Marks of a Missional Church

Eddie Gibbs and I were interviewed (on video) for an upcoming workshop "Living Missionally" in Ventura, CA on January 21, hosted by Reggie McNeal.
Here are the prep questions that were asked (and a partial summary of my answers):

1. What are the marks of churches (people) who live missionally?
They no longer see the church service as the primary connecting point with those outside the community. Connecting with those outside happens within the culture, by insiders to that culture who express the gospel through how they live.

2. What is it that keeps a church (people) from thinking missionally?

We have been raised with the idea that much of our life and our responsibilities as Christians are reflected in the weekly church service. It is how we think as Christians in Western cultures where 'going to church' has been an essential part of being a Western citizen. Our context has changed, Christendom is crumbling, but the shift to missional living is a huge shift for Western Christians. It might take the Western church fifty to a hundred years to make the shift, and many won't make the journey. In contrast, those Christians outside the west, who have never lived within 'Christendom', do not think of the church service as the connecting point. They have no illusions that those they are serving would be remotely interested in a church service. Instead, they embody the gospel through serving, both in deeds and words.

This is a big, big, shift, and it scares a lot of people.

3. When people (church) suddenly "get it", what does that mean? ... and what
do you think brings the revelation?

Christian leaders are burned out. They spend an inordinate amount of hours just keeping the machine running, both in mainline and seeker/purpose driven/gen-x churches. They know no other way to do ministry, and if running the machine isn't it, then what is? When these Christians discover a more organic way of serving God, of emulating Jesus, it gives them hope. They do not need to leave the faith to find integrity or rest. Granted, this shakes up their world, and their future is anything but smooth. But they find a passion again, like a first love, and it sustains them for the tough road ahead...

4. What is/are the hardest obstacle(s) for people/church to overcome in
order to being living missionally?

Early in the 21st century, the American church is trained to consume, to be recipients of ministry, to go to church to 'get needs met'. It is how we are formed in the culture, and the church does not train us to be any different. To be active, to be a producer in the faith community, to share the burden, are the birth pangs in the formation of a missional community. Facilitating this type of transformation is one of the most important tasks of leaders today...

5. What is/are the most exciting examples of a people/church who is/are
living missionally?

In my book with Eddie Gibbs, I share many, many stories that reveal what missional living in the postmodern West looks like...I couldn't be more excited about these people or their journeys...

6. What was it that drew you into seeking what you found? ... what did you
find?

Like many of the people I interviewed, I was on a journey. Was there a way that I could express my faith in my world that would have some integrity? That would look like Jesus? That wouldn't make Christians look unnecessarily weird? As I began to spend time with these leaders and these communities, I found hope. They were asking the same questions! They became my teachers -- and more importantly, my friends...

Here is a video I did on the difference between missional and emerging churches...

Technorati Tags: mission

Comments

[Kyle]

Keep a close eye on this guy, he is trying to steal your thunder. Ironic how he is teaching a course this summer "Leading a Missional Church" and you and Breen are teaching a course on "Leading an Emerging Church." Coincidence, I think not. (Note: For those that cannot discern humor in a blog comment, I am joking) :)

[Mark Berry]

Great stuff Ryan...looking forward to reading the book when it comes out in the UK... only comment on the above is that I am not sure how much we can talk about the world/culture in terms of "the west" etc... Some of the comments you make in q2 also apply (particularly with <30's )in the post-christendom "west" too!

[Brian Russell]

Hi Ryan,
Excellent essay. I stumbled across a link to your site on Doug Pagit's blog. I write quite a bit on reading the Bible missiologically on my own blog. Have a look sometime if you have a chance. Would enjoy the conversation.

[Call Me Ishmael]

I resonate deeply with the phrase "unnecessarily weird." I don't know why; I just do.

[Renae Dupuis]

Sometimes I think my head will explode after I read things like this post - I mean that in the best of ways. I am a Fuller Student (as of this month) that has been trying to figure out why my ministry doesn't fit at any of mainline churches I have found and I've only started to take the ribbon off of the emergent/post-modern box, but it feels like it's the best present I ever got. Thank you so much for putting into concise words what the thoughts and passions in my head keep pushing toward - it will help me to find my direction and keep asking God about what he's got going on for me.

[Bob Pratico]

Great post. I used it one of my blogs that http://churchinabrewery.com/>equates the traditional church with Elbonia...

Bob

[Joan]

Does missional theology water down the gospel?

[Andi]

I am interested in the answer to Joan's question. Do you water the gospel? What I've read of the Emergent Church movement makes me think the answer is "yes."