the chURCH In A “mIsSIoNAl” aGE THE CHUrch ... - Biola University

The late ’90s had “postmodern.” The first part of the 21st century
introduced us to “emerging.” l But over the last few years, there
has been no bigger buzzword in Christianity than “missional.” l
It’s a word that has exploded into the popular vernacular of
preachers, theologians and seminary professors. It has graced the
covers of almost every major Christian publication. It has spawn -
ed books, seminars, conferences and endless blog debates. l A
growing number of congregations now describe themselves as
“missional churches.” And proponents of the idea believe you and
your church would do well to do the same. l But what does it mean?
Definitions of the word are as diverse as the spectrum of churches brandishing
it as a label. The ambiguity of “missional” has been compounded by
its utter ubiquity. The term sometimes seems like an umbrella for anyone
who is pro-social justice, active in urban church-planting or domestic missions,
or skeptical of megachurches (though many megachurches now consider
themselves missional, too).
Most who discuss the idea agree that “missional” is some kind of
important moment in contemporary church history — even if the average
Christian on the street likely has little idea what missional is and why it’s
such a big deal.
So … why is it such a big deal?
Missional 101: The Church
Does Not Exist For Itself
Most definitions of what it means to be “missional” start with the
basic premise that the church is not primarily about us, but about
God’s mission in the world.
Originating from the Latin phrase missio dei — which means “the
sending of God” — “missional” conceives of the church as a primarily
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movement-oriented body that was not created for itself, but for the glorification
of God through the spreading of his gospel to others. Our God
is a God who sends. He sent Jesus to earth, who said in John 20:21 that
“as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” As followers of Christ, we
exist in this sending tradition.
This, of course, is not a new idea — and that’s the point. Proponents of
the missional movement say they seek a return to the mission-mindedness
of the early church, which has been gradually lost as churches have become
more inward-focused and “missions” has become a separate category altogether.
Being missional is about bringing the church and mission back
together. Missions isn’t just one of many programs or purposes of church.
It is the core, overarching, motivating logic for all that we do. A church
exists neither for itself nor its parishioners, but for the kingdom and mission
of God.
So what does this mean for the church today? Statistics from a
recent Leadership journal survey of nearly 700 evangelical pastors indicate
that it means quite a lot. The research uncovered several trends
and shifts over the past 10 years that fit into what might broadly be
labeled “missional thinking”: More pastors now believe that the gospel
is advanced by demonstration and not just proclamation, and more
pastors say that the goal of evangelism is to grow “the” church rather
than to grow “my” church.
B I O L A