, one of the most important reasons American churches are involved in global missions is for what we can learn. We need to learn from the global church, where God's work is expanding rapidly.
After spending a decade at MRN learning from the global church, leaders worldwide, missiologists, missionaries, and disciple-makers who work with immigrant populations in U.S. urban areas, I developed insights I wanted to share with the American church. I wrote a Bible Class curriculum for the last church where I served as a preacher and then turned that into a book, which is now available. It is not a quick-fix resource. I don't offer a turnkey model a church can embrace. But it is a conversation starter that can reframe the questions American churches are asking themselves and hopefully spur some creative approaches to advancing God's mission domestically and globally. It seems to me that the church in American and most of the western world has lost the plot and is living in the wrong story. We need to rediscover God’s mission, the Gospel narrative, and our identity and role in God’s story of redemption.
What I have learned involves a great deal of rethinking of how we approach scripture, understand the purpose of the church, and live out our lives as the people of God in the U.S. and the world. I hope this new book will help churches of all types and contexts as we all seek to live out God's mission more faithfully in the mission field that is the United States of America. It will challenge you, make you uncomfortable, and even may make you angry. I can only encourage you to wrestle with it and see if it can be of help to you. Below are some testimonials from leaders who have read it that may be of help to you as you consider whether to get a copy.
To purchase:
For a single copy delivered quickly, click here or on the book image to be linked to the Amazon listing. (Any purchase using this link will result in a small Amazon donation to MRN.)
If you'd like multiple copies to share with your church missions team/leaders, we are offering discounted rates. Email missions@mrnet.org to order. The rates are:
$15/each +shipping/handling for 10-19 copies
$10/each +shipping/handling for 20 or more copies
Endorsements:
Mike Cope - Pepperdine University, Director of Ministry Outreach and Preaching Minister for over 35 years
What does it mean for the church to be "missional"? The answer to that is critical, and Bouchelle is a trusted guide with this sweeping look at the story of God in scripture — from creation and the calling of Abraham to the death and resurrection of Jesus on to the consummation of God's new creation. This book needs to be put in the hands of church leaders everywhere to help refocus on the calling, identity, and mission of the church. Even though he boldly confronts some of our false gods that have distracted us, I find this book to be deeply hopeful!
Evertt Huffard – Missionary, former Dean of Harding School of Theology, consultant, and preacher
If you ever dreamed of visiting churches outside the USA to discover what God is doing, you will enjoy reading this book by someone who has done just that. This book will raise your horizon for the mission of the church, clarify the blessing of the Gospel, and challenge what you might think the church needs to do in response to our changing world. These reflections effectively weave theology, the Word, and praxis into a compelling appeal for the church to be on mission as a kingdom that is not of this world. Adapting a famous quote of Mark Twain from Innocents Abroad: "Travel is fatal to prejudice . . . and narrow mindedness . . ." -- a perspective of the global church can be fatal to our purposeless, consumer-driven, fear and reactivity. The hope of any church will always be found in the fulfillment of the mission of God. This book can help adjust the trajectory of any church to fulfill a divine calling.
Grady King – Leader, Hope Network and Preaching Minister for over 40 years
Every believer in Christ needs to read this concise, biblically robust, and provocative work. Bouchelle's practical understanding of God's mission is refreshing for congregational leaders seeking God's guidance as they address contemporary culture and how believers can reclaim God's mission. You will be blessed, challenged, and maybe even irritated as he identifies how we have abandoned or lost our grip on God's mission. But you will not miss the clarion call to shift from saving our institutions to participating in God's mission. The time is now. The gospel is GOOD NEWS!
Sean Palmer – Teaching Pastor Ecclesia Church, Houston TX, author & consultant
Hardly anyone knows what to do about missions anymore. Some American Christians no longer care, choosing to busy themselves with faux threats. Others remain committed to missionary methods which today can look like colonial exports of western cultural expectations and preferences. And still, there are others who throw up their hands, figuring God will sort it all out. Dan Bouchelle helps us navigate all these rocks and shoals and much more. His is a needed voice for God's church and God's mission in a time of great confusion. We're On a Mission from God, and Dan helps us reclaim the fullness of it.
Luke Norsworthy – Senior Minister, Westover Church of Christ, Austin TX, and popular podcast host of "Norsworthy"
I bet you are like many of us who want to be a part of God's renewal of all things but don't know where to start. Dan Bouchelle will both help you understand what the good news is and show you how to share it right where you are. To restore the Church, we must rediscover our mission. This book will be a great first step in that restoration.
Jeff Hubbard – Preaching Minister, North Davis Church of Christ, Arlington TX
We're on a Mission from God is a great reminder that the 'mission' God invites us on is not a one-time or far-off endeavor but an adventure we are on every day wherever we go. As Christians, we are not lawyers, teachers, or doctors. Instead, we are 'missionaries' in courtrooms, classrooms, and operating rooms. Dan's reminder to not lose sight of the 'mission of God' is an important nudge to returning to the Kingdom people we were created to be.
Brock Paulk - Senior Minister, Heritage Church of Christ, Fort Worth, TX
We're on a Mission from God speaks a word of clarity in a cultural and historic moment when the church may be tempted to turn inward rather than follow God forward. Dan Bouchelle invites the church to bravely look past temporary, earthly distractions and refocus on the grand story of God's mission to redeem and restore the world. This book will propel our conversations forward in the direction God calls us to go.
As you fulfill your role in God’s mission, there are many questions and obstacles. We can help! We’ve got decades of combined experience and collected learning for you.