Mission Focused Development is the term created at the APC to describe the process of taking the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:31-40 and makes it the focus for church development:
When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'
"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'
(Mt. 25:31-40, “The Message Bible”)
By starting with the assumption that God has blessed the church with a valuable resource - its space, whatever shape it may be in - for the purpose of doing mission. By asking the question, “What community needs can we meet as we serve God in this community and through this development?” It permits the congregation to engage the community in the process of its development. As the congregation interviews community leaders; local politicians; service providers in the neighborhood; and those who live next door, the congregation discovers its calling - the place where resources and abilities meet needs - and then provides a focus for both its mission and for its facility.
(To learn more about “Mission Focused Development” contact us online, or visit our soon to be established website www.missionfocuseddevelopment.com )