The document discusses defining one's mission as recruiting others to join God's ongoing mission to heal and beautify the world, which is equivalent to the kingdom of God. It argues that this definition aligns more closely with Jesus' teachings than alternative definitions that focus more on church activities, exclusivity, or the afterlife. The conclusion summarizes the mission of a specific church as playing God's music, inviting others to dance, celebrating all people, and recruiting others for God's healing mission.

1. your mission

2. your mission
you already have one, realize it or
not.
and you’re recruiting others to join
in it.

4. you’re recruiting others for your
personal mission or cause ...

5. you’re recruiting others for your
personal mission or cause ...
selfishness, leisure,
complacency, prosperity,
political partisanship,
consumerism, apathy, fear,
optimism, pessimism, safety,
conformity.

6. The question is ... which
mission or cause?

7. Your mission, should you
choose to accept it
is to recruit people for ...

9. __church attendance?

10. __church attendance?
__institutional maintenance?

11. __church attendance?
__institutional maintenance?
__tithing and committees?

12. __church attendance?
__institutional maintenance?
__tithing and committees?
__an exclusive hell avoidance
plan?

13. __church attendance?
__institutional maintenance?
__tithing and committees?
__an exclusive hell avoidance
plan?
__organ music appreciation?

14. __church attendance?
__institutional maintenance?
__tithing and committees?
__an exclusive hell avoidance
plan?
__organ music appreciation?
__religious squabbles &
controversies?

16. OR:

17. OR:
Your mission, should you
choose to accept it

18. OR:
Your mission, should you
choose to accept it
is to recruit people to

19. OR:
Your mission, should you
choose to accept it
is to recruit people to
join God

20. OR:
Your mission, should you
choose to accept it
is to recruit people to
join God
in God’s ongoing mission

21. OR:
Your mission, should you
choose to accept it
is to recruit people to
join God
in God’s ongoing mission
to heal and beautify the
world.

23. God’s ongoing mission

24. God’s ongoing mission
to heal and beautify the world

25. God’s ongoing mission
to heal and beautify the world
=

26. God’s ongoing mission
to heal and beautify the world
=
“the kingdom of God”

27. After John was put in
prison, Jesus went into
Galilee, proclaiming the
good news of God.
The time has come, he
said. The kingdom of
God has come near.
Repent and believe the
good news!
Mark 1:15

29. Too few people realize the radical
and inspiring nature of the
message of the Kingdom of God.

30. Too few people realize the radical
and inspiring nature of the
message of the Kingdom of God.
Many think it only refers to the
afterlife.

31. Too few people realize the radical
and inspiring nature of the
message of the Kingdom of God.
Many think it only refers to the
afterlife.
But ...

32. Jesus does NOT teach us to pray …
May we come to your kingdom
when we die.
May we all go to heaven where,
unlike earth, your will is done.

33. Your kingdom come.
Your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven.

34. Many think “kingdom of God”
means a religion ...
But a kingdom is much bigger
than a religion.

35. Remember:
Kingdoms (or
Empires) were
the dominant
social realities in
Jesus’ day!

36. There was Herod ruling
over Judea … and the
Emperor Caesar ruling
over the whole region.

37. Jesus could have
proclaimed a new
religion.
That would have
been safe.
But he
proclaimed a
new kingdom.

38. That was a supremely
dangerous thing to do.
That kind of thing could
get you killed!

39. A kingdom is
an all-
encompassing
way of life
in this world.

40. Our contemporary gospel is primarily
INFORMATION ON
HOW TO GO TO HEAVEN
AFTER YOU DIE
with a large footnote about increasing your personal
happiness and success through God.
with a small footnote about the development of niceness
with a smaller footnote about spiritual experience
with a smaller footnote about social/global transformation.

41. HEAVEN
self
world
church

42. HEAVEN
world
church
self

44. Our mission ...

45. Our mission ...
to recruit people from ... to ...

46. Our mission ...
to recruit people from ... to ...
fear to faith

47. Our mission ...
to recruit people from ... to ...
fear to faith
hate to love

48. Our mission ...
to recruit people from ... to ...
fear to faith
hate to love
complacency to vibrancy

49. Our mission ...
to recruit people from ... to ...
fear to faith
hate to love
complacency to vibrancy
selfishness to otherliness

50. Our mission ...
to recruit people from ... to ...
fear to faith
hate to love
complacency to vibrancy
selfishness to otherliness
clenched fists to open hands

52. Our mission ...

53. Our mission ...
to recruit people from ... to ...

54. Our mission ...
to recruit people from ... to ...
kingdoms/dreams/causes/
values/priorities/ways/
missions of this world

55. Our mission ...
to recruit people from ... to ...
kingdoms/dreams/causes/
values/priorities/ways/
missions of this world
to the

56. Our mission ...
to recruit people from ... to ...
kingdoms/dreams/causes/
values/priorities/ways/
missions of this world
to the
kingdom/dream/cause/
values/priorities/ways/
mission of God

58. Our mission ...

59. Our mission ...
to recruit people from ... to ...

60. Our mission ...
to recruit people from ... to ...
being part of the problem

61. Our mission ...
to recruit people from ... to ...
being part of the problem
to becoming part of the
solution.

63. To recruit people for

64. To recruit people for
God’s ongoing mission

65. To recruit people for
God’s ongoing mission
to heal and beautify the world

66. To recruit people for
God’s ongoing mission
to heal and beautify the world
=

67. To recruit people for
God’s ongoing mission
to heal and beautify the world
=
“the kingdom of God”

69. How close is this mission to
how most people define

70. How close is this mission to
how most people define
... the role of the church

71. How close is this mission to
how most people define
... the role of the church
...the heart of Christianity

72. How close is this mission to
how most people define
... the role of the church
...the heart of Christianity
... the meaning of
“evangelism”

73. How close is this mission to
how most people define
... the role of the church
...the heart of Christianity
... the meaning of
“evangelism”
... their personal mission?

80. The Episcopal Church of San
Diego:

81. The Episcopal Church of San
Diego:
Playing God’s music

82. The Episcopal Church of San
Diego:
Playing God’s music
Inviting people into the dance

83. The Episcopal Church of San
Diego:
Playing God’s music
Inviting people into the dance
Including and celebrating “the
least of these”

84. The Episcopal Church of San
Diego:
Playing God’s music
Inviting people into the dance
Including and celebrating “the
least of these”
Recruiting people for God’s
mission of healing and
beautifying the world