Many congregations desire vitality and growth.  They may even describe themselves as friendly and generous, but their friendship excludes strangers and defined socially-deviant and marginalized people; moreover, their generosity is sporadic and neglectful of the most critical ethical and relational issues, right on their doorstep. Other congregations succumb to the ways of the world-in/out, winner/loser, privileged/marginalized, us/them-and decline in numbers, energy, and positive influence, when a vast, unaddressed mission field surrounds them.  “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. ” Luke 10: 2