Assumptions Behind the Movement for MDL

The excellent Urbana website, produced by the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, has a fascinating list of 15 Assumptions Behind the Movement for Ministry in Daily Life or Whole-life Discipleship as we would term it:

1. God has a purpose for the life of each human being.
2. The primary "calling" or ministry for most laity is in the world not in the church.
3. Many laity are undeveloped in relating their faith to daily life.
4. The primary task of the congregation is to develop mature disciples for ministry in the world.
5. For the most part, congregations do not take seriously the worldly vocation of their members.
6. The current model of ordained ministry is overly individualistic and competitive.
7. Clergy must be re-oriented to be more concerned about authority and less about control in the life of the congregation.
8. The church has been seduced by the compulsive careerism and consumerism of the present culture.
9. A change in the culture, the priorities, and the reward and recognition systems of the congregation is needed.
10. A change in the culture, the priorities, and the reward and recognition systems of the denominations is needed.
11. A change in the process for incorporating new members is needed to address the meaning of discipleship in a hostile pagan culture.
12. Laity must learn how to incarnate and articulate their faith in a non-imperial manner in a pluralistic society.
13. Appropriate small groups can provide support for lay ministry in the world.
14. Regional judicatory staff can play a useful role in assisting the reinventing of congregations for a new mission frontier.
15. Regional judicatories must place more emphasis on facilitating local initiatives
and less on functioning as a regulatory agency.

As you read through the list think through your responses where do you agree or disagree? Is there anything you would add?