Christ transforms us within
a mission God has already secured.
Kingdom citizens live with hopeful expectancy that they are being transformed into the image of Christ by the Spirit. Below are some key ideas for your leadership to discuss. They are summarized from Dr. Walter Kim’s interview, Part 4. Listen to the full GC Podcast here.
The Spirit is conforming us to Christ in character and mission.
The church is a Spirit-filled people through whom the life of Jesus becomes visible. That means transformation cannot be measured only by what happens inside individual Christians.
Christlikeness therefore includes personal character, but it is bigger than private spiritual improvement.
We reflect Christ both in who we are becoming and in the mission in which we participate. Christ’s character and Christ’s mission belong together.
A Spirit-filled church has a creative, redemptive presence.
For example, the Sunday school movement did not begin merely as an internal church program for Christian children. Christians saw children working in factories without access to education. They responded by teaching them reading, math, and about Jesus.
This is a picture of the Church asking what is happening in our community, and how might the Spirit empower us to respond?
Kingdom transformation can therefore generate new ministries and practices that might not fit traditional ideas of “church work.”
Transformational discipleship is something we can pursue together within mission.
A congregation’s redemptive influence forms members internally while also contributing to the flourishing of the community around it.
Churches can turn individual steps of faith into communal practices.
Shared discipleship gives Christians a community in which they can pray, learn from these encounters, and discern together what God may be doing.
Taking a step of faith together is transformational.
The Spirit forms the church to become a redemptive presence both inside the congregation and beyond its walls.
A congregation does not need to solve every problem in its neighborhood. Recognize something you could offer, pick one issue, and step into it.
There’s room for discovery: take a faithful step, build relationships, and “see where the Lord might lead you.”
Christ transforms us within a mission God has already secured.
We already know where God’s story is headed: toward the renewal of all creation, the new heavens and new earth.
That hope allows Christians to serve imperfectly and courageously. Our efforts may come in “fits and starts,” but we can trust that our labor is not in vain.
Kingdom Living is therefore transformational without becoming anxious or performance driven. The Spirit is at work, Christ’s love gives us confidence, and we are invited to participate in what God is already doing.
Team Reflection Questions
When we think about becoming more like Christ, do we primarily think about personal character, or do we also include becoming more like Jesus in his relationships and mission?
If our congregation disappeared tomorrow, what would our neighborhood genuinely miss? Where are we already contributing to the flourishing of our community, and where might the Spirit be opening new possibilities?
What is one concrete issue or opportunity our congregation could engage together? What gifts has God already placed among our people that could become a blessing to our neighbors?
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