Clarifying Approach (MCN)
This is a unique and developing initiative
- It reflects a need to be ready to “give an answer for” the hope and faith which we desire to communicate with effectiveness before a watching world.
- It recognizes the degree of secularity that now exists in the larger society, and how that traditional means of communicating our faith seem to be of decreasing effectiveness. Many Christians report feeling overwhelmed by the secularity and the complexity of finding meaningful opportunities for engagement.
- Our initiative is leadership focused, with special appeal to the laity of our local churches who are often on the forefront of our church communities, as we function at work, in organizations of various kinds, and relate with the diversity of our changing communities.
- It recognizes, also, that the larger secular world has opinions of us as Evangelicals, opinions that are at serious odds with our views of ourselves. It raises questions as to whether we are communicating well.
- Again, using the biblical metaphors, we want to better prepare ourselves to be “salt and light.” These were the words Christ used when instructing his disciples as he sent them forth. How do we grapple with the complexities of this call today as Kingdom People? How can we better instruct and encourage development of this mindset and related skills within our local church communities?
We have been inspired by numerous movements already underway within the worldwide Evangelical Community and seek to learn of other such sources. Currently we feel we are learning much from the following:
- The Missional Church Movement
- The Lausanne Movement
- The ministry and writings of Timothy Keller and related ministries (e.g., The Gospel Coalition, The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics)
The above may be viewed as a restatement of what was shared some months ago as we attempted to launch this initiative in a limited way.
Our earlier statements
From Proposal: Regina-based “Missional Church” Support Network (2024 01 04)
This desire is viewed as part of the “missional church” approach to evangelism and service to others. Specifically, it means:
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- To recognize the increasing secularization of our local culture, now often viewed as post-Christian, and our increasing need to think and act cross-culturally in ministry.
- To recognize the need and opportunities to engage the world in ways that can make a positive impact on society and culture.
- To emphasize the need, especially, for preparation of lay people and our youth to be a source of enlightenment (well-informed Christian insight) to counter the confusion and despair now so common in society. We seek to represent our faith in ways that are attractive and in good taste.
The structuring of leadership in this networking endeavor is underway. So far we are working towards:
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- establishing a core leadership group with relevant training and Christian maturity.
- clarifying our key interests and functional roles in ways that complement the ongoing sense of mission of our local churches
- connecting with Christian think tanks and training institutions as a source of guidance and insight on how best to effectively engage the larger community
- providing presentations, development of discussion groups, and ongoing sharing of resources in support of this initiative.
From Guidelines Formation of a “Missional Church” Support Group (2023 12 31):
- A general insistence on careful, respectful, and generous approach to the critique of ideas, both regarding our scriptural positions and our views on public need for Christian witness. We look for reasoned analysis with supporting rationale over a simple sharing of personal opinions.
- Adoption of a style of gracious dialogue with focus on “uncovering truth” in contrast to simply perpetuating popular views. This should support exploration of new and creative approaches to achieving our purposes as Christians in our contemporary world.
- Promotion of ways to attract and support development of younger-generation people, with respect for their particular interests and sense of commitment for effective Christian witness.
Polarization on issues within our Christian community is generally destructive to our sense of unity and ability to take positive and collaborative action. Thoughtful/prayerful approaches are needed to reduce the emotional and divisive rhetoric commonly associated with hot-button issues. This could include:
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- Commitment to researching issues, encouraging careful analysis of specific points that could attract broader agreement and promote more effective positive witness.
- Attempt to tip the balance from what we are “against” as a Christian community, towards what we are “for,” as in affirming a commitment to a “flourishing society.”
- A focus on finding “common ground” as in promoting peace, respect, and carefully delineation of things on which we can agree with across lines that often divide us.
From Missional Christianity — What is it? – RRVista…
The term “missional church” refers to a church that is focused on its mission to spread the gospel and serve the community, rather than being inwardly focused on its own needs and growth.
The concept of missional church has been around for a while, but it gained popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The idea is that the church should be actively engaged in the world around it, seeking to make a positive impact on society and culture. This involves not only evangelism but also social justice, community service, and other forms of outreach.
The missional church movement emphasizes that all Christians should be involved in the Great Commission of Jesus Christ in every area of ministry and life.3
[Source of the above simply came from a ChapGPT search online, hence just a basic definition that is generally accepted.]
From Evangelical leaders on the Missional Church movement we have collected the following excerpts:
On the Missional Church — Timothy Keller
The Missional Church — Gary Nelson
Related:
Please engage with us
Discussion is encouraged on all of the above.
This page by: Ron Richmond
First published: 2024/01/31
Latest revision: 2024/10/12/