Description of a Missional Church
A missional church is a collection of missional believers acting in concert together in fulfillment of the missio dei.1
A missional church is one where people are exploring and rediscovering what it means to be Jesus' sent people as their identity and vocation.
A missional church is faith communities willing and ready to be Christ's people in their own situation and place.
A missional church knows that they must be a cross-cultural missionary (contextual) people and adopt a missionary stance in relation to their community.
A missional church will be engaged with the culture (in the world) without being absorbed by the culture (not of the world). They will become intentionally indigenous.
A missional church understands that God is already present in the culture where it finds itself. Therefore, a missional church doesn't view its purpose as bringing God into the culture or taking individuals out of the culture to a sacred space.
A missional church is about more than just being contextual, it is also about the nature of the church and how it relates to God.
A missional church is about being -- being conformed to the image of God.
A missional church will seek to plant all types of missional communities.
A missional church is evangelistic and faithfully proclaims the gospel through word and deed. Words alone are not sufficient; how the gospel is embodied in our community and service is as important as what we say.
A missional church understands the power of the gospel and does not lose confidence in it.
A missional church will align all their activities around the missio dei -- the mission of God.
A missional church seeks to put the good of their neighbor over their own.
A missional church will give integrity, morality, good character and conduct, compassion, love and a resurrection life filled with hope preeminence to give credence to their reasoned verbal witness.
A missional church practices hospitality by welcoming the stranger into the midst of the community.
A missional church will always be in a dynamic tension or paradox between missional individuals and community. We cannot sustain being missional on our own, but if we are not being missional individually we cannot sustain being mission-shaped corporately.2
A missional church will see themselves as representatives of Jesus and will do nothing to dishonor his name.
A missional church will be totally reliant on God in all it does. It will move beyond superficial faith to a life of supernatural living.
A missional church will be desperately dependent on prayer.
A missional church gathered will be for the purpose of worship, encouragement, supplemental teaching, training, and to seek God's presence and to be realigned with God's missionary purpose.
A missional church is orthodox in its view of the gospel and scripture, but culturally relevant in its methods and practice so that it can engage the world view of the hearers.
A missional church will feed deeply on the scriptures throughout the week.
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.
A missional church will requires that its leaders be missiologists.

A missional church is a collection of missional believers acting in concert together in fulfillment of the missio dei.1
A missional church is one where people are exploring and rediscovering what it means to be Jesus' sent people as their identity and vocation.
A missional church is individuals willing and ready to be Christ's people in their own situation and place.
A missional church knows that they must be a cross-cultural missionary (contextual) people and adopt a missionary stance in relation to their community.
A missional church will be engaged with the culture (in the world) without being absorbed by the culture (not of the world). They will become intentionally indigenous.
A missional church understands that God is already present in the culture where it finds itself. Therefore, a missional church doesn't view its purpose as bringing God into the culture or taking individuals out of the culture to a sacred space.
A missional church is about more than just being contextual, it is also about the nature of the church and how it relates to God.
A missional church is about being -- being conformed to the image of God.
A missional church will seek to plant all types of missional communities.
A missional church is evangelistic and faithfully proclaims the gospel through word and deed. Words alone are not sufficient; how the gospel is embodied in our community and service is as important as what we say.
A missional church understands the power of the gospel and does not lose confidence in it.
A missional church will align all their activities around the missio dei -- the mission of God.
A missional church seeks to put the good of their neighbor over their own.
A missional church will give integrity, morality, good character and conduct, compassion, love and a resurrection life filled with hope preeminence to give credence to their reasoned verbal witness.
A missional church practices hospitality by welcoming the stranger into the midst of the community.
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 see themselves as representatives of Jesus and will do nothing to dishonor his name.
A missional church will be totally reliant on God in all it does. It will move beyond superficial faith to a life of supernatural living.
A missional church will be desperately dependent on prayer.
A missional church gathered will be for the purpose of worship, encouragement, supplemental teaching, training, and to seek God's presence and to be realigned with God's missionary purpose.
A missional church is orthodox in its view of the gospel and scripture, but culturally relevant in its methods and practice so that it can engage the world view of the hearers.
A missional church will feed deeply on the scriptures throughout the week.
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.
A missional church will requires that its leaders be missiologists.

1. Go to give God worship. Whatever the style is, don't act like that can stop you from giving God love. From Hymns to Electronica press through to find Him. Listen to what is preached and compare it to scripture and if it fits than apply and act on it...because God enjoys the worship of obedience to His word. Bring out the worship in those around you in it's various forms of art and encourage people to thus display the gospel to the world.


2. Be Missional as the primary focus of life. Jesus died to rescue you, and then asks you to rescue others. That is messy and at times difficult business. But please don't make primary the secondary things of life, don't trivialize the cross with selfishness about style and such things. Deny self, pick up a cross, and follow him. Anything less than that, fails to understand the implications of our rescuers life and death.

I write this because I love God and I love 5 stones. And I don't want us to miss God's purpose and mission for our lives while puddled in our own private preferences and passions. HIS PASSION is our passion, and His passion is the mission.

What did the woman who received living water do...what was her worship?

she told everybody she could...about Jesus

I didn't get "converted," by some method, experience, or preacher.

but that story is for another day...

I did however, come to the place where Jesus was really compelling to me. Like the 90%+ of americans who agree in polls that they believe in God and pray. But less than 50% go to church, and in Ashland it is a little over 30%.

why?

Same reason I didn't go I suppose. Who wants to:

1. get up early Sunday morning and face the aftermath of last nights events, their hangover, etc.
2. the lake looks like a lot more fun
3. large angry men in suits yelling at me is what I experience all week at my job / school...thanks but no thanks
4. the twilight zone trip to 1950 complete with pipe organ etc, is just too chessy to bother with
5. they are after my time and money...yikes! That is why I have spam blockers and caller-id...why would I LOOK for these people
6. look in the paper at what the last preacher-man did!
7. etc...

All of those are fun, real, cynical, and sarcastic reasons not to go. That's why I didn't go.

But why did I go...anyways?

1. spirituality can be done solo, but finding a mentor might help with all these questions I have
2. maybe...just maybe...there is a community that will act like Jesus and love me unconditionally
3. I think this stuff is real, but I need a little teaching to get a handle on the whole system. It feels organic and holistic as a lifestyle, I just need some help
4. there is an outside shot that there is some great dream [Like JFK's, or Martin Luther King, or Ghandi] that is bigger than me that I can throw my life into. Not a silly institution...but a revolution of love
5. jesus hung out with normal, even freaky people. maybe he loves me, just as I am. and maybe there is a normal jesus [not stuck in 1950] who has disciples / followers who talk like real people, laugh, have fun, serve the lonely and poor...I really want to find those people
6. my cynicism, while fun...isn't very satisfying. instead of tearing down everything I think is false and pretentious, I want to be a part of building something real and authentic. It may stumble around [like I do] but somebody at least trying to live the dreams of God in this world

And so I stumbled in one day [mildly hungover]...and yes it was freaky and far from perfect. But I found some real people and some real answers in the midst of weird religion. And YES I found a real relationship with God along the way [despite the strange religious nutjobs all around me] And later on I found some other churches, ones that really were what I could handle.

hmmm

how about you?

As I am praying about what my part is in the Vision God has for 5 stones I am reminded of Andy Stanley's excellent book on the subject. It is worth all of our time to think about some of these concepts. So I am including them here for you to percolate on. I have adjust these concepts to make it more understandable, and I have subtracted some redundant ideas and added a few as well from other sources. You will also see many of these concepts fleshed out in the book of Nehemiah.

1. A vision begins as a concern: Jesus primary concern is the lost becoming found, and the found becoming mature followers.
2. A vision has a timetable contingent upon providence and obedience: God's timing cannot be sped up or slowed down...but our obedience can.
3. Pray for opportunities and plan with wisdom and a sense of expectation: God desires that His kingdom be fleshed out. He allows our personalities, passions, and purposes to be a part of that kingdom.
4. God is using your circumstances to prepare and position you to fulfill His purposes for your life: Nothing is an accident, everything is redeemable.
5. What God originates He orchestrates: He WILL build His church; He will open and close doors; Miracles are normative for Him. He cannot concieve of an obstacle or challenge.
6. Walk before you talk; investigate before you initiate; listen before you leverage: The wise builder calculates, case-studies, and dialogues with others.
7. Communicate the vision as the solution to a problem that is imperative: Gods vision is never trivial, it is always epic.
8. Leaders must be the greatest risk takers: Your level of sacrifice, courage, and obedience sets the standard for everyone else.
9. Account for the flesh and Satan to devise sabotages to the plan: We battle not with flesh and blood, but with powers and principalities...who often manifest through the flesh.
10. Good ideas will always sap the energy, resources and momentum needed for the great things: Saying no is just as strategic as saying yes.
11. Unity is only possible when everyone is focused on something besides themselves: "It's not about you...it IS about God and others."
12. Consistency and character trump charismatic personality and "cool" fads.
13. Kingdom visions are often most misunderstood and criticized by the "religious" people within and without your church.
14. Allign all resources with a solid strategy and timeline: God owns everything so everything needed for the vision is available. However, God's means to that end is through human beings whom he seeks to deliver from selfishness, materialism, and slavery to self.
15. The Vision comes from God and always leads back to God: Anything that doesn't do that isn't His vision.

food for thought.