Invading Secular Space

One of the books that helped shape my philosophy of ministry in my early years as a pastor was Invading Secular Space, by Martin Robinson and Dwight Smith.  That book challenged me to reconsider my ideas of how to live on mission. “The default position of the church is always that of the church as an institution.  The new paradigm, a missionary paradigm that beckons to us, necessitates a shift from institution to movement, from structures that invite people into sacred space to an infectious spirituality that invades secular space.”  (p. 109)

I actually had the opportunity to be part of a mentoring cohort under Dwight Smith when I was a new solo pastor in southern Indiana soon after he wrote this book.  The concepts I learned during that year of mentoring began to stir in me a movement away from the church office and into the local coffee shop. 

When I first moved to Chaska in the Fall of 2009, I sought out a “secular space” to “invade,” if you will.  I tried a few different spots before winding up at a locally owned Dunn Bros coffee shop in downtown Chaska (shout out to Corey Magstadt for helping me find that place).  That location became not only office space for a portion of my day, but a place of belonging and a new mission field.  Chaska Dunn Bros was a community gathering place for local politicians, business people, neighbors, recovering addicts, and others from all different walks of life.  The owner was an opinionated, but endearing, atheist who was extremely cynical about the church in America and Christianity in general.  Over the years he became my good friend.

My expectation was to find a place where I could work, get to know the community and be in position for God to use me in the lives of those who might never come to our church building.   Each morning I would pray for God to use me in that space, to provide divine appointments and to give me wisdom in how to interact with those around me.  I chose not to seclude myself in the corner, hiding behind my laptop with my headphones in place.  Instead, I tried to be approachable and inserted myself into the community as much as possible.  Over the years I often found myself getting less done from a “work” perspective, yet accomplishing more from a “Kingdom” mindset. 

God chose to bless me with favor in that space.  It became a “front porch” of sorts for The River Church.  There were countless relationship-building conversations that led to counseling, evangelism, discipleship, and mentoring opportunities.  Many unchurched people who declared their dislike for or distrust of “the church” treated me as their pastor.  Several customers, who I did not know, asked if they could talk with me simply because they had seen me listening to someone else, saw me pray for someone or noticed my Bible sitting on the table next to my coffee cup.  I had many significant faith conversations with people who would have never visited me in my church office.  It also helped shape my preaching and theological understanding as I considered the community around me while working on sermons and doing other church-related work.  Being in that space allowed me to continually reflect on the question of how those around me would respond if they visited our church and heard me preach.

I also found myself enjoying the sense of belonging.  It was a place of relationship and community.  Often after walking in, I would hear the owner shout my name from across the room, or get so caught up in a lengthy conversation that a barista would bringing me my usual because I had not yet made my way to the front counter.  That sense of belonging also earned me the right to speak into people’s lives, because they knew and trusted me.  But that kind of belonging took time.  It came from going to Dunn Bros regularly for years and gradually earning that right.  Earlier, I mentioned the owner.  Unfortunately, he is still an atheist, but he has heard the Gospel from me many times; he refers to me as his spiritual advisor; asked me to officiate his father’s funeral; and assures me that he has my number on speed dial in case he finds himself on his death bed and wants to change his mind.  My heart continues to break for him, but I am also encouraged when he tells people that while he would never go to church, if he ever did, he would come to mine.  Why?  Not because I have won him over with great sounding arguments, not because he showed up at my church and found my sermon engaging, but because I “invaded” his space, got to know him, and cared for him as someone who is valuable to the Lord regardless of whether he agrees with my spiritual beliefs or not. 

You may have noticed the way I have been writing about my time at Dunn Bros in the past tense.  That is because Chaska Dunn Bros recently closed its doors.  I miss that place and the community that had grown there, but that means that there is now room for something new.  Which leads me to the point of this article.

I am looking for a new “secular space” to “invade.”  And I want to invite you to join me.  It doesn’t have to be a coffee shop, simply a space where you can regularly rub elbows with unbelievers.  Maybe you have already found your spot.  If so, I encourage you and trust that God will use you in amazing ways in that space.  But if this is a new idea for you or you find it intimidating, I want you to know that I understand.  While I am excited to see what new adventures God might have for me in a new space, I am hesitant.  What if nobody talks with me?  What if I am unwanted or not received?  Am I willing to start over and make this investment all over again or should I stay in the comfort of my office?  I know that it is not easy.  But I have also seen the blessings that can come from it, and I am looking forward to what God has in store. 

So, if this resonates with you and you would like to talk more, please feel free to reach out.  I would love to provide encouragement, prayer, support, or any suggestions from the lessons I have learned. This may not be something we were trained to do and maybe it doesn’t come naturally to us, but if we are going to complete Christ’s Great Commission in our current context, then invading secular space is imperative. As a district we are striving to provide resources to help.  This February we will have an evangelism seminar that will provide tools, strategies, and encouragement in this area.  Keep your eye out for more details regarding this seminar and if you have some stories about what God is doing in your context, I would love to hear from you. 

Rob Mapstone

Director of Recruitment and Placement