Third Places

From Alan Hirsch:
I think in the West third places are absolutely vital apect of mission in Western (and every other) contexts. For those who don’t know the jargon, the first place is our homes, the second place is our work environments, and the third place is our preferred social environment. It is where you hang out when you have time to hang out.

The problem for us in the West is that the first place (home) is primarily defined by our concepts of the nuclear family. The home is our fortress from the onslaughts of the world around about us. It can be a place of mission but in most cases it is severely limited because most of us do not see the family as an extended, or open, family as in ancient Mediterranean cultures of the Bible.

The second place (work) is very formalized and guarded by roles you have to play if you are to get on with others and is also therefore very limited.

The third place however, is a wonderful place where you can engage with people on their own turf. But as Neil Cole says, you have to be willing to sit in the smoking section if you want to do mission in our contexts.

It’s a great way to get us out of our cloistered holy zones and take Jesus to where the people are.

I actually think it should be our primary missional ground.

The Forgotten Ways » Blog Archive » the place of third places