…the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If the head of the house loves peace, your peace will rest on that house; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for workers deserve their wages. Do not move around from house to house.” (Jesus, Luke 10:1-7)
We had a great time this weekend connecting with partnering churches. Richland Hills Church hosted their Harvest Weekend to raise funds for missionaries and several of us Storyliners worked a Storyline display there. On Sunday morning, the Kisers and Porches joined Mission Alive, our church planting resource organization, at one of its partnering churches – Riverside Church in Coppell.
We thank God for churches and organizations that have vision for church planting. We couldn’t do what we’re doing without them.
On Sunday morning at Riverside I had the opportunity to speak about “people who love peace.” Jesus instructs his followers to spend most of their time with such people as they’re sent on mission. People of peace are receptive to the Christian story and have significant influence in their communities.
Harold Shank formed the concept of “soul mining,” a play off the concept of coal mining, where miners find a vein of coal in a mountain and dig down it until the vein is exhausted.
When Harold planted a church, he discovered that one key person making a decision to follow Jesus would sometimes lead 25-30 other people in that key person’s relational network to make the same decision.
The idea of “soul mining”, then, is to identify a person of peace and release them to share the good news they’ve found with family, friends and co-workers they know.
We’re in the process of discovering our own people of peace. Some of them offer their organizational networks; others offer their relational networks; others bring their friends to our parties.
It’s really quite exciting to discover such people. It shows how God goes ahead of us in mission.
God calls us into mission. God sends us into mission. But God is also waiting for us in the places to which he’s called and sent us—not least through people who love peace.
Imagine the possibilities if all of us believed that people of peace were living in all of our neighborhoods or working in all of our workplaces.
May God open our eyes to those who love God’s peace.
In the Storyline 