Missional

Here is a simple explanation of the word missional—it describes being a missionary everywhere you are! It is about doing missions—aligning your life with the redemptive mission of Jesus in the world. It includes adopting the posture of a missionary in order to engage those in the culture around you with the gospel message. It is based on the recognition that every believer has been sent by Jes

Blog Name: Meditations of the HeartBlog URL: Feed: Location: RaleighBlog Summary: These are thoughts, meditations, ponderings, or realizations that have pressed upon my mind and heart through my daily Bible devotions, sermons I have heard, or class/social discussions. I hope that you might be encouraged and blessed from them.This blog has been active since:Post: The Wedding Planner and being Missional / May 8, 2008The Wedding Planner and being MissionalLately I've been reading a great book called "Breaking the Missional Code" by Ed Stetzer and David Putman. The point the authors are trying to make is that we here in America need to live in our communities as missionaries do overseas. No, you don't have to build a grass hut in suburbia and go without running water or toiletries. (That's no

Here are some Reflection Questions to help evaluate your Missional Orientation:Who are the unchurched people you rub shoulders with on a regular basis? How will you cultivate redemptive relationships with them?What prevents you from effectively building relationships with unchurched people?Does you church keep you and your members too busy to develop relationships with the unchurched? If so, how can that change?At what stage in the process of trusting in Jesus Christ are those people with whom you are developing a relationship?How can you help your Christian friends to build relationships with pre-Christians?In what ways are you helping new converts reach their network of friends, relatives and associates?(Adapted from Releasing Your Church's Potential by Bob Logan and Tom Clegg, p 8-6)___

Do you take the time to discover people's spiritual journeys?In attempting to build relationships and engage those in the culture around us, it is important to listen to their stories. As I noted in a previous post:Every person has a story – a unique story of their life history, including their spiritual journey. To understand their journey, you need to know where they have been, where they are and where they are going. By understanding their story, you can be prepared to share your story in a way that they can relate to – and ultimately tell God’s story of grace and forgiveness.In John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany he begins the first chapter with the main character describing his spiritual journey:I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice--not because of his voice, or b

Anyone who knows Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour must desire ardently that others should share that knowledge and must rejoice when the number of those who do is multiplied. Where this desire and this rejoicing are absent, we must ask whether something is not wrong at the very center of the church’s life.Lesslie Newbigin, The Open Secret, p 142 ________________________________________ Here is a quick understanding of the word MISSIONAL – "being a missionary everywhere you are!" It's being Jesus to everyone everywhere!

The process of Missional Transformation requires multiple shifts in the way Christ followers think and view Jesus, His mission, the church, and themselves.From Assignment to AlignmentFrom Decisions to DisciplesFrom Seating Capacity to Sending CapacityFrom "Doing Church" to "Being Church"From Institutional Programs to Incarnational PracticesFrom Maintenance to MissionFrom Values to PracticesAdditional shifts that are necessary include:From Control to TrustFrom Internal Focus to External FocusFrom Extraction to ImmersionFrom “Come to Church” to “Come to Jesus”From Institutions to MovementsFrom Methodology to MissiologyFrom Forms to FunctionFrom Inviting to InfiltratingFrom Unchurched to UnreachedFrom Precedence to PrioritiesFrom Christians to Christ-followersOver the next few months,

Recently, I volunteered to participate with others in answering this question. There’s been a lot of blogs about “being missional,” “missional living,” and “missional behaviors.” I’ve posted a lot about missional Christianity, missional transformation, missional distinctives, and missional practices.When I finished my doctoral dissertation last year on Fueling Missional Movements that Transform America, I thought that I would eventually post most of it on my blog. Slowly and steadily, I keep pulling content from my dissertation and posting it on my blog along with current activities and interactions.So—when I began to think about how to answer this question, of course, I figured I had already addressed it numerous times. However, here are some additional thoughts...In its

The fact is, everyone experiences discomfort when someone outside our circle of friends tries to influence us about personal, significant matters. We all naturally gravitate toward people we already know and trust. Friends listen to friends. They confide in friends. They let friends influence them.So if you are going to impact anyone for Christ, the most effective approach will be through friendships with those who need to know Christ. The following questions will help you get started:Who do I already know that needs Jesus? How will they know that I care?What have I gotta share?1. FOCUS ON YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH NON-BELIEVERSThink about the circle of relationships that you already have. Draw several circles on a piece of paper and identify each circle as a specific group of people with wh

Asking questions is a great way to redirect conversations toward spiritual things. Asking questions can directly introduce God, Jesus, faith or the gospel into your conversation. Instead of waiting for opportunities, by asking an appropriate question, you creates them. The way it works is simple. You straightforwardly raise a spiritual topic and then see if the person is interested in talking about it. While you don’t force anyone to discuss matters of faith, you do open wide the doorway to doing so.Here are a few questions and conversation starters:“If you’d ever like to know the difference between religion and Christianity, let me know. I’d be happy to talk to you about it.”“I’m curious, do you ever think about spiritual matters?”Genuinely ask: “How’s it going today?

Every person has a story – a unique story of their life history, including their spiritual journey. To understand their journey, you need to know where they have been, where they are and where they are going. By understanding their story, you can be prepared to share your story in a way that they can relate to – and ultimately tell God’s story of grace and forgiveness.Asking good questions – and really listening to their answers can build a bridge to sharing about your faith. You can take almost any element of a conversation and utilize it to turn the conversation toward spiritual matters. (Note: That's what Jesus did with the woman at the well in John 4). There’s almost no limit to the ways this can be done. With a little planning and practice, almost anyone can master this.Here

Missional activity often focuses on multiplying disciples and planting churches. So, where should new churches be started? The answer involves listening to the spirit of God, recognizing where God is working, and choosing to join Him. Before starting new churches, research should be focused on both the Harvest Field and the Harvest Force around you. (see www.theharvestproject.com)1. The Harvest Field—includes all those persons and groups who have not yet believed in Jesus Christ and therefore need to be reached with the gospel. They are a mission field. They may include nominal Christians who are not active in their faith and do not currently participate in regular Christ-centered fellowship. Demographic research will help to objectively measure cultural realities. Here are some good are

Christ's strategy is to scatter His people throughout the world between Sundays, penetrating society's structure from within. They are the true ministers of Jesus Christ in the world. Rightly understood, every believer is in full-time service for Jesus Christ. That movement is a lay movement, and the church's impact is the aggregate of all the laity's impact as they carry out their common tasks between Sundays. (John MacAurthur, The Master's Plan for the Church, p 59)________________________________________ Here’s a quick understanding of the word MISSIONAL – "being a missionary everywhere you are!" It's being Jesus to everyone everywhere!

In The Externally Focused Church, you can read about Colorado Community Church in Aurora, CO. "They are defined by going after those who are still in the water." They've taken on the mission of Lifeboat 14.On April 14, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic and began taking on water. By the time the lifeboats were deployed, it was clear that the ship was sinking. Passengers were loaded into lifeboats, and the lifeboats were lowered in the icy waters. Of the twenty lifeboats lowered into the water, most had room for more people. Despite the cries for help, those in the lifeboats were afraid to return to the drowning people lest the boats be swamped. Resisting the cries for help, the people in the boats rowed away from hundreds of people floating in the water.In Lifeboat 1

As we apply a missional approach to ministry in the United States, we are attempting to think and act like a missionary! We adopt a posture that seeks to "exegete" the culture around us, to build relationships with those in the culture, and to demonstrate and declare the good news of Jesus Christ! "In this increasingly interconnected planet where evangelism is now taking place on all continents, the churches at home must begin to model with integrity that which they have sent missionaries abroad to do. By sending them abroad in the first place, the church was confessing a transcultural commitment to the oneness of Jesus Christ." Ray Bakke, The Urban Christian, p 133 (italics mine)Can you imagine what would happen in our country if every Christian started thinking and acting like a missiona

Here is the reality: People are going to hell. That is their eternal destiny without Jesus. We have the answer. We have the only hope. We should be compelled to tell them the Good News about Jesus.If a car dealer were giving away free cars and you heard about it and you went down and you got your free car and you are driving around and loving your car, would you keep that good news to yourself? Or would you tell all your friends and neighbors and everyone you know: “HEY, THEY ARE GIVING AWAY FREE CARS DOWN AT THE DEALERSHIP. GO GET YOUR FREE CAR!”?The gospel is such incredible news. It beats free cars for everyone! It brings an eternity with Christ forever. We have to tell people—“Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty of your sins so that you do not have to!”The first questi

Christianity is a rescue religion. It declares that God has taken the initiative in Jesus Christ to deliver us from our sins. This is the main theme of the Bible.There is no hope without the cross. N.T. Wright tries to put this understanding into perspective when he writes:The death of Jesus of Nazareth as the king of the Jews, the bearer of Israel’s destiny, the fulfillment of God’s promises to his people of old, is either the most stupid, senseless waste and misunderstanding the world has ever seen, or it is the fulcrum around which world history turns.Christianity is based on the belief that it was the latter. (Simply Christian, p 111)The cross is central to Christianity. It must be believed, incarnated, and proclaimed to the world.John Piper, Pastor for Preaching at Bethlehem Bapti

Missional initiatives are all about incarnating the message of the cross together in community to those in the culture around us. That's the "Missional Challenge" - to exegete the culture in order to communicate the gospel effectively.On Sunday night, I drove to Viento y Agua (a coffee house in Long Beach). I was amazed by the murder jesus project - a collaborative effort presented by nine individuals who believe that they contributed to the murder of Jesus Christ. This was a genuine missional initiative.Each person told their story in a creative and meaningful way using a variety of media: art, music, drama, dance, video, poetry, and story.Here's what Jon presented: The Ocean SighedJon told me the story describes the pain and loss of relationship, yet the hope of redemption and peace. Yo

Count Ludwig Nikolaus von Zinzendorf is a preeminent example of the convergence between prayer and missiology. He allowed some refugees from Moravia to establish a village on his land in southeast Germany.They were fleeing the Counter-Reformation, having been bitterly persecuted for their beliefs in salvation by faith, the authority of Scripture and the priesthood of all believers. That was in 1722, but by 1727 they were almost ready to kill each other! Zinzendorf, aged 27, basically said, “Enough of this.” He got them all together one day in a little church building in neighboring Berthelsdorf, and he challenged them to covenant themselves as a community to Christ. There were apologies and repentance.Something extraordinary happened: The Moravians began to organize themselves to pray

Christianity is about Jesus! And it is about “being Jesus” to everyone everywhere!Christians are those who have been sent on mission by Jesus to be Jesus!In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells His closest followers, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” The mission of Jesus does not begin at the ends of the earth or the other side of the planet. It started in Jerusalem, which is right where they were.For believers today, the mission of Jesus starts right where you are. The Church does not exist primarily to gather together; rather it exists as those who are sent out with the mission and message of Jesus; as those who are sent to be His witness

"The Bible doesn't command us to be baptized, but to be baptizers." - Neil Cole, The Organic Church, p 205What are the missional implications of this?________________________________________ Here’s a quick understanding of the word MISSIONAL – "being a missionary everywhere you are!" It's being Jesus to everyone everywhere!

Here are some blog posts this week that address the attractional and/or misisonal discussion.Attractional vs. MissionalAttractional or Missional: Must We Choose?Attractional Ministry: an ongoing investigationThe Circus of Attractional ChurchEvangelism – Missional, Attractional, or Confrontational?I think that the danger is swinging toward Attractionalism and redefining evangelism efforts as "the courage to invite someone to a church service or event."If every Christian aligned with the redemptive mission of Jesus and sought to embody the message and mission of Jesus everywhere, maybe there would be less of an emphasis on trying to bring people to church to meet Jesus. They would have already met Jesus as Christ-followers declare and display the gospel.___________________________________

Recently I listened to a message by my friend Dan Harty (Windsor Community Church) where he outlined the mission of their church and included several questions they ask to evaluate what’s important to them as a church. The questions were originally worded to be answered either “yes” or “no.” In an effort to increase the depth of your evaluation process, I’ve re-worded them to be “open-ended” and to focus on behaviors. 12 Questions to Evaluate Missional Effectiveness 1. How have we demonstrated that we are a gospel-centered church? 2. How have we made sure that we remain true to God’s Word? 3. How have we been active as a praying church? 4. How have we seen people “saved”? How have we multiplied disciples? 5. How have people’s priorities changed in obedien

Years ago, I was motivated toward disciplemaking by reading Allen Hadidians’ book Successful Discipling (Moody Press, 1979). He describes how he often challenged those he was discipling with an exhortation to Christian living. They were designed to stimulate greater commitment and faith. Here’s an example of one of his challenges: Allen’s Challenge Many Christians felt strongly rebuked when Billy Graham first read publicly the following letter, written by an American college student who had been converted to communism in Mexico. The purpose of the letter was to explain to his fiancée why he had to break off their engagement: “We Communists have a high casualty rate. We’re the ones who get shot and hung and lynched and tarred and feathered and jailed and slandered, and ridicul

Where you stand determines what you see. If you and I are going to be missionaries right where we live, it’s important for us to see the neighborhoods in our city through God’s eyes. We need to choose to stand where we can see what’s going on around us, what God is doing in our city, and where we can join Him. At the Organic Church Movements Conference, my friend Deb Hirsch addressed her concern that we have distorted views of the world around us. She identified this as an obstacle to engaging in mission. “To understand God’s heart for the city,” she explained, “we need to go where the city is experiencing pain.” When she lived in Melbourne, Australia, her ministry was to the marginalized people from most churches and society (gay, lesbian, and trans-gendered persons). Sh

Make cookies or other baked goods with a caring note for a neighbor.Ask questions which will lead into a discussion about spiritual things.Get a detailed map of your neighborhood and put it up in your home and start praying together as a family for your neighbors.Use the above map (#3) to plan and strategize how you will contact and reach every home in your neighborhood.Throw a block party or BBQ and invite all your neighbors to come.Start conversations while waiting in line at the grocery store and share the love of Christ with the people around you.Talk to those around you while waiting to get your hair cut.Ask your Doctor or Dentist if you can buy a subscription for a good Christian magazine to put in the waiting room.When you have a Doctor or Dentist appointment, talk to people in t

Do you see yourself as a missionary in your neighborhood? Do you intentionally seek to build relationships with non-Christians? Do you actively embody the mission and message of Jesus? More and more Christians are discovering ways to incarnate the good news of Jesus in the culture where they live!A Missional Orientation is the degree to which a Christ-follower demonstrates behaviors consistent with a radical orienting of one’s life to embody the mission and message of Jesus.The word “missional” is considered a “buzz word” by many and it has been given a variety of meanings. Unfortunately, it no longer is understood as a radical call to recalibrate everything we do around the agenda of Jesus’ mission. The word “missional” should be descriptive of the behaviors of missionari

After dinner last night, my friend, Randy Vandermey, shared the following quote. It was a charge given by Alcuin of York (735-804) to monastic novices during the reign of Charlemagne. I believe it is a solid charge to Christians today, especially as we seek to align with the redemptive mission of Jesus in this world. Be an honour to the church, follow Christ's word, clear in thy task and careful in thy speech. Be thine an open hand, a merry heart, Christ in thy mouth, life that all men may know a lover of righteousness and compassion. Let none come to thee and go sad away. Hope of poor men, and solace to the sad, go thou before God's people to God's realm, that he who follows thee may come to the stars. Sow living seeds, words that are quick with life, that faith may be the harvest in men's hearts. In word and in example let thy light shine in the black dark like the morning star. Let not the wealth of the world nor its dominion flatter thee into silence as to truth, nor

SVENSKSPRÅKIGA BLOGGAR - När vi läser svenskspråkiga bloggar om det som på engelska återfinns under Conversations om Emergent Church och Missional Church, finns en hel del att läsa av nordiska bloggare. Ett antal intresserade och i ämnet nyfikna läsare har efterlyst någon form av sammanställning av dessa bloggar. Sidan här nedan är ett INDEX i vardande; en lista över bloggare som skriver om ämnet. NORDISKSPRÅKIGA BLOGGAR - Med tacksamhet tas tips emot angående svensk- och nordiskspråkiga bloggar i ämnet. Det finns säkert minst ett tjogtal bloggar i Finland, Norge, Danmark, Island, Åland etc som skulle kunna komplettera förteckningen i ämnet. SKRIV en Kommentar nedan - eller - ett E-mail och dela ditt/dina tips [ e-mail ]ARE KARLSEN - Are Karlsens blog: Kategori HusmenighetCHARLOTTE THERESE - Catholic Renewal: Kategori EmergentCELLKYRKAN - Länksida och ABC om smågrupperDAG SELANDER - MXp Missional Experiences: Kategori Att vara kyrkaDANIEL ASTGÅRD - Tro & T

:: About: Christians in The Nordic countries are talking about "missional" and "traditional" churches :: VAD SÄGER MAN I NORDEN? Vad sägs i Norge om husförsamlingen? Om "missional" och "missionell"? ARE KARLSEN i Sandefjord skriver på sin blogg:  JEG HAR LENGE vært på utkikk etter klare signaler fra flere enn Dag Selander i Sverige, og her kommer de. Hvor stort det svenske husmenighetsmiljøet er, er ikke godt å si. Men jeg har store forventninger til Sverige av følgende årsaker: Jeg tror det er ingen land hvor det har blitt undervist så grundig om husmenigheter som i Sverige. Sverige har etter min mening verdens fremste husmenighetsteolog, nemlig Per-Axel Sverker. Han har gitt en grundig undervisning til tusenvis av mennesker om husmenighet i et bibelsk perspektiv, men også kirkehistorie og etikk med vinklinger som legger grunnlag for en sunn utvikling mot husmenigheter. La oss be for Jesu menighet i Norge og Sverige, at vi må

:: Kommentarer görs med fördel också på svenska :: FREDRIK FRANSON (1852-1908) was a Swedish global missionary. Perhaps one of the real pioneers in the Christian mission. More about Fredrik Franson. About: in Swedish. :: REFLECTION Was Fredrik Franson not only a well-known global missionary pioneer, but also a missional pioneer. Fredrik Franson belongs to his time. We has to find our way. Perhaps inspired by Franson also in the missional. Since Franson´s days has the church seen a paradigm shift. About this shift and the "missional": Michael Frost: YouTube (49:02) Is there anything of missional in the life of Fredrik Franson? That´s one of my ponderings. . .Technorati tags: "Fredrik Franson" Svenska Alliansmissionen missional missionell missional church -- Andra bloggar om: mission, missionär, missionell, Svenska Alliansmissionen SAM, Fredrik Franson ::

:: "MISSIONELL" ("missional", på eng.) är ett begrepp jag funderar på. Brian McLaren´s bok En generös radikalitet ska ge ett och annat för att förstå. Boken har jag köpt. Nu ska jag läsa den. Att förstå detta med vad "missionell" är kanske lätt för David på SelahBloggen, Douglas på Missio Dei Scandia eller Fredrik Hellström på Nordic Influence. Men själv får jag inget riktigt grepp på begreppets innebörd. Vi lever tydligen i en postmodern tid. Då räcker, menar man, de traditionella kyrkornas sätt att vara kyrka inte längre till. Vi lever i ett paradigmskifte - säger man - där allt är ifrågasatt. Inga sanningar sägs längre finnas. Förstår de traditionella kyrkorna i Sverige inte att de inte längre räcker till? Fattar de att nu gäller det att vara "missionell"? På den här bloggens meny finns en röd logga (se logga med länk ovan!) med texten Friend of missional. Där finns länkar till en mängd artiklar om

Martin Robinson believes that the Church in the Western world finds itself in deep crisis. Not only is there a fundamental decline in church membership and attendance, but something more fundamental has been taking place in the second half of the twentieth century. He notes, however, that “the difficulties encountered by the church in the West do not reflect the global position of the church. Far from it. The worldwide church has demonstrated astonishing life and vigour in precisely the same period that the Western church has suffered reversal and decline.” (Robinson and Smith, Invading Secular Space, 2003, 17) There is a scary future ahead if Christians in America fail to understand the times in which they are living and fail to embody the mission and message of Jesus. Imagine this potential scene if we do not: European nations have truly become post-Christian nations. Their great cathedrals and church buildings once were filled with people, but now they sit almost empty on Sun

Too many churches in America are failing to make disciples of non-disciples. The mission of many churches is internally focused on more people, more money, and more buildings, rather than externally focused on the mission of Jesus. Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, has discovered that it is not what you add to your life, it is what you abandon that will make the difference.1 Churches need to abandon those beliefs and practices that hinder the expansion of the kingdom. Churches in America must no longer measure success by size, must no longer be preoccupied with buildings and property, must no longer focus on Christian education without emphasizing life transformation, must no longer focus on the church instead of the harvest, and must no longer depend on professional clergy to do the work of ministry, discipleship, and evangelism. Instead, they must train every member to engage those in the culture with the gospel. This shift toward missional alignment requires the evaluation o

As I read the interesting discussion/debate among bloggers concerning missional activities and the meaning of the term "missional"--there is a curious observation to be made. Many Christians talk about participating in missional activity as if it were a choice you had. Practicing missional behaviors is not optional for a follower of Jesus. Missional activity isn't a choice. It's a reality.There is a huge global mission field, and the only way to reach those who are far from Christ is for each believer to adopt missionary behaviors--to incarnationally display the gospel--to be Jesus to everyone everywhere!When Jesus told His followers, "Go and make disciples"--it was an imperative. When He told His disciples, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men"--there's an obvious connection between following and fishing for men. If a believer is following Jesus, He expects them to be fishing.Missional Activity is NOT Optional for Christians.________________________________________ Here’

Here are some random musings on missional Christianity:Missionality is the means of explaining the purpose of God for His Church in terms of the ultimate goal: the accomplishment of His redemptive mission to the glory of God!It is more efficient to empower every believer to function as a missionary in their zip code, than to rely on credentialed ministers and career missionaries to carry the responsibility for evangelism and disciplemaking.The missional challenge is to adopt missionary thinking to strategically engage the culture with the gospel where you work and where you live.We need an army of believers who view their mission in life through the lens of of Christ's redemptive mission.Local churches can become so internally focused on meeting the needs of members that those living in close proximity to the church campus never see the light.A missionary perspective is critical for every follower of Jesus. We must not be concerned only with reaching people for Christ who are just lik

To embody the mission and message of Jesus requires that one’s heart be submitted fully to Jesus. Those things that matter most to Jesus must matter to us. Therefore, the CROSS, COMMUNITY, and CULTURE must be valued in the heart of every believer. It is critical that followers of Jesus…Embrace the Cross, Experience Community, and Engage the Culture daily. These three loves demonstrate the missional alignment of a believer’s heart: Loving JesusLoving One AnotherLoving the Lost When Christians love Jesus (embracing the cross), love one another (experiencing community), and love the lost (engaging the culture), the mission is advanced. My friends Paul Kaak and Neil Cole have described these same Missional Distinctives as the DNA of the Church. “In the expansion of the Kingdom of God, DNA maintains the strength, vitality, and reproductivity of every cell in Christ’s body. Just as the DNA is exactly the same in almost every cell of a body, the DNA is the same throughout the

Christians live the mission of Jesus in the world by embodying the gospel wherever they go. As you read through Acts you see the Church on Mission—sent by Jesus...sent with the Cross…sent in Community…sent to the Culture…sent for the King and His Kingdom! Essentially, the Church is a missionary!These five biblical distinctives form the foundation of a Missional Perspective: A Missional Perspective includes a recognition that scripture teaches:1. The Church is sent by Jesus! (John 17:18; 20:21, Luke 9:2; Matt 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)2. The Church is sent with the Cross! (1 Cor 1:18; Eph 2:16; Col 2:14; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Cor 5:17-24)3. The Church is sent in Community! (Acts 2:42-47; 5:42; John 13:34-35; 1 John 3:16-17)4. The Church is sent to every Culture! (John 1:14; Matt 20:28; Acts 17:22-34; Luke 5:29)5. The Church is sent for the King and His Kingdom! (Matt 10:7; 25:34; Luke 4:43; Rev 11:15-17; Jer 10:7; John 18:36)Mark Driscoll pastors a church

Here is a simple explanation of the word missional—it describes being a missionary everywhere you are! It is about doing missions—aligning your life with the redemptive mission of Jesus in the world. It is adopting the posture of a missionary in order to engage those in the culture with the gospel message. It is recognizing that every believer has been sent by Jesus as Christian missionaries with the good news of salvation together in community with other believers to their specific geographic and cultural context. Just as God sent Jesus, now Jesus sends all believers (John 20:21). Missional is an adjective that describes the way in which Christians do all activities, rather than identifying any one particular activity. Everything is directed toward participation in God’s mission in the world. Missional then, no matter what noun it is modifying, must qualify the meaning of that noun by referencing God’s mission as defined by Scripture. More specifically, missional limits an

 :: "MISSIONAL" is a English word that is used by some churches. What is the meaning of this word? In Swedish we don´t have any word for "missional". This my blog MXp is headlined Missional Experiences (see above). As editor I like the word because it sounds fresh and people don´t think of just only the word "mission" as a Church Mission or UN Mission. My first thought, when the blog got its name MXp, was 'Mission Christ' (Xp from the two first Greek letters for Christos). Then I moved the meaning and words to Missional Experiences (Xp = experienced, incl. Christ).  "Missional": To use or not to use? Let´s have a look on A letter by Matt Kronberg to Scot McKnight on JesusCreed. Why don´t we simply stick to the basics of the Jesus Creed? Love God. Love Others. Follow Jesus as his life-long apprentices. If we avoid labeling ourselves and our churches with the latest catch phrase - be it the word "missional" or something

Every Christian needs to align with the mission of Jesus!This 8 minute video is a simple challenge to align with Jesus and His mission!Let me know your thoughts...________________________________________ Here’s a quick understanding of MISSIONAL – being a missionary everywhere you are! It's being Jesus to everyone everywhere!

For my doctoral dissertation on Missional Transformation, I provided a glossary of key terms. I hope that posting it here will be helpful to those who are joining in the missional conversation. Please give feedback on terms and ideas - those with which you agree or disagree.GLOSSARY OF MISSIONAL TERMS APEPT—Term used to describe the fivefold ministry formula found in Ephesians 4. APEPT is an acrostic for Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher. Attractional—A “come and hear” model of ministry that includes inviting non-Christians to come to church to hear the gospel. Attractionalism—The belief that creating an appealing church service and programs will attract unbelievers to come to church. Christocentric—Christ at the center; if something is Christocentric, then its organizing principle is the person and work of Christ. Church Planting Movements (CPM)—A rapid multiplication of indigenous churches planting churches that sweeps through a people group or populat

Here is my dissertation abstract:ABSTRACT There are a growing number of missional churches and missional leaders who are overcoming multiple obstacles to missional activity and seeking to return to the mission of the Church by modeling missional behaviors and mobilizing every believer as missionaries. However, the absence of more missional churches, missional leaders, and missional movements in America must be addressed. There must be a return to the missionary nature of the Church. The biblical understanding of the Church as “sent ones” is foundational to its mission (John 20:21). The mission of Jesus to “seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10) is the mission of every believer. Jesus sent His followers into the world as the Father sent Him. By examining the New Testament, we see that the Church is not a physical place or destination, but the Church is people—every believer together sent by Jesus with the gospel to the culture. Throughout the book of Acts, the Church

:: WHAT IS MISSIONAL CHURCH? And Emerging or Emergent Churches? A video conversation (see video link below) between Alan Roxburgh and Ryan Bolger gives some answers.VAD ÄR MISSIONAL CHURCH? Och Emerging Church? Vad har de att säga till traditionella kyrkor och husförsamlingar? Är det bara något för USA och UK? Eller har gemenskaper, församlingar och samfund i Skandinavien något att lära?ETT SAMTAL mellan Ryan Bolger, Fuller Seminar, och Alan Roxburgh om Emerging Church i ljuset av Missional conversation erbjuder ett och annat att reflektera över. Oavsett ens tillhörighet på den församlingsmässiga resp. kyrkliga skalan. - See the Video "What is Missional Church?"Ryan Bolger Alan Roxburgh Missional church Emerging church ::

"The church is seen as essentially missionary."“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a HOLY NATION, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9"The church is not the sender but the one sent. Its mission (its "being sent") is not secondary to its being; the church exists in being sent and in building up itself for the sake of its mission.""Ecclesiology therefore does not precede missiology.""Missionary activity is not so much the work of the church as simply the Church at work.""Since God is a missionary God, God's people are a missionary people.""It has become impossible to talk about the church without at the same time talking about mission. One can no longer talk about church and mission, only about the mission of the church.""A Church without mission or a mission without the church are both contradictions.""The church is both missionary and missionizing

Missional Myths:1) "Missional" is just another word to describe the emerging church movement and must only be understood as part of the ecm.2) The missional discussion is a trendy fad that has no substance.3) Misisonal activities are just a reaction to established “attractional” churches.4) Misisonal behaviors are unnecessary and irrelevant as a significant focus for Christians and churches.________________________________________ Here’s a quick understanding of MISSIONAL – being a missionary everywhere you are! It's being Jesus to everyone everywhere!

Chennai is a dirty, filthy city. It is the worst I’ve ever seen. The garbage collection problem is obvious and widespread.Pastor Prem Samuel has decided to make a difference in Chennai. He started a ministry to the physical needs of people in the slums by collecting their garbage.Check out this video he gave me…Calvary Community Church and Mizpah Charitable Trust began this garbage cleaning project in Kannagi Nagar – Thoraipakkam Chennai – the biggest slum in south India where more than 12,500 families reside. This community is comprised of people from slums, pavements and from Tsunami affected areas.The vision of Mizpah is to help, uplift and educate the economically weaker section of the people. They began educating the people to properly dispose the trash by collecting door to door and disposing it for them. They operated five vehicles to collect garbage and were able to cover 60% of the community for 1 ½ years.Clear Benefits:• Healthy environment• Reduce in mosquitoes

Go to the peasant peopleLive among themLearn from themPlan for themWork with themStart with what they knowBuild on what they haveTeach by showingLearn by doingNot a showcase but a patternNot odds and ends but a systemNot piecemeal but integrated approachNot to conform but to transformNot relief but release - James YenThis is the motto of World Vision's New Hope Area Development Program in Chennai. I was privileged to visit one of the slums where they are making a significant impact through Self Help Groups that emphasize saving and building financial capacity through micro entrepreneurship programs for women.This project has initiated 420 Self Help Groups covering in the slum areas. These groups provide loans on a repayment basis where money is recycled back into the community. Many of the women now contribute to their family's income by participating in saving as well as running small businesses of their own.Just to give some perspective, there are 8.4 million people livin

Sometimes we try to make things so hard. Especially our understanding of missional. It doesn’t need to be any more complicated than this: Isn’t it about seeing how many neighbors we can take to heaven with us? Can’t we boil it down to looking at people who live within a bike ride of our houses, seeing how many of them we can take to heaven with us through the work of Christ?(from Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels, p. 59) Missional describes being a missionary wherever you are – right in your very own zip code, neighborhood and workplace. Instead of filling up your life with church activities, start relating to lost people around you. Look for needs. Serve. Love. Give. Serve some more. Love more. Give more. Be Jesus to them. Help. Listen to their story. Share your story. Tell God’s story. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It certainly isn’t easy. Imagine making it your habit to approach everyone around you with this attitude: My ultimate goal is

I’ve been thinking about the absence of missional leaders. I believe that there is a direct connection to the training pastors receive in seminary. I am so grateful for my seminary experience – however, it lacked any significant training to fulfill the mission of the church. I love that I was taught how to study God’s Word, to defend God’s Word and to teach God’s Word. I really enjoyed my systematic theology classes. I learned a lot in my church history and homiletics classes, too. However, as I reflect on my training, I had only one class on mission and evangelism. That was the only class that addressed the mission of the church. That’s the only class that attempted to equip me to equip others to fulfill Jesus’ mission for the church. Here’s the reality: Pastors are not trained for mission, neither are they trained to equip others for mission. Therefore, no one should be surprised that the mission isn’t being accomplished in America. I was surprised to learn r

Sometimes, folks have asked me what "missional" means. Other times (I'm sure), they've heard me use the word and wondered what in blazes I was talking about. Here's what it means. Thanks, Bartimaeus.

Hi folks. I'm back, if only for a brief post. Sorry I've been away. Here's what I wanted to mention: If, when you hear any or all of the terms "missional", "emerging", or "emergent" (in relation to the church), you react in some way (personal identification, curiosity, aversion, whatever) - and especially if your thinking goes like "well, I might be X, but I'm pretty sure I'm not Y, and I'm not sure I like Y very much, to be honest..." then please take a look at what Jamie is saying on this subject here and here. That's all. Peace,Mike

Scot McKnight has a very thought-provoking post this morning which, among other things, highlights a difference he has with the sacramental traditions within the Body of Christ (Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, etc.): I have one big beef with all of the major, high church liturgical traditions. That is, they tend to make "church" about going to church on Sunday morning in order to let the "magic" (as one of my Roman Catholic friends calls it) happen. That is, because they are sacramental (and I'm not), they tend to see the major thing the church does is provide mass, communion, whatever you want to call it. This is a mistake — and my sacramental friends will disagree with me. I see the functional model at work in such churches to be "attractional" People come to church, not solely, but primarily for the communion service. I believe "church" is about gathering in fellowship and worship and instruction but the focus of church is about being e

So I've been blogging a lot about this "Missional Church" idea. Go back two posts for a fairly concise definition of what this is. Innovation in this space is being done by folks like the Gospel and Our Culture Network, Church Innovations, Missional Leadership Institute, and Luther Seminary. Most of those folks come from a mainline Protestant background: Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Mennonites, etc. However, I've discovered something interesting by creating a Google Alert on the word "missional": the idea, or at least the terminology, is catching on like wildfire among conservative, evangelical, even fundamentalist churches and church systems. (I'm not talking about emerging churches--they also tend to be thoroughly missional, at least in theory, but they aren't the big Google Alert generators.)I haven't done a lot of research into their use of the term, but I wonder (idly and ignorantly) whether all of those conservative churches are thoroughly grounded in the deep theol