What Does it Mean to be Spirit-Led with Pastor Mark Perri

One small contribution I can make is to share story with you. This could be valuable in several ways: First, I’m coming to the Mennonites from the outside — from non-denominational GenX “simple/ organic/ emergent church“. Sometimes people coming from outside-in have a helpful perspective for those trying to move from inside-out. Second, as an urban missionary reaching both the unchurched and the post-church/post-Christian in NYC, I can speak to you from the cultural and demographic future of your community. What’s in NYC today is heading your way in the near future, so this is a great lab that can allow our fellowship to stay ahead of the spiritual curve (or catch up where we’ve fallen behind). Third, I’m one of those apostolic types who has started and managed businesses, participated in social movements, consulted leaders in diverse disciplines, and worn more hats than I can count. That means I can speak from experience as to what “mobilizing every member as a missionary” looks like when the vast majority of members who participate in a movement won’t do so as church workers or maybe even church volunteers.

With that said, I’d like to share a little story with you about where I am right now. I love it that the LMC is “A Spirit-led movement”. For me, this means paying very close attention to the Spirit’s movement in lives of the people around me. My Dad lives with our family part-time. We both grew up in a cessationist tradition. When he came in November, one of the first things he said to me was, “I want to learn what it means to be led by the Spirit.” Me too!

My new year began with a funeral — of John Smucker (pictured above) — a pastor and church planter in the NYC churches, educator of urban workers, and thought leader on the Holy Spirit’s role in evangelism. Mark Perri — the pastor of Immanuel Community Church who originally connected me to the Anabaptist stream twelve years ago — gave the eulogy. It really struck me how John, Mark, and I were all connected across generations in the church because of the powerful work of the Holy Spirit. I thought about how navigating these connections is core to what it means to be Spirit-led.

Afterward, I asked Mark to sit down with me and record a conversation about What Does it Mean to be Spirit-led? to share with you. We tell the story of how God has linked improbably people together through no human effort to do things beyond our expectations. It’s just a Zoom call with no special polish, but if you’re looking for more workers, divine connections, and the Lord’s power to advance mission, you might really be encouraged by this.

As Mark says in the video, being Spirit-led starts with thirsting and hungering for God. That’s why it’s a major part of “Mercy Space” — the beginning position on The Journey Map. Mercy Space is about making space for people so they can enter into a spiritual journey. But the most important person to make space for is God. When we do this authentically — intercessionally — without the agendas of our usual supplication, we’re opening and qualifying ourselves for God to send us people who will advance his mission. After all, the Spirit is constantly searching the Earth for those completely soldout to God (2 Chor 16:9)!

If you’d like to connect about being Spirit-led, creating Mercy Space, or anything else related to empowering spiritual journey that leads to movements, I’d love to connect.

BONUS: Listen to John Smucker’s incredibly relevant speech The Baptism of the Holy Spirit: Indispensable Motivation – John Smucker – 1987 Congress on the Holy Spirit