About Me
The Problem:
For the first 16 centuries of the church of Jesus Christ the word “mission” was “used exclusively with referance to the doctrine of the Trinity, that is, of the sending of the Son by the Father and of the Holy Spirit by the Father and the Son (SIC)” (David Bosch, Transforming Mission, pg1). Yet, in the last 200 years, “mission” has been hijacked to mean something we do when we leave our homes and move to a foreign country to tell others about Jesus. The change in vocabulary led to a divorce between what missionaries do “over there” and what the average Christian does “right here.” This has left the average Christian with little do in God’s story other than particpate in and invite (occasionally) others to church.
God’s Answer:
The Trinitarian mission is not only a call for people to move overseas, it is an invitation for the whole church to participate in God’s redemption of the whole world through the shed blood and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. The whole church has been invited to spread the whole Gospel to the whole world. This means that the average Christian is not only called to support and participate in the life of someone “over there,” but to accept the Trinitarian invitation to be the hands and feet of Christ “right here” as well. The hope of this website is engage in a conversation around the Father’s glorious mission, through the finished work of Christ, in the power of the Spirit. Will you enter the story and make this your calling?
About Me:
My name is Joshua Toepper and I am the director of student ministries at The Foundry United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas. Currently, I am seeking ordination in the UMC and find myself fascinated by motorcycles, culture, faith, and where all of them collide together. If you have any questions or would like to start a dialogue, please email me at Joshuatoepper@gmail.com. Blessings
