"This time tomorrow" is a simple, transferable idea that is transforming the understanding of the gospel, church, and witness in many churches across Britain. But as far as I know it hasn’t yet made the leap elsewhere.
Briefly, This Time Tomorrow, or simply TTT, it involves a short slot in the normal worship service where someone from the congregation is interviewed by the pastor—or anybody really—and asked three basic questions:
Q1. Where will you be this time tomorrow?
Let’s say it is 10.45 Sunday morning. The ‘worship’ has ended; the sermon has yet to begin. So where do most people find themselves at 10.45 on Monday morning? In the office. In front of the classroom. In the factory. Studying in the library. In a meeting. Driving a bus. Changing diapers. Vacuuming bedrooms. Teaching nursery rhymes to pre-schoolers. Serving in a clothing shop. Preparing the operating theater for the next surgery. Pouring a customer a frothy cup of cappuccino. Collecting the neighborhood trash… The possibilities are endless.
But when else do we discover the colorful variety of jobs, professions, callings, occupations and activities our fellow church attendees represent if we persist on sitting in rows of pews or chairs looking at the back of the head of the person in front of us?
By regularly giving opportunity to discover the kaleidoscope of social and civic engagements represented in any given church congregation, we become aware of the broader nature of the Church, God’s people, called to flesh out the good news in our daily lives, Monday to Saturday. This is the church scattered, the church beyond the congregation that is gathered on a Sunday morning momentarily for the purpose of worshiping God and being equipped.
Equipped for what? For the works of service, the work of the Kingdom, out there in the world, each day in all circumstances. Paul tell us in Ephesians 4:11&12 that the core task of church leaders—the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers—is to equip the rest of us for the real work of the body of Christ, not just for us to listen to sermons.
Q2. What challenges and opportunities do you face in your work?
As the interviewer poses this second question, the rest of us are probably asking ourselves what answer we would give. We begin to ask, in what way is my work related to fulfilling the greatest commandment to love God and neighbor as ourselves? What about our mandate to make God known to everyone everywhere? Even before we hear the answer, we are stimulated to reflect on being Kingdom agents in our daily lives.
The short TTT interlude in the church service stimulates us to realize that our job is not simply to put bread on the table and keep a roof over our heads but often will create contact with others who may have no other Christian influence in their lives.
Those of us in secular societies or dominated by other religions find it challenging to live in a culture wired to reject our God and the Bible as God's revealed will. We need the support of the congregation to stand faithfully and courageously in the workplace, the marketplace, and the classroom against all the pressure to ‘go with the flow’, to make ethical compromises, to engage in ‘creative’ bookkeeping, or to succumb to a culture of flirtation with colleagues.
Opportunities? "Hmmm, now that you mention it…" We begin to realize that each day presents opportunities to live out Jesus' teaching and respond in the opposite spirit. Over time others begin to notice this and wonder what it is that is different about us. Or perhaps you can influence the writing of a classroom curriculum in which the dignity of each child is upheld. Or charge a fair price for a well-executed carpentry job. These an myriad more things represent small faithful steps of obedience that are in line with the grain of God's universe.
Q3. How can we pray for you?
What an encouragement for each of us to realize that the whole church is standing with us in prayer for our daily lives! And that God has called each of us to play a part in making disciples wherever we find ourselves; that we are part of the church’s outreach in the community and city!
I recently attended a service where a young woman was being prayed into the task of church treasurer. Yet her daily job in the financial sector involved far greater responsibilities than her new church role. I wondered, why did we not pray for her daily role?
This TTT concept has been pioneered in Anglican circles in Britain (see this video for example) but could be implemented in any church environment. Another variation is to break into small groups and each person takes turns to answer the three questions, finishing with a time of prayer for each other.
TTT can expand our understanding of both the church and of our personal calling as Kingdom agents in our daily life. Why not recommend it for your congregation?
Originally published at Weekly Word by Jeff Fountain. Republished with permission.
Jeff Fountain and his wife Romkje are the initiators of the Schuman Centre for European Studies. They moved to Amsterdam in December 2017 after living in the Dutch countryside for over 40 years engaged with the YWAM Heidebeek training centre. Romkje was founder of YWAM The Netherlands and chaired the national board until 2013. Jeff was YWAM Europe director for 20 years, until 2009. Jeff chaired the annual Hope for Europe Round Table until 2015, while Romkje chaired the Women in Leadership network until recently. Jeff is author of Living as People of Hope, Deeply Rooted and other titles, and also writes weekly word, a weekly column on issues relating to Europe.
Weekly Word is an initiative of The Schuman Centre for European Studies. Jeff Fountain is a New Zealander holding a Dutch passport, is currently the director of the Schuman Centre for European Studies (www.schumancentre.eu), and lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Jeff graduated with a history degree from the University of Auckland (1972) and worked as a journalist on the New Zealand Herald (1972-3), and as travelling secretary for Tertiary Student Christian Fellowship (TSCF) (1973). He has lived in the Netherlands since 1975, and has travelled and spoken in almost every European country. For twenty years following the fall of communism, he was the European director for the international and interdenominational mission organisation, Youth With A Mission. He was chairman of the international, trans-denominational movement, Hope for Europe, for which he organised two pan-European congresses in Budapest in 2002 and 2011. In 2010, he established the Schuman Centre for European Studies (www.schumancentre.eu) to promote biblical perspectives on Europe’s past, present and future, to encourage effective engagement in issues facing Europe today.
