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Missional: Thoughts April 3, 2008

Posted by bajanpoet in House Church, personal.
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6 comments

Interesting article at www.friendofmissional.org.

I like this “short answer” quote as a definition of Missional:

What is Missional – A Short Answer “Jesus told us to go into all the world and be his ambassadors, but many churches today have inadvertently changed the “go and be” command to a “come and see” appeal. We have grown attached to buildings, programs, staff and a wide variety of goods and services designed to attract and entertain people.

“Missional is a helpful term used to describe what happens when you and I replace the “come to us” invitations with a “go to them” life. A life where “the way of Jesus” informs and radically transforms our existence to one wholly focused on sacrificially living for him and others and where we adopt a missionary stance in relation to our culture. It speaks of the very nature of the Jesus follower.”

—Rick Meigs

 I love that: missional is what happens when we replace the “come to us invitations” with a “go to them” life.   That’s impactful to me – a “go to them” life.  Missional is not (or it shouldn’t be, anyway) the latest Christian fad or programme… it’s a shift in thinking – a way of life!
I am not one that likes labels, so I’m not really saying, “Jump on the missional bandwagon!”  I am saying, this is what the Church is to be doing.
A missional church will see themselves as a community or family on a mission together. There are no “Lone Ranger” Christians in a missional church.

  • A missional church will be a community where all members are involved in learning “the way of Jesus.” Spiritual development is an expectation.
  • A missional church will help people discover and develop their spiritual gifts and will rely on gifted people for ministry instead of talented people.
  • A missional church is a healing community where people carry each other’s burdens and help restore gently.

    •  I long for the day that we can just say  THE CHURCH is …. and not be limited to or feel the need to label.  May we be more like this, whatever our stream of Christianity! The world needs us to engage it, just like Jesus did.