Christ’s Incarnation, Our Reconciliation
Redemptive incarnation. As the model for reconciliation, Kingdom Mission Society takes the incarnation of Christ—His embodiment in human flesh, His life in historical Israel and His actual death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. Our work thus embodies a dynamic and living vision of Christian presence and action designed to strengthen unity across all corners of Christian belief. Encountering one another in Christian love, modeled on the life of One who is fully God and fully man, ought to embody concrete action taken together.
Unity is not uniformity. We believe the entire body of the church is called to be salt and light, and that by seeking a diverse unity we are enriched by the abundant gifts God has given the various members of the body of Christ. KMS’s focus on reconciliation follows closely along ecumenical, racial, and ethnic lines. (Click to read KMS’ take on ecumenism and racial unity.)
What Does Our Work Look Like?
In the public square we take on timely initiatives that will strengthen a unified Christian witness related to matters of Christian conscience, especially when there is a gap none have yet filled or are equipped to fill, while seeking to bring greater unity in the body. (Learn more about our ongoing initiatives.)
In the church we take on projects that can help shape the narrative of reconciliation. These projects—ranging from creative conversations, to ecumenical pilgrimages to the use of film to promote common understanding and dynamic dialogue, and everything in between—are designed to help cultivate a larger mission field of those who are called to engage in this work both individually and collectively. (Learn more about our past events.)
What Principles Guide our Work?
- Christian Unity – We believe Christian unity is the unique grace of the Holy Spirit that Jesus prayed for which brings diverse people groups, ethnicities, geographies, personalities, backgrounds and life stories together in celebration and single-minded devotion to the love and gospel of Jesus Christ and demonstrating its life-changing power to a watching world. We believe that the diversity of God’s creation is, indeed, a reflection of God; thus, we can only begin to experience God more fully by embracing the diversity of His creation. (Learn more about Christian Unity.)
- Reconciliation – We believe God has freed us to be reconciled to Himself in order that we might live into our new identity. Consider the words from 2 Corinthians 5:17-18: “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” Seeking that newness of life in our Christian identity as God’s people is the main basis for the ministry.
- Prayer – We believe prayer is the foundation of the Christian life. St. Paul commands us to pray without ceasing. We strive to encourage regular and diverse types of prayer both individually and in community—from intercessory prayers, prayers of repentance, contemplative prayer, to liturgical prayer. (Click to sign up for our monthly prayer call.)
- Fasting – We believe fasting is biblically encouraged, helps focus our spiritual work, and gives us time to seek council from the Lord and each other, especially when addressing a common cause of concern.
- Repentance– We believe repentance is essential to reconciliation and encourages a properly humble, sorrowful and soft heart before God. Pride and an unwillingness to learn from God or others leads to a hard and closed heart. Repentance anchors our renewal, forces us to acknowledge our sin and our need for God, and enables us to bridge divisions with our neighbor and fellow believers.
- Humility– We believe God—not us—is at the center of history and our world’s story today. Viewing God on His rightful throne gives us a right view of ourselves and our neighbors. It pushes us to treat all equally and with love. It creates a healthy, vulnerable space where wrongs can be addressed and reconciliation pursued.
- Relationship – We believe human relationships are the fuel for our work and ground us in the reality of our broken world. Our commitment to relationships daily informs how we engage the spiritual and physical causes of injustice.
- Our Weakness, Christ’s Strength – We believe our weaknesses are fulfilled and perfected by Christ’s strength. We are daily in awe and wonder of God working in the world, in fellow Christians and in ourselves. Encountering our own weakness, we are brought to a point of surrender. When we and the world seem hopelessly broken—that’s when God demonstrates His power.
- Worship – We believe we are what we love, and we love what we worship. Offering our praises, our laments, and our thanks to God both privately and corporately encourages our spiritual development and communion with Him.