 Historical Overview  1000 Years the Western World Influenced by Christendom

 Society’s Institutions Christianized People  Society’s Institutions Stigmatized non- Christian Beliefs and Behaviors  Result – People Were Cultural Christians  The Church’s Job – Challenge People to be Regenerated

 Advantages:  Common Language for Public Discourse  Society Could Discuss Good and Evil  Disadvantages:  Morality without Regeneration Produces Hypocrisy and Cruelty  The Church was/is often Silent about Power and Greed

 Leslie Newbigin – India 1950  Saw Missional Churches in a Non-Christian Culture  Returned to England – Saw Non-Missional Churches in a Non-Christian Culture

 World No-longer Christianized  The Church did Business as usual  Some Churches did Evangelism as a Ministry  No Churches Adapted All they did to Reach the Non-Christian World  (Negative Description of a Missional Church)

 U.S. Different From Europe, Canada and Australia/New Zealand  Still have Two Worlds in One Nation  Heartland – Christendom (Informal Culture) – Quickly Passing However  Cities and Coasts – Christendom gone

#1 People Learn to Discourse in the Current Vernacular

 Christendom – Little Difference in Language Inside/Outside the Church  Missional Church – Terms/Terminology Need Explanation

 The Missional Church Avoids:  Tribal Language  Stylized Prayer Language  Unnecessary pious “Jargon”  Archaic Language to set a Spiritual Tone  We –Them Language  Disdainful Jokes that mock Politics, Beliefs, Behaviors  Disrespectful Comments about those who Differ  Sentimental, Pompous, Self-Fulfilling Talk

 The Missional Church:  Always Acts as if Unbelievers are Present  Engages the Culture with Gentle, Self- Deprecating Joyful Irony  Communicates Empathy for Those Hurt and Mislead by the Culture

 The Missional Church Acts Differently Because:  Hearts are Broken for Lost People  It is on a Mission of Love  The Church is not All about Us

 The Missional Church Acts by:  Asking Questions and Listening  Seeing Itself as a Spiritual Guide to Searching Pilgrims  Matching our Vision with the Vision of Lost People  Seeking the Spirit’s Help in Developing New Strategies

#2 We Enter and Re-Tell the Culture’s Stories with Good News

 Christendom Motivated by Guilt (Exhortation)  Christendom did not Listen  Missional Church - Preaching and Communication ALWAYS Assumes:  Unbelievers are Present  That We Engage Their Stories

 Sympathy and Acquaintance With  Literature  Music  Theater  The Arts Reveal the Culture’s  Hopes  Dreams  “Heroic Narratives”  Fears

 Christendom: Be A Good Person – Live Well – Be Merciful  Current Culture: Be Free – Self Created – Authentic  Make the World Safe so all Can Live This Way (Justice)  Christianity: Freedom without Slavery – Embrace others without Injustice

 Understand Grace and its Stewardships  Express our Honesty (Successes and Failures) in Living out Grace  Show How Their Stories and Our Stories Fit the Big Story

#3 Theologically Train Lay People for PUBLIC Life and Vocations

 Christendom: Trained People for Spiritual Private World Skills  The Missional Church: People Need to Learn to Think Christianly About All of Life and Learn to Live with Distinctiveness

 Christians Need to Know:  Cultural Practices – Common Grace  Cultural Practices – Antithetical to Grace  Cultural Practices – Adapted and Revised

 Honor Christians Living Well in the “PUBLIC SQUARE”  Most Negating Factors Against Christianity is INTOLERANCE

 Robin Hood Philosophy of Ministry – Take Power and Resources for those Without Power and Resources  The Church is Here to Save Individuals and Communities

#4 Create Christian Community Which is Counter-Cultural and Counter-Intuitive

 Christendom: Key is Fellowship  The Missional Church: Christians Radical Approaches to Sex, Money and Power

 Sex: Avoid Society’s Idolization and Former Society’s Fear  Money: Promote Generosity in Time, Money and Relationships  Power: Use Power for Racial Equality and Class Equality

 Missional Church – More Committed to Social Justice than Liberals Ever Were  Missional Church – More Committed to Evangelism than Fundamentalists Ever Were

 Every Aspect of Ministry Committed to Making Disciples  Use our Power and Money for those without Power and Money

#5 We Practice Christian Unity at the Local Level

 In Christendom – Churches Defined Against Each Other  Denomination  Theology  Polity  Practice  Missional Church – Defined in Relation to Culture  Spiritual Characteristics  Community Commitment

 We Focus on the Kingdom not our Denomination  We Define What is Crucial or Foundational

 Marks of a Missional Church  Love for the Community  Use of Language  Biblical Truth Engages People’s Stories  Engaged in the Arts  Deep Commitment to the Poor and Powerless  Willing to Work with Other Christians

 If Marks are Present: Unbelievers will Come to Learn and Stay  If Marks are not Present: We Only Attract Christians and people of Christendom