Wednesday, May 27, 2009

What's a Missional Church?


From time to time, I am asked “what exactly is a missional church?”. It’s usually followed by another question “are ya’ll still Baptists?”. The answer to the 2nd question is “yes, we are Baptists”. In fact, the missional nature of our church has a very “Baptist” quality, as it is our partnership around the Great Commission that defines us. I believe that in some sense, every Baptist church ought to see herself as missional.

In answer to the first question, I think that a missional church is a fellowship of believers that adopts a missionary lifestyle. What I mean is that our lifestyle, our strategy, our structure, our service…the sum total of all that we are is centered on joining Jesus in His mission.
In other words:
  • It’s not about how many people come to our church services – it’s about how many people our church serves.
  • It’s not about our seating capacity – it’s about our sending capacity.
  • It’s not about being “attractional” – it’s about being “incarnational”.
  • It’s not about making decisions – it’s about being disciples.
  • It’s not about building a monument – it’s about being a movement.
  • It’s not about being an organization – it’s about being an organism.
  • It’s not about keeping pace with the Joneses – it’s about keeping pace with Jesus.
  • It’s not about competing for members – it’s about creating partnerships for mission and ministry.

Our missional journey has already been full of adventure, mystery and sacred romance as God weaves His redemptive thread through our lives and into our world. I can't imagine a more exciting challenge than joining Jesus in what He's doing to seek and to save! Can you?

Be blessed and be a blessing!

Frank

Acts 2:42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.