In August 1963, Martin Luther King powerfully expressed his dream for America. This made me wonder how we might put into words the dreams Cathy and I have for Completion Global.
We have a dream that someday every follower of Jesus in America will be energized by the golden opportunity we have to reach the nations God is sending to the US to hear the gospel, like the Afghanis being resettled here; that every member of His body will use their gifts to serve the foreign born in their city, where each person plays their role so the Body builds itself up in love according to Ephesians 4:16.
We have a dream that Christian ministries will work together across organizational, denominational, and ethnic lines so that the world would know that Jesus is Lord as He prayed in John 17; that churches, parachurches, and missions agencies would loosen their grip on sustainability and be willing to sacrifice their organizational lives for the Kingdom; where collaborations and partnerships emerge that meet needs in their communities.
We have a dream that prisoners and indigenous leaders among the poor would be empowered as effective workers for the harvest, finding meaningful roles of service in the Kingdom. We have a dream where churches welcome former prisoners into their fellowships, helping them to adjust to the culture of the outside world so they can be fruitful in ministry. We have a dream that former prisoners would be role models of missionary zeal that awaken the rest of the church to follow them into exciting and risky ministry projects.
We have a dream that the dominant culture Anglo church would take a servant role in support of Church leaders of color, where Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians take the lead in reaching cross-culturally into diaspora populations in their communities. We have a dream that Black and White believers will experience healing as a result of working together to reach a third culture with the gospel.
All this is really just one dream: that the through the Church, the Great Commission will be completed in our lifetime; the dream of Rev. 7:9, when every tribe, language, and nation is represented, worshipping Jesus.
We see the seeds of this vision sprouting up all over America. Please pray this month that God would lead us to those with this same dream so we can work together.
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