Missional Church
My friend stu just sent me through a paper he has written for a lecture he is giving in a few weeks. From what I have read so far it is brilliant, I hope he posts it on his site, and if he does I will link to it. I am only about a third of the way through but this quote grabbed me, and articulates brilliantly the challenge and shift we are wrestling with at blueprint at the moment.
"Derek Christensen defines a missional church as a shift in thinking from church as sender to church as being sent. There is also a change in focus from the mission orginating with us and being carried forward by our intiative, to the mission being God's mission, missio Dei, originating with God and we become partners with Him in this task."
"Derek Christensen defines a missional church as a shift in thinking from church as sender to church as being sent. There is also a change in focus from the mission orginating with us and being carried forward by our intiative, to the mission being God's mission, missio Dei, originating with God and we become partners with Him in this task."
This entry was posted by Sam, on
Wednesday, August 20, 2008.
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21 August 2008 at 3:09:00 pm NZST
Christians should not have to debate why be missional, it should be enough that Jesus said GO into your neighborhood, city, state and the entire world. What more do we need to know other than our Lord said GO, said make disciples, said baptize, said teach the word, that should be all we need to know, GO! And Do!
There it is our mission, the church is to be on mission, live on mission, the church is on mission, mission is not a department, a program, it is a way of life, a way of being. The answer to why be missional? Jesus said to!
Every Church should have the mindset that they are on a mission today, on Missio Dei, God’s mission. That they are to Go! That they are sent into the world!
29 August 2008 at 9:18:00 am NZST
bro,
no-one is debating the idea of fulfilling the great commission, but the idea of being missional is a relatively new idea. to engage in the missio dei is a radical departure in thought, process and ultimately deed. there is the debate.
but as a generalisation: unfortunately the missional response doesn't seem to have produced disciples in the way that it promised 5-7 years ago. in fact, it could be argued that it never could because of the embedded cynicism in the movement that expressed such deep seated dissatisfaction with mainline christianity.
i know there is anecdotal evidence for supporting the missional approach, but anecdotes are a crass form of support. besides, measurement is always going to be tricky which is, i think, the reason why there is so much debate.
it is worth considering that billy graham was missional in his world view—times have changed, things are different now. debate will always follow confusion.
so i completely agree with you on 'why' we should be missional, but see the difficulty in the 'how'.