Five loaves and two fish: Amidst thousands of people this is all that the disciples could find. Jesus asked his disciples to go and see what sort of resources were on hand. They came back with a measly helping of bread and fish. Jesus took it anyway. He took what was already present in the community and used it to share his love.
In September, I attended the WikiConference 2013 in Katy, Texas. This conference was about following the example of Jesus in Mark 6:30-44 and using what is already present in a community to share Christ’s love. By the work of the Holy Spirit, the church can use the resources of a community to spread Christ’s love in a community.
The breadth of topics discussed at the conference was extensive: church planting, missional communities, discipleship, multiethnic ministry, and leadership development. Yet there was one common refrain through it all: start something right now. Start an intentional discipling process. Start a missional community in your neighborhood. Start a coat bank or after school tutoring program. Participants at the conference were asked to seriously consider removing the barriers preventing something good from being started in your community.
I was particularly grateful to be a part of this conference at the onset of my pastoral ministry. Habits formed persist for a lifetime. This experience has helped me to create missional habits. As a result of this conference, I am making missional living an intentional part of my daily routines. I am more aware of the people God has placed along my daily path. I am striving to pray with one random person in the community every day. I am getting to know my neighbors by name. I am asking myself how God can use me to start something right now.
