Right Things Right

by Rich Johnstone

Are your actions linked with God's Kingdom mission?  Is what you are doing accomplishing what God intends?  We all want to do right, and do well.  We all want to advance God's mission to make disciples.  And we want to do it effectively.  Alan Hirsch defines church as “a community of God’s people that defines itself and organizes its life around its real purpose of being an agent of God’s mission around the world.”  This describes a church that is doing the right things right.  Its actions focus on its mission.  However, this isn't always the case.  Here are four scenarios describing how actions relate to mission: 

Right things Wrong -- This scenario describes a well-intentioned, but ineffective effort to advance God's mission.  My golf game describes this scenario.  If I hit twenty approach shots from 120 yards, the balls scatter wildly, almost randomly, in the region of the green.  I had a clear look at the flag and my intentions were good.  However, I demonstrated a distinct inability to execute.  Mission focus paired with skill-building can move toward doing the right things right.

Wrong things Right -- In this scenario, churches use effective strategies in pursuit of non-critical goals.  Continuing the golf analogy, this is like hitting twenty beautiful chip shots in a row . . . to the left of the pin.  The beauty of the shots shields a hard reality:  each shot missed the target completely.  The focus here is on the competent execution of insignificant goals.  Only prophetic leadership will re-focus actions back on God's mission. 

Wrong things Wrong -- This is the worst of all cases.  Here, a church ineffectively works to accomplish insignificant goals.  Shots miss the target because the target is unknown or unclear.  Focus and vision are both mission.  This situation demands leadership to bring fresh focus on the mission of God.

Right things Right -- This scenario describes a disciplined focus on accomplishing God's mission effectively.  The target is clear and the strategies are effective.  This doesn't happen by accident.  Leaders relentlessly focus on God's mission.  Continuous feedback, reflection, and correction keep actions linked to God's mission.

Two questions to consider:

1. Which scenario best describes my own life?  My church?
2. What actions can I take to move toward doing the right things right?

For Christ,

Rich Johnstone

Jesus and CD20

Suppose Jesus toured CA Congressional District 20 today.  He stopped at local churches long enough to preach and to heal sick people.  He traveled to the west side to Firebaugh, Mendota, and Coalinga.  He swung through S. Fresno, Sanger, Selma, and Fowler, on his way to Lemoore and Hanford.  His trip took him through Kings County on into parts of Kern.  

 Jesus was "moved with compassion."  What moved him?  As he surveyed the harvest field, he observed people.  He witnessed their brokenness firsthand.  People were physically broken . . . and spiritually broken, needing a Savior.

Every community in the USA has human need.  CA Congressional District 20 is one of four districts that intertwine through the Mid-Valley and beyond.  However, CD20 has the distinction of ranking 435th out of 435 districts in the country on the Human Development Index.  Dead last.  The HDI is a nation-wide study that combines indicators in three areas:  life expectancy, access to education, and standard of living.  Another unusual feature of CD20 is that 5.7% of its population is incarcerated in a state prison. 

The good news is that Jesus is indeed present in CD20 through his people and his churches.  He is present through the pastors of the 20 Mid-Valley congregations throughout CD20.  These pastors bring the heart of Jesus as they fulfill the God's mission in these communities. 

Jesus developed an action plan as he surveyed the brokenness of the people.  His plan is to "ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."  I challenge each person in the Mid-Valley to:

• Thank God for the workers already sent and deployed in CD20.
• Pray that God will raise up more mission-focused workers to engage lost and broken communities in CD20 with the gospel. 
• Finally, engage the imprisoned 5.7% of the population through Weekend of Champions on May 3-5.  Contact Ron Climer to engage your church.

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Here are the Pastors of CD20:

• Terry Glover
• Jesus Guerrero
• Mike Duke
• James Page
• Richard Daniels
• Tra Xiong
• Moises Cabrera
• Javier Carrillo
• Mark Jackson 
• Ed Coleman
• Lawrence Chisom
• Mark Curts
• Reuben Scott
• Rod Rodriguez
• Osvaldo Reyes
• Ernie Sanchez
• Chuck Antaramian
• Isaac Chavez
• Franco Atkinson