Mission Renewing Missional Communities   To frame this vital question let me ask you to listen to a 30 minute commencement address of Catholic scholar and mystic, Henri Nouwen. In it he inseparably links communion with the Father, authentic community with those with whom we are in mission, and our mission extending the ministry of Christ. I believe this to be the foundation of renewal. (Please listen or download the MP3 file here.)

Sometimes communities of those following Jesus become weary or gradually allow other priorities to enter. Those priorities may be positive in themselves but not ultimate in God's redemptive purposes. Because these pressures and temptations are constant, renewal must also be constant including:

1. Personal renewal and refreshment from the daily spiritual disciplines seeking deeper relationship with Jesus Christ first of all. 

2. If you are a leader in the community join with leaders of other Christian communities to share the stories of your respective communities, to learn from one another and pray for one another in the process of seeking renewal, personally and for the communities you serve.

3. In addition, some communities have found it helpful to interact with members of their community around these purposeful questions in the process of re-evaluation and growth:

• What do you enjoy doing?
• Where do you see God active in your life?
• Where would you like to see Christ working in your life in the next six to twelve months?
• How would you like to invest in the lives of other people?
• How can we pray for you?

4. Let me commend also several strong, practical and helpful books from which I've greatly benefited...

• Robert Lewis, Church of Irresistible Influence. (Zondervan, Grand Rapids) 2001

• Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical (Zondervan, Grand Rapids), 2006

• Michael Frost, Alan Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21^st Century Church, Hendrickson Publishers, 2003 ISBN: 978-1-8768-2587-4.