missional church?: missional agency? the biblical basis of the local church being the main instrument in mission Dr Steve Taylor

1. Missional church

1. Missional church: buzz words “mission to Western culture” “cultivate” “missional imagination” “future of God is among the people of God” church as sign church as foretaste church as instrument

1. Missional church 1. The missional church proclaims the gospel 2. The missional church is a community where all members are involved in learning to become disciples of Jesus 3. The bible is normative in the Missional churches life 4. The missional church understands itself as different from the world because of its participation in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ 5. The missional church seeks to discern God's specific missional vocation for the entire community and all of its members 6. A missional church community is indicated by how Christians behave toward one another 7. A missional church is a community that practices reconciliation 8. People within the missional church community hold themselves accountable to one another in love 9. The missional church practices hospitality 10. Missional church worship is the central act by which the community celebrates with joy and thanksgiving both God's presence and God's promised future 11. The missional church community has a vital public witness 12. There is a recognition that the missional church itself is an incomplete expression of the reign of God

2. Missional agency

“Instead of waiting for a signal from an official church, individual Christians, often across denominational affiliations, joined such societies to commit themselves to the task of world mission.” Bevans, Constants in Context, 210

“It is noteworthy that this new model was initially shaped by pragmatic, not theological reasoning. In order to “use means” to effectively accomplish the missionary goal, Carey looked outside the ecclesiastical structures available at that time and drew upon an analogy from commerce: organizing a volunteer society is like floating a company.” Bevans, Constants in Context, 211

“One of the significant influences for the formation of such voluntary societies can be traced to the ideology of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution.” Bevans, Constants in Context, 212

Transforming Mission, David Bosch Primitive Christianity Patristic Period Reformation Enlightenment; Ecumenical/ postmodern John 3:16; God so loved; in sending of Jesus; God’s messengers sent Luke 14:23; compel them to come in! Romans 1:16; God’s rightliving; Matthew 28:18-20; Go! To the ends of the earth. ???

3. Biblical basis for missional church

4. My possible future? Agency as myspace Agency as abbott Agency as global resourcer

5. Your possible future?

missional church?: missional agency? 1.Define missional church 2.Define missional agency 3.Biblical understanding of missional church 4.A possible future Dr Steve Taylor