“The mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains…All the nations shall stream to it.”

How eager are we to embrace God’s vision for an international church?

What would an authentic and inclusive international ethos and manner of being feel and look like here at The First Baptist Church?  How can we embody and reflect this identity and mission as a place of welcome for the nations in our worship, proclamation, fellowship, mission, discipleship, evangelism, and governance?

The physical location of our church, which is neither accidental nor coincidental should inspire, empower, and embolden us to “BE” that house of prayer that actively invites all nationalities, languages and cultures.  Consider our neighbors that work and live along Embassy Row, and who gravitate from around the globe to work in the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, university communities, schools of International Studies, and Global Non-Governmental Organizations that are working to combat hunger and diseases, poverty and underdevelopment, conflicts and injustices, and so much more.  We have these treasures in human vessels that have come to us from around the globe, and with that, an opportunity to invite them into community here at First Baptist.

Isaiah predicted: Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” If we truly desire to become God’s house of prayer to the nations, then that means our corporate worship will increasingly incorporate elements of concern for the needs and issues that impact the global community.  Our worship and prayers services will increasingly incorporate the concerns of the global village that is reflected in and among neighbors, who walk and drive pass our building (which means we have to create a way of gathering their prayer concerns).  For starters, the celebrations which we have reserved for World Communion Sunday, Pentecost Sunday and International Mission Sundays will soon become part of our weekly life together.

In time, we need additional growth opportunities to study Christian ethics and to discern how to become the Beloved Community in our day and time.  What we currently think of as Christian Education must grow and expand into a life-cycle institute that gathers not just on Sunday mornings, but throughout the week, on-site here at the church, and off-site seminars in locations wherever the church is welcome to have a presence, whether a coffee house, a parlor in an embassy, or through the online use of social media.

Future formats to engage our neighbors will include discussion forums where we look at current issues and discuss their meaning in light of our faith, including issues that range from hunger, peace, immigration, health, poverty, justice, centering prayer, and so on.  As we engage in intentional futuring we will ask which events should be held on weekdays, which events on weekends, which ones on week nights, which events online, and which events off-site?  How will we transition from teaching and training to mission and action?

The international church of God’s dreams will not be simply a house of worship and a house of prayer, but also a house of mission mobilization, action, advocacy, and activism. How will we partner with existing organizations and agencies whose faith and values are compatible with ours, and who are already organized to take on the mission work?  They simply need more volunteers, more financial support and prayer support.  In such a House we will not only learn the teachings of the Lord, but equally important we will walk in God’s ways.