Off To Abilene!

Tomorrow morning, about 5:00 (ouch), Steven White, Amy Jenkins and I are leaving for the ACU Lectures. The Helms and Pat Ryan will also be there. This raises the question, Why would anyone from Colorado voluntarily choose to spend time in Abilene?

Well, one purpose of our trip is to meet with David Wray. David is an Elder at Highland, one of the largest congregations in Abilene. The last few years Highland has had a tremendous impact on their local neighborhood. They really have become a community congregation. The minister, Mike Cope, is even learning Spanish so that he can preach in the language of those surrounding Highland's facility. Even as they have dealt with difficult issues like expanding the role women in their Sunday morning assembly - they have grown. David noted that they initially lost 25 families but have experienced growth of 100 families per year each of the last three years. David believes this is the result of their sensitivity to contemporary culture and their focus on their local commmunity.

In December, David told us that, just a couple of years ago, Highland was in a situation very similar to where Boulder Valley is now. It was at that time that Highland began to embrace a "missional" theology. They began to see themselves not as a church with a mission program, but as a church on a mission, in Abilene and throughout the world. This prompted a renewed focus on short-term missions. This year Highland is sending about 500 of their members on short-term mission trips all over the world. We have sent out about the same percentage of our total membership the last two years - and expect this to continue in 2005. Like us, Highland sees this as a critical part of developing members as missionaries, at home and abroad. Highland, in many ways, has made the difficult transition to becoming a congregation that is engaging their culture and their local community. David has agreed to retrace their journey and provide concrete examples of what Highland has done and is doing now. We will also dialogue about what things might be transferrable to a congregation of 200 in Boulder, Colorado.
It should be a very exciting trip. (Did I mention I get to see my daughter?)Please pray for our safety and much learning about how God is working in His world.