A Missional Church
Missional has really become too much of a buzzword to carry the weight it deserves. Be that as it may, it is a very keep concept in the foundation of a Great Commission Ecclesiology. What does missional mean?
Missional captures the "missionary" spirit. It embodies the idea of the church going into the world. Many seem to be of the opinion that the church is like the field of dreams. If we open the doors, people will come. However, this fails miserably. Since the beginning of time the missio dei (mission of God) has been fundamentally rooted in going. The call of Israel was a call to be a people of God to the nations. The story of Christ is deeply rooted in the incarnation...Christ going from his heavenly throne to take up his cross.
If we are to be the church Christ ordained, then we must have the same attitude as Christ...being missional...going out of the doors and into the world. Denominationally we have really embodied this. How does your church do locally? Do you do as much going as you do asking people to come? The great commision church does not compell us to invite people to church, it compells us to go to the people.
I am so glad to be a church that takes seriously this call to going...this call to be missional. And speaking of going, that is what I must do. Talk to you all later.
Missional captures the "missionary" spirit. It embodies the idea of the church going into the world. Many seem to be of the opinion that the church is like the field of dreams. If we open the doors, people will come. However, this fails miserably. Since the beginning of time the missio dei (mission of God) has been fundamentally rooted in going. The call of Israel was a call to be a people of God to the nations. The story of Christ is deeply rooted in the incarnation...Christ going from his heavenly throne to take up his cross.
If we are to be the church Christ ordained, then we must have the same attitude as Christ...being missional...going out of the doors and into the world. Denominationally we have really embodied this. How does your church do locally? Do you do as much going as you do asking people to come? The great commision church does not compell us to invite people to church, it compells us to go to the people.
I am so glad to be a church that takes seriously this call to going...this call to be missional. And speaking of going, that is what I must do. Talk to you all later.
posted by EF + at 6:13 PM
3 Comments:
excellent post
Good post. The hard thing is actually doing it. It seems like a very simplistic thing when discussing, but it's very hard to carry out. Not only am do I have a small once of insecurity when discussing my faith to outsiders(although that has kinda left), over the past couple of years I was unsure how to approach the action. How do you make people know you are a person of God? I guess in happens in subtle ways, like your reactions to others. Having sympathy, compassion and love for all. I don't believe it's going around shouting " I am a Christain and you should be one too." It's more seeing those who need help, and responding to them in a attempted Jesus-like way and hope the Holy Spirit takes flight.
Hope your getting along ok. I miss ya Eric.
P.S What's with the pic in the post?
The pick is of a runner in the starting blocks...I was going for the "GO!"
Thanks Jerry...do I know you?
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