Arli Klassen, Executive Director - Daring to hope
 

Since the Inquiry Task Force meeting of March 19-21, 2009, I have been taking note of some “fine lines” in perspectives about MCC.  I’d like to share some of these “fine lines” to see if others have also observed these fine lines, or if there are other fine lines that you have identified.  

Don Peters, Executive Director - Allow me to express my hope for the New Wineskins Process by way of this image:  

None of us predicted the present economic crisis twelve months ago.  In March last year, the Canadian dollar was par with the American and the economies in both countries were robust.  Within six months, the Canadian dollar fell 20% and the global economy went bust and is still going bust.  Ten years ago, climate change wasn’t on

MCC has been pulled in various directions in recent decades regarding our programmatic priorities.  Sometimes it seems that MCC is expected by constituents and congregations that MCC will do everything that any church asks of MCC, and thus we have no programmatic priorities other than what the church sets as priorities for us.  On another hand, we have often proudly talked about

The early church confronted directly the age-old dilemma between evangelism and social ministry. In Acts 6:1-7, the apostles selected a committee of seven to organize the distribution of food among the neglected Helenist widows. This enabled the apostles to devote themselves “‘to prayer and to serving the word’” (vs. 4).

I've been listening with great interest to how participants in the summits and regional meetings talk about MCC and the church.

The church is at its best when it fulfills God’s purpose for the world.  In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus reads from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.  He reads that “He has sent me … to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  This was the jubilee year of the Old Testament.

What is the ideal relationship between MCC and the church?  The question itself begs additional questions:  To begin, what is the “MCC” we’re referring to?

I have been giving a lot of thought to the question:  “What does it mean for MCC to be more truly global?”  I am sure a lot of you who are reading these lines have also thought about this question and have your own answers.