Scripture: Jeremiah 29:4-7, Revelation 7:9-17 A Sermon Preached by Dennis Alexander on April 29, 2007 When a missionary arrives at their field of service, the first task is to experience first hand their new surroundings. To see it with new eyes "as if they have never been there before!" On the mission field, gone are any notions of staying within the walls of your compound or working in your office - daily the missionary interacts with their new context. Often established churches need to get out of their buildings and into their surrounding communities as if we had just arrived for the first time on the scene. We need to see our communities with a set of "new eyes" and interact afresh with the people who live around our church buildings. I want you to think about this question: "How is the city of Edina changing?" Edina was settled by immigrants – Scottish, Irish, German. You should have an infinity with: Hmong, Somalia, Ethiopia, Liberia, Latino The largest ethnic group is white 94.3% - Hennepin C – 75% The next largest is: Asian 3%, Your population is 47,425 – the largest of the first-ring suburbs. You’re population is projected to remain stable or lose population slightly in the next ten years. You are largely a residential community which is almost completely built up. Median age is 44.5 (older) Hennepin C – 36.4 Persons living below poverty is 3.3% Hennepin C – 13.3 Median income is $66,019 – Hennepin C - $46,242 Household size – 2.24 Hennepin C – 2.60 Edina is your Mission Field! Your Purpose, your Call – Why God placed you here! You need to know your community & its culture. Even though many of your members may say: "But only a fraction of our members actually live in Edina!" Unless a church is firmly planted on the corner where it lives, it can’t be vital. "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you, pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare!" Congregational development is community development. It’s not all about us – it’s all about those outside the church. The Church is one of the few organizations that exists primarily for the persons beyond its walls! It’s about the missing, the absent, the other. We get to know out neighborhood not about studying demographics; rather it’s about walking the neighborhood & listening to residents. Getting out of our buildings & having "holy conversations" with area residents. Today, we should count "conversations" not "Conversions". "What radio station do you listen to? What needs or dreams do you find in our community?" The gatherings & activities in the church involve practicing a skill set that we carry out into life. The real action is out there where we put into practice what is means to be Christian. Once a person came very late to worship, as he was coming in, the people were going out. He asked those coming out: "Is it all done?" And they responded back: "No – It’s all been said – we’re now heading out to do it!" We live in a culture where many people are spiritually homeless; that’s because many are spiritually alienated from religion in general. One of the top selling books today is written by Bishop John Spong: entitled "Jesus For The Non Religious" – it is required reading for churches that want to be vital today. When it comes to the church often they are hurt, angry, suspicious, and doubtful. "Will I be truly welcome there?" We live in a world of brokenness, uncertainty, and transition. Change is constant. A world of terrorism, bird-flu, AIDS, and job out-sourcing – people have deep hungers & real fears. Some of their most profound fears are being left alone, being unloved, and being rejected. They are looking for meaning, purpose, and community. People want community, not institutions. They are seeking loving extended families, intimate caring small groups, and inclusive gatherings where relationships can grow. They want a place to belong, a network of relationships, a people who are interested in them & who will honor them as they are. They are looking for a community that is real and honest, not one that is fake or put on or respectable. They want a circle of caring people where a person’s struggles or junk can be openly shared without judgment – and where real support is offered. I believe that fundamentally, people are searching for an experience with the living God; where God makes a difference in their lives! They want some of that living water which never leaves them thirsty again and some of that bread which satisfies all their hungers. People are looking for hope! They want a faith community where people are truly passionate about what they believe - involved because they want to be, not because they have to be. They want to make a difference – these folks are hardwired for hands-on service They celebrate diversity & true openness. They are looking for a community that accepts the whole self. It is very important for them when considering a faith community that they not be required to leave an important part of themselves behind; like their culture, language, beliefs or hide their sexual orientation. I am so proud of your courageous stand at being a reconciling congregation where gay, lesbian, and transgendered persons can come here and be safe. When congregations look into their communities, they often fail to see certain groups of people who make their home there. The first group they overlooked is the younger generations: Large groups of persons age 16-24: The Millennial Generation, Another group age 25-44: The Post Modern Generation. The ones with the cells, Ipods, text-messages, blogs, pod casts, laptops & coffee shops! In Edina – these two populations make up one-third of the population. The Annual Conference is watching closely Christ Presbyterian Church here in Edina and their new emergent worship service called "The Upper Room" which is focused on younger generations. The second group they miss is the growing number of blue collar, service sector workers. There are significant pockets of poverty in Edina; sections of the working poor – who have moved here looking for jobs, housing, & good schools. And finally, being a Church which often focuses on the traditional family, many congregations missed the large number of persons living within a diverse lifestyle including: singles, singles with children, unmarried persons living together, and Gay/Lesbian families. Here in Edina Non-family households equals 38.7%, with singles make up – 34%. When you visit with your neighbors & have "holy conversations"; they might well ask you, "But what is a United Methodist"? Here are six things you can share about "The United Methodist Way" which they may well value and find helpful. First, The United Methodist Church goes where the people are – out there on the edge where life is difficult & uncertain. We are not a settled church – we move where the people now live! It use to be called – going West. Now it’s called going deeper in our own communities; beyond serving those we know how to serve to serve the needs of the young, various racial groups, new immigrants, the poor, and persons of diverse lifestyles We go to where the people are and once there we passionately share the Good News of the unconditional love of God for all people! Secondly, we balance the faith! We don’t claim to have a corner on the truth. We think it is better to be wise – than certain. We appreciate the questions more than the answers. We look to four sources of authority, Scripture, Tradition, Experience, and Reason, not one alone. We celebrate both the acts of piety and the acts of mercy. We are a Church of both the head and the heart. We celebrate the unconditional love of God for all people! We believe that God’s love is unlimited – God’s embrace unrestricted. That God lives in each & every person! Thirdly, the doors of our church are open to all – no exceptions! The Holy Table be a place for everyone, and the means of grace which feed, heal, and inspire be freely shared with each person. We are a community that watches over each other in love. Fourthly, we are a "Faithing Place"; where faith is nurtured and grown; where the Holy Scriptures are read & applied; where people are taught to walk by the power of the Holy Spirit; where people affirm that God is the center of their lives and prayer is our daily practice. Fifthly, this is the place where people come and receive help! It is the place where redemption is at work all hours of the day or night, where we are subject to being disturbed by strangers in need & we never turn them away! United Methodists will marry, baptize, bury, counsel, fed, cloth, nurture, support, and assist whoever comes to our doors. Even though they are not members of the church, United Methodists will get to know them by name & story, and will care for them in love! The story is told that as the hurricanes were approaching New Orleans & the population was told to leave the city; a mother turned to her three older children and said: "It’s time for you to head north. Just get in the car and drive north & when you come to a town and you need help find the nearest United Methodist Church and tell them what you need. Even though they don’t know you, they will help you! They always do!" Finally, we are always a community focused externally; understanding that the Church of Jesus Christ exists for the world outside itself! We know that: "You can’t have a healthy vital church if its community is unhealthy." All across America United Methodists gather to work for: jobs with dignity, strong public schools, racial understanding, affordable & accessible health care, safe streets and parks, a healthy environment, supportive community policing, and global peace with justice. How can you tell if a church is being truly effective? Not by talking an internal survey of the members – that’s how you tell if a club is being effective. You walk the community and you ask any community resident – "What can you tell me about that church on the corner? In your eyes, how has it been helpful to this community?" A church is truly being effective if the community in which the church stands is a more loving and justice place in which to live. It’s not so much about people being active in the church, but missionaries actively serving in their community! Amen!