10 Year Reflections

Pastor Bryan Robbins, the lead pastor of Missio Dei Church in Asheville addressed our congregation for our 10th anniversary and reminded us that when people come to the church, they expect to find God. As we reflect on the past 10 years and look forward to the next, one of the questions we must ask is, will they?

I believe the thing that has made Missio Dei so special is not the programming, or the systems and structures, or anything that we have done. The thing that has made it special is that it has been a place where God has met his people; some of us in our pain and heartache, and some of us in our joys and triumphs.

We have done many fun things throughout the years. We have held wiffle ball tournaments, organized soccer teams, conducted flag football turkey bowls and chili chow downs, and relished in barbecue competitions. We have served as an arts center for the community through the hosting of concerts, poetry nights, and art walks. We have served many needs in our city through street outreach, food drives, addiction recovery mentorships, and various other service projects. Many of us have traveled the world together to places like Kosovo, Europe, Brazil, Mexico, and India. But the constant through all of this has been God‘s presence with us.

It is God‘s presence with us that invites us to pray before a hike, and to stir our hearts during the study of scripture, and to show up with meals when people come home from the hospital, and to welcome into our friendship those who think about life very differently than we do. It is God‘s presence that connects us in meaningful ways and with deep friendship. It is God‘s presence that helps us make sense of our past and gives us a vision for the future.

People will connect to our church with the hopes of finding God. May it be said of Missio Dei for the next 10 years that no matter what we do, God‘s presence is with us. And when we gather in the presence of God and are sent out, May it be said that God‘s presence goes with us.

Submitted by: Kurt Hannah