Our Missional History
The missionary efforts of past generations have faced significant criticism from our increasingly secular culture. While missionary activity is a response to the Great Commission, Christians have also, over the centuries, responded in various ways to Christ’s teaching on The Greatest Commandment: To Love God and, in like manner, to Love Others. Our duty is clear: we are to carry the redemptive message of the Gospel to all corners of the world, and this is to be done in both word and deed.
What is often overlooked is the social impact of the Gospel in personal and social development not only in the history of our own culture but also in cultures around the world.
For many Christians, the expectation that works-will-follow-faith is considered a natural outcome. Yet there is considerable scriptural teaching warning us that this may not follow as it should. While the Gospel leads to salvation and new life in Christ, it also includes the need for training in discipleship. As His followers, we aspire to be Christ-like. We are called to serve.
New Challenges
While Western churches have historically supported missionary work in foreign lands, the task of bringing this missionary effort back to our increasingly secular communities presents a challenge. For one thing, the distinction between “we” and “them” is no longer so clear locally.
The call to be in the world, but not of it, is an integral part of fulfilling the mandate to spread the Gospel. How can we learn to do this with increased wisdom and effectiveness? How do we practice this call within our immediate neighbourhood and nation?
The “Missional” Idea
To get a sense of the accepted definition out there, I did a brief search using ChatGPT and got the following insightful response:
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
Learn more: 1. 9marks.org 2. en.wikipedia.org 3. christianity.com 4. bing.com 5. cma-cmd.ca
The Missional Church idea, as a philosophy of ministry, is strongly biblical and can claim to be rightfully viewed as integral with the purposes, objectives, and activities of all gathered Christians.
The Value of Thinking “Missionally”
Local churches may easily prioritize internal ministry over wider engagement. The missional theme functions to bring some counterbalance to the possible over-commitment to local church activity. In “sending out” people to minister within a society and culture, there is a needed shift in focus from pastoral flock-oriented leadership to the “equipping of the saints” for the work of ministry, where such need is both within and beyond the walls of the local church. How can we more effectively equip and support each other in recognizing ministry potential to be effective ambassadors of God’s Kingdom in a somewhat foreign land?
Complementary Roles in Outreach
The choice to adopt the term “missional” is intended also to affirm practices that successful foreign missions have attempted and learned from the past. When practiced with integrity and sensitivity, foreign missions have addressed holistically the lives of people. Schools, hospitals, orphanages, and more recently, micro-credit programs, have developed alongside the proclamation of the Gospel. Successful foreign missions have also addressed the cultural dimensions of life with sensitivity, through native language acquisition and training in local history and culture. While preparation was considered an asset for foreign missions, it follows that preparation and exploration of methods are now needed locally, too. There is growing awareness of the importance of social and cultural differences between People of Faith and the prevailing worldviews of our secular neighbours. Are we as prepared as we should be to engage in local mission?
Developing Resources
Our intent is to promote and help to equip for missional church outreach. This may come in many forms including in-person and virtual connections, small-group functioning, and personal reading and reflection. At the action level, we may promote some new activities but may also function to simply link individuals to existing social action groups. Our talents for Christian service will vary, as do the settings in which we can find ministry opportunities. Resources of relevance may thus come in many forms including people with experience and expertise, groups having a variety of ministry purposes, and media resources. These will function to promote ideas and identify promising strategies and best practices experienced locally and elsewhere. They can serve to encourage deeper reflection and facilitate, especially, preparation for our laity to better live out the Gospel with authenticity and effectiveness within our local life environment.
Related resources…
Keller The_Missional_Church (3 pg)
The International Evangelical Commitment to Christian Social Responsibility
Our beginning attempt to accumulate resources
[https://www.rrvista.net/missional-church-resource-hub/]
First published: 2023/11/14
Latest revision: 2024/02/12