The Missional Church Framework Session 1 The Missional Church Framework

My Story

A.R.I.S. Study American Religious Identification Survey

The Missional Church “Ultimately, each church will be evaluated by only one thing—its disciples. Your church is only as good as her disciples. It does not matter how good your praise, preaching, programs or property are; if your disciples are passive, needy, consumeristic, and not moving in the direction of radical obedience, your church is not good.” – Neil Cole (Author, Church Planter)

Attractional vs Missional EXERCISE Break up into groups of 4 2 people argue for attractional approach, the other 2 for the missional approach 2 minutes to prepare, 2 minutes to share, 2 minutes to discuss

The Missional Church in Perspective 1998 Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America (editor Darrell Guder, professor, Princeton Theological Seminary) The Missional Church in Perspective (author Craig Van Gelder, professor, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN)

Church (Ecclesiology) Mission (Missiology)

Christendom 16th Century Germany established the Lutheran Church England the Anglicans Netherlands & Scotland the Reformed Church Mennonites, Quakers, Anabaptist and Independent Baptist were persecuted sects

Modern Missions 18th Century 1792 William Carey’s Proposal to reach the “heathen” in other countries

Modern Missions 19th Century Inter-denominational Mission Societies Denominational Missional Societies Para-church Organizations Church (Ecclesiology) Mission (Missiology)

Modern Missions 20th Century Edinburgh (1910) Jerusalem Conference (1928) Madras Conference (1938) Whitby, Canada (1947)

Modern Missions – Mid 20th Century Church (Ecclesiology) Mission (Missiology) Karl Barth (Church Dogmatics) Missio Dei (Mission of God) God is missionary in his nature SHIFT 1: Church-centric to Theo-centric “It is not the church that has a mission of salvation to fulfill in the world; it is the mission of the Son and the Spirit through the Father that includes the church” - Jürgen Moltmann

Modern Missions – Mid 20th Century Quest for historical Jesus The Third Quest Central Message of Jesus – The Kingdom of God SHIFT 2: From a reductionistic view of individualized salvation to a holistic view of understanding of the Good News (recovering all that was lost at the fall) Church (Ecclesiology) Mission (Missiology)

Modern Missions Lesslie Newbigin (Missionary, Bishop) David Bosch (Missiologist, Author) Transforming Mission Church “Sent People” SHIFT 3: The Church is Missionary by Nature “Missionary activity is not so much the work of the church as simply the Church at work” Missional Hermeneutics SHIFT 4: From Theology of Mission to Missional Theology

Missional Theology “Missional theology is a kind of practical theology that explores every aspect of the theological curriculum and praxis of the church the implications of the missionary nature of God with the purpose of forming congregations to better articulate the gospel and to live faithfully their vocation to participate in the ongoing redemptive mission of God in a particular context” – Benjamin T. Conner (professor, Memphis Theological Seminary Center for Youth Ministry Training

Key Theological Developments Missio Dei Robust Gospel Sent People Missional Hermeneutic Polycentric Missional Leadership

Key Terms to Understand Attractional – Come and see Incarnatoinal – Go and be with, do with, share with Extractional – So meeting focus, it extracts people out of their missional contribution in their everyday context

Discipleship in Every Social Space Intimate (2-3) - People know the naked truth about each other Personal (12) - Jesus and the 12 Social (20-50) - Extended family, people’s “oikos” Public - Larger spaces

Stages of Discipleship Developmental Phase Description Resister Adversarial toward the church or faith Skeptic Skeptical of church or Christian faith Seeker Open to God, willing to engage in spiritual conversation Hearer Self identify as Christian (Conversion) Kneeler Understanding new identity and the basics Faithful Active priests using gifts and talents to bless others Servant Core missional community, leaders