Introduction to Church Growth Missional Church

Missional & Incarnational What is Missional? The missional church is a church that sees its mission to represent Christ and operates as being sent into the world to reach the lost. OR “A community of God’s people that defines itself, and organizes its life around, its real purpose of being an agent of God’s mission to the world.” Alan Hirsh, The Forgotten Ways

Missional & Incarnational Missional Church Community centered on God’s mission Outward focused community of believers People centered Culture engaging Incarnational in nature

Characteristics of Missional Churches Missional & Incarnational Characteristics of Missional Churches Evangelizing is not something we do it is what we are. Contextual - Attempts to make Christianity meaningful in peoples’ cultural context People recognized as created in the image of God Not just prospective members People of worth even before saved Incarnational for attraction & Communication Living and sharing the gospel where life is taking place for people Involved in life’s communities Church Planters Pt. 2 – Tim Keller

Missional & Incarnational Contextualization -- communicating the gospel in a new context in a way that is understandable to the recipients in order for them to do theology, develop church life, be involved in ministry that is biblically based and culturally appropriate.

Characteristics of Missional Church Missional & Incarnational Characteristics of Missional Church Incarnational for attraction & communication Incarnational – refers to missionaries’ (Christians) practice of missions as Christ was incarnate as a person by incarnating themselves in the new cultural context by identification with the people through personal interaction by learning the language and culture to better proclaim the gospel. What is incarnational mission? – Alan Hirch

Characteristics of Missional Church Missional & Incarnational Characteristics of Missional Church Incarnational for attraction & communication Attraction – refers to the Christians and the church body worshipping in a community and finding ways to draw people into the church community rather than the church going into the community.

Foundation of Missional Church Missio Dei God’s Mission provides the foundation for why the church exists and how it defines its purpose. Mt. 16:16-18

Missio Dei (Mission of God) Why was humanity created? Accident God was lonely Needs to be worshipped To glorify God God of love (relationship)

Missio Dei (Mission of God) Mission began by God Mission continues with God’s reconciling work Mission ends with God

Missio Dei (Mission of God) What are the challenges in the world? Pride, hatred and power Wars, Genocide, Terrorism Immorality and self-centered desires Amoral lifestyle, Life unrelated to God, poverty Disease and natural disasters Cancer, AIDS, Earthquakes, Sunami Worldview differences Pluralism, Secularism, Materialism, Consumerism

Missio Dei (Mission of God) How does God view His creation? Communicates and interacts with His creation Provides guidance Provides means to approach Him People in need of knowing God and reconciliation God so loved the world that ….. How should Christians view the world?

Missio Dei (Mission of God) How should Christians view the world? World created by God People created in God’s image People loved by God Sin is a problem for all cultures of the world People are worth redeeming Reconciliation to God is God’s desire Believers are sent into the world as Jesus was

Missio Dei (Mission of God) What are believers responsibility to the world? Practice the two greatest commandments Represent God’s love in the world Represent God’s life style in the world Share God’s truth in the world Share God’s answer to people in the world Work to do good for greater justice and people’s wellbeing

Missio Dei (Mission of God) “It is not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the world, as that God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission – God’s mission.” ---Christopher Wright, The Mission of God, p. 62)

Missio Dei (Mission of God) The Bible displays the story of God’s mission. A story of God’s work in the world to reconcile humanity to Himself.

Implications of the Missio Dei Mission Terminology Implications of the Missio Dei God is the theological foundation God is the source of power God provides the message God provides the means of salvation God defines the mission

Missio Dei (Mission of God) Why study the mission of the church and its growth? Mission is God’s action in this world People are the center of God’s concern (mission) His followers are participants in His mission The church’s role is to be missional as God is Entering God’s mission is central to who we are as Christians

Implications for missions Mission Terminology Implications for missions God’s people enter the mission of God Believers live and share the message Believers strive to see the world as God does, in need of reconciliation Going and being sent (Mt. 28:18; Jn. 17:18; 20:21; Rom. 15:20) Ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor. 5:18-21)

Missionary Mission Terminology The term missionary comes originally from the Greek word “apostles” through Latin “missio” to English meaning sent ones.

Biblical use of apostlos (missionary) Mission Terminology Biblical use of apostlos (missionary) Used to describe the twelve selected from Jesus’ disciples Used of Paul Other people in N. T. sent out by churches Barnabas (Acts 14:14) James, the Lord’s brother (1 Cor. 15:7; Gal. 1:19) Janias and Andronicus (Rom. 16:7) Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25)

Mission Terminology Missionary today Generally used for Christians sent out cross-culturally It is a term that can apply to any Christian sent out for ministry Types of missionary Cross-cultural Domestic Non-resident Vocational (tent-making)

Ten misunderstandings about missionaries Mission Terminology Ten misunderstandings about missionaries Super spiritual Misfits in their own cultures Adventure seekers Always good with languages Always of a strong calling from God Bigoted, cultural imperialists (Poison Wood Bible, Mitchner - Hawaii) No longer needed Always go overseas Live in the bush Sign their lives away

Missiology Mission Terminology “The formal study of Christian mission in its theological, biblical, historical, cultural, and strategic dimensions as well as it present and future aspects” (Kaiser).

Elements of Missiology Mission Terminology Elements of Missiology Biblical – the biblical foundation and mandate – reveals God’s mission Theological – understanding the word & applying it Historical – history of it practice Cultural – the context in which mission takes place Strategic – principles, strategies, methods used Present and future oriented – present & eternal dimensions

Mission Terminology Theology – The “discipline which strives to give a coherent statement of the doctrines of the Christian faith, based primarily on scripture, placed within the context of culture in general, worded in contemporary idiom, and related to issues of life.” (Erickson, 1985, p. 21) Faith seeking understanding (Anselm of Canterbury 1033-1109; Bevans argues this is theology)

Missional & Incarnational God Church growth takes place within this dynamic of cultural engagement as missional, incarnational and attractional . . . Missio Dei Holy Spirit & Disciples WORLD Church Church Missional Incarnational Church Video – Missional Community Attractional

Mission Terminology Church growth takes place within this dynamic of cultural engagement as missional, incarnational and attractional in displaying the Lordship of Christ, making disciples and planting churches.