What Is the Missional Church: Seven Minute Seminary

Summary

The term 'missional' has evolved from various theological discussions, notably influenced by Leslie Newbigin and the Gospel in Our Culture Network. It emphasizes the church's inherent missional nature, rooted in God's identity as a sender. Key figures like Darrow Guter and Chuck Benning have contributed to this discourse, highlighting the importance of joining Jesus' mission through both proclamation and demonstration of the gospel. The missional church movement has grown to include a broad spectrum of Christian denominations, focusing on holistic ministry and engaging with marginalized communities, reflecting Jesus' own ministry.

Takeaways

• 📚 The term 'missional' has become a buzzword, with origins tracing back to Leslie Newbigin's writings and the Gospel in Our Culture Network.
• 💬 Darrow Guter and other mainline Protestants contributed to the conversation with their book 'The Missional Church', emphasizing the church's inherently missional nature.
• 🔍 The concept of being missional predates the term, with Francis DuBose's book 'God Who Sends' from the 1980s being a significant early work.
• 🌐 The missio Dei movement has roots in the mainline missions movement and the International Missionary Council, which discussed these ideas well before they became widely known.
• 🔄 There have been missteps in the missional journey, with some experiments not working as intended, but the core truths about the church's missional nature have persisted.
• 🌟 The missional church conversation has been re-engaged by figures like Darrow Guter, who emphasized the importance of the church's missional identity.
• 📖 John 20:21 is a key biblical reference, with Jesus instructing his followers to continue his mission, highlighting the church's role in God's mission.
• 🤝 The missional church seeks to join Jesus in his mission, which includes both showing and sharing the love of God through gospel proclamation and demonstration.
• 🌐 The church is not a distributor of religious goods and services but is called to actively participate in Jesus' mission to a broken and lost world.
• 🔄 The missional church movement has come full circle, with a renewed emphasis on the identity of God as a sender, and the church's role in continuing Jesus' mission.

Q & A

What does the term 'missional' refer to in the context of the Christian church?

In the context of the Christian church, 'missional' refers to the idea that the church's very nature is to be on mission, participating in God's mission to the world. It emphasizes that the church is sent by God to engage with the world in a way that reflects Jesus' ministry of both proclaiming the good news and demonstrating the love of God through acts of service and compassion.

Who is Leslie Newbigin and how is he connected to the missional conversation?

Leslie Newbigin was a significant figure in the missional conversation. His writings contributed to the early development of the term 'missional' and its application to the church's understanding of its role in culture and society.

What is the Gospel in Our Culture Network and its relation to the missional church?

The Gospel in Our Culture Network is an organization that emerged from the missional conversation and is focused on helping the church engage with contemporary culture in a missional way. It seeks to encourage and equip churches to be active participants in God's mission within their communities.

Who are Darrow Guter and what is his contribution to the missional church movement?

Darrow Guter is one of the mainline Protestants who, along with a group of others, wrote a book called 'The Missional Church'. This book significantly contributed to the missional church conversation by emphasizing the church's missional nature and its role in God's mission.

What is the significance of Francis DuBose's book 'God Who Sends' in the missional church movement?

Francis DuBose's book 'God Who Sends', published in the early 1980s, is significant because it was one of the first to use the term 'missional' in the way it is used today, laying the groundwork for the missional church movement.

How does the missional church view the relationship between the church and God's mission?

The missional church views the relationship between the church and God's mission as one of participation and identity. It believes that the church is not only an organization that has a mission but is inherently missional by its nature, being sent by God to carry out Jesus' mission in the world.

What is the role of the mainline missions movement in the development of the missional church concept?

The mainline missions movement, particularly through organizations like the International Missionary Council, played a foundational role in the development of the missional church concept. It emphasized the importance of the church's missional identity and its participation in God's mission to the world.

How does the missional church approach the idea of 'Kingdom work'?

The missional church approaches 'Kingdom work' as an integral part of its identity and mission. It sees the church's role as not only proclaiming the good news but also demonstrating the love of God through acts of service, compassion, and justice, reflecting the holistic ministry of Jesus.

What does the missional church emphasize about the church's role in evangelism?

The missional church emphasizes that the church's role in evangelism is not just about sharing the good news verbally but also about demonstrating the love of God through actions. It believes in a holistic approach to evangelism that includes both proclamation and demonstration of the gospel.

How does the missional church view the church's role in caring for the marginalized and lost?

The missional church views the church's role in caring for the marginalized and lost as central to its mission. It sees the church as called to stand in the broken places of society, showing the love of Jesus by mending wounds and sharing the gospel with those who are without hope.

What is the missional church's understanding of the church's identity in relation to Jesus' mission?

The missional church's understanding of the church's identity in relation to Jesus' mission is that the church is called to join Jesus in his mission. It believes that the church is sent by Jesus, as he was sent by the Father, to participate in his work of proclaiming the good news and demonstrating the love of God to a broken and lost world.