Our Story

Missio Dei Church

Missio Dei (Latin for “Mission of God”) was planted in Portland in 2004, by 3 core families who relocated to Maine from Vermont with a passion and calling to build a new, gospel-soaked, culturally-engaged community in Maine’s largest city. The church was initially launched through the vetting and support of the Acts 29 Network, and MDC started meeting at the East End Community School in 2006.

The community remained affiliated with Acts 29, and while occasional part-time staff were hired on an as-needed basis over the years, there remained only one full-time pastoral staff until January of 2020, when a 2nd pastor was hired to complement and support the ongoing work of the original planting pastor. The planting pastor resigned in August of 2020, and as a result of the then-ongoing pandemic, MDC left the East End School space and began meeting at the Root Cellar in October of 2020.

During the following year (2021) MDC also officially left the Acts 29 Network, on friendly terms. This was a season of profound and significant change, both in the wider culture and in the life of MDC specifically, but despite the changes that we experienced, specific priorities and values remained consistent:
  • We prayerfully desire to be a church firmly and holistically rooted in the gospel in our belief, teaching, and practice. (See the “What is the Gospel” article on our site for some more language regarding our understanding of the Gospel of Christ and how it shapes our approach to ministry)

  • We prayerfully desire to be a church that is a safe place for the hurting, whether that hurt comes from prior religious/church experience, or difficulty along your personal journey, we want you to know you belong here, and we believe God has healing and hope for you.

  • We prayerfully desire to be a church that fosters authentic relationships with God and people; for us, “authenticity” simply means a lack of pretense and a desire for genuine connection and engagement. We try to avoid an over-prioritization on “performance” and instead put energy into cultivating vulnerability and connection - both in our spiritual connection to God, and in our tangible connections to each other. It is in the container of such authentic connection that healing and transformation happen.

  • We prayerfully desire to be a church that is energetic and engaged, outward-facing and a loving and thoughtful presence within the culture of Portland, rather than focusing on ourselves or attempting to provide a “fortress” against the culture within which we participate.
Our vision statement captures these values well:
MDC exists to elevate and embrace Jesus as our only hope and to contribute to the wellbeing of the Portland region, through a movement of the Gospel that enlivens spiritually and personally and engages socially and culturally.

If you are looking for a community of wonderful people, within which you can find authentic connection to God and others, find healing for whatever wounds you carry, contribute to a vital engagement with the city of Portland, and become more and more shaped by the Gospel of Christ, we hope you will join us. All are welcome!

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Join us every Sunday as we gather to worship together.
KidsQuest at 9 am                   Sunday Gathering at 10 am