Before we get to the official “Five Questions” for every neighbourhood missionary, we want to look at some bigger picture, vision based questions for those who want to be salt and light to the neighbourhood.

The first question, one that is so obvious that it might easily be overlooked, is “What is a “Neighborhood Missionary”?  I do not want to assume that we all have the same level of understanding and/or acceptance of what God is calling us to.  At the same time, I hope that for most this is not new information.  I feel very strongly that God has called his followers to be a community of people on mission where ever he has called them.  This calling includes our families, schoolmates, teammates, coworkers, and yes, our neighbours as well.  We are called to be salt and light wherever God has planted us, but I think we need to reclaim our neighbourhoods as an obvious place that God desires us to shine forth for him.

All that said, a neighbourhood missionary is one that acknowledges their God given call to love those who cross their natural path of life in the natural rhythm of life.  So the first important question we need to answer is “Do we acknowledge and accept the call of God in our lives to be on mission  for and with him?”  I believe we need to be able to answer this before we can move forward with knowing how to care and love our neighbours.  I am not sure that most of us have really wrestled with this question.

There are a number of other big picture questions that I think are foundational to the calling to be on mission with God.  Some of those are:

• Am I actually called to make disciples?
• Can I even make friends outside of the Church?
• What does it look like to share the gospel today?
• What does it look like to live out the mission of God in my everyday life and at the natural rhythm of my life?

As we begin this journey let’s start by focusing on these foundational questions.  Take some time over the next few days to reflect on these questions.