By John Glaser, Council of Presidents of 70

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.

The future of the church’s mission is not waiting to be drafted in a committee room; it is already unfolding in the margins, waiting only to be recognized and embraced. The Missio Trinitatis—the outward-flowing mission of the Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit—is a living, active current in our world. Our calling is not to manufacture this movement but to awaken to its presence, understanding the profound perichoresis (mutual indwelling) that binds the divine to humanity, and humanity to one another.

This theological reality was made vividly clear to me thirty years ago in the colonias of South Texas. In those unincorporated and historically overlooked settlements, the gospel was not an abstract proposition; it was a daily necessity. The women of those colonias naturally embodied the essence of true, people-centered participatory development. They gathered, pulled their chairs together, and discussed the raw, systemic issues shaping their lives. In those circles, there was no need to instruct them on democracy or solidarity: they lived it.

Their shared struggle and collective voice were a spontaneous, living testament to the Missio Trinitatis. They were participating in the divine dance of mutual care, proving the Spirit moves most powerfully through grassroots cooperation.

To recognize the perichoresis of the Trinity is to understand that God’s very nature is inherently cooperative. The Divine does not exist in isolation, but in a continuous, dynamic sharing of life and love. When human beings gather in true solidarity—when those women pooled their resources, voices, and lived wisdom—they were mirroring the divine image.

If the church is to faithfully step into the future, we must look to this model. We hold a structural and spiritual blueprint for this in our own heritage. The wisdom embedded within Article V of the Community of Christ bylaws offers more than institutional governance; it provides a framework for a genuinely faith-based cooperative society.

When we align our organizational structures with the democratic spirit witnessed in those South Texas gatherings, we bridge the gap between policy and lived theology. Cooperativism ceases to be merely a socio-economic theory. It becomes the structural reflection of the Trinity, replacing systems of economic extraction with systems of mutual indwelling.

The path forward demands commitment to ecumenical, holistic evangelism. The challenges facing our communities do not respect denominational boundaries, and neither should our response. True evangelism must minister to the whole person and the whole community, partnering across faith traditions to build systems of mutual uplifting.

The Missio Trinitatis is already in action around us. It was present in the dust of South Texas thirty years ago, it is present in cooperative endeavors today, and it will guide the partnerships of tomorrow. Our task is to have the eyes to see this movement, the heart to feel it, and the courage to pull up a chair and join the circle.

Prayer Phrase

“a new community…is being born” (Doctrine and Covenants 164:5).

Spiritual Community

Meditate on a time when you experienced true belonging—a moment when someone welcomed you, listened to you, encouraged you, or reminded you that you were not walking the journey of faith alone. Prayerfully consider the qualities that help build a Christ-centered community: hospitality, compassion, forgiveness, patience, courage, joy, and a willingness to walk alongside one another. Offer a prayer of gratitude for the communities that have shaped you and a prayer of commitment to help create spaces where all people can experience the love, peace, and presence of Christ.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.