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MISSION HOUSTON
Mission Houston, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, seeks to connect, unite and mobilize the Body of Christ, to pray and work for the spiritual and social transformation and revitalization of greater Houston and its communities.
Our Envisioned Future – The social and spiritual transformation and revitalization of greater Houston.
Our Values
Being a persistent voice for transformation – cf. Is. 62:6-8
Radically obedient – we are becoming like Jesus in ways that both serve and challenge the dominant culture.
Purposefully unified – we collaborate with others to unite the Body of Christ in service for the common good. We especially seek to be in relationship with the poor and disenfranchised.
Prayer focused – we cooperate with others to foster fervent, informed, united prayer around critical community needs.
Servant Leaders – we believe that ongoing personal transformation is the foundation of congregation and community transformation. We seek to be, and to equip, those who lead through serving.
Our Mission
Building a growing Community of Missional Leaders committed to the Transformation of Greater Houston.
Our Beliefs about City Transformation
Unity – We believe there is a commanded blessing that comes to a community when missional communities, congregations, 501(c)(3)s, and individual believers engage in authentic relationships of united prayer and service. Mission Houston seeks to systematically create networks of relationship that model this kind of functional, biblical unity for the whole city.
Prayer – We are absolutely certain that programs won’t transform the city. Only God can do that. We believe we have two parts to play in praying for God to transform the city. Like Joshua and Nehemiah, one responsibility is to scout the land and inspect the city in order to discover the condition both of the land and the people so that we know what to pray for. Our other responsibility is to personally and corporately engage in informed intercession in such a way that we are prepared to be the very answer to our own prayers and, like Abraham, are willing to “go to a land that we know not of” – taking risks of obedience even when the path forward is dangerous, untried, uncomfortable, or unclear.
Sectors – The sectors of the city (education, law enforcement, media/arts, business, government, etc.) must be transformed so that each sector increasingly provides what God designed and intended it to contribute for the well being of all the residents of the city. We believe this will be done when the members of the Body of Christ in each sector are being transformed and are connected and functioning together, modeling the love and values of Christ and exercising godly influence within and upon that sector. The Whole & Healthy Children Initiative is our first effort at equipping leaders who are committed to the transformation of a sector. (For more information on sectors click on one of these links: The Domains of Society or There are 7 Mountains of Influence in Culture.)
Neighborhoods – As all of the spiritual, human, and financial assets of the Church are allocated through the Body of Christ to address the needs in each community, and especially to the most impoverished neighborhoods in the city, every person is “blessed” and impacted for good. For this to occur, congregations, missional communities, other 501(c)(3)s and the sectors must be functioning as they were designed to function and, where possible, collaborating to serve the common good, offering their particular resources for the prospering of every resident of each neighborhood (Jer.29:4-7.)
The Mission Houston Board and Staff believe that developing missional leaders through the Faithwalking ministry is the primary contribution we make toward living out these beliefs with integrity.
Our Goal
Our envisioned future, our values, our mission, and our beliefs are expressed in the goal of seeing 500 functioning missional communities established by the year 2020. A functioning missional community is a small group of people who are deeply committed to Jesus and who relate to one another in ways characterized by authenticity, continuous communication, a high level of interdependence, and love, and “provoking one another to love and good works in Christ” (Heb. 10:19-26). The missional community is united around a common vision to be on mission together to measurably advance the Kingdom of God in a specific “geography” (i.e., a neighborhood, office building, public school, etc.).
BIBLICAL REFERENCES
When I bring you to the city I have chosen for you, do not think about leaving. Live in houses and be fully present to your family and your neighbors. With everything in you pray for and seek the welfare and prosperity of that city. I promise: as you prosper the city, I will prosper you. Jeremiah 29:4-7
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chron 7.14
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Mat 5.16
Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Gal 6.2
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Phil 2.5
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Psalm 133
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