missional church basics

A pertinent question asked for quite some time, but also a question that many churches I know of (including mine!) are asking: What in the World is the Missional Church? Jonathan Leeman writes a pretty thorough article answering this very question. Here’s an excerpt:

[The church] doesn’t exist to draw people to itself and merely perpetuate its own institutional life, as was professedly the case throughout the history of “Christendom.” Rather, the church exists to proclaim the kingdom of God among men and women. By the same token, the unbiblical and church-centered language of “expanding” or “building” the kingdom of God is dropped, and the more biblical, God-centered language of “seeking,” “receiving,” or “entering” God’s kingdom is adopted.

Conversion is not just a profession of faith in Christ. Salvation is not only the rescue of the individual’s soul from the threat of God’s retribution. The gospel is not merely the news of what God has done in Christ to pardon individual sinners. [8] Rather, the gospel, salvation, and conversion are construed much more “holistically” or “comprehensively,” with ethical implications for every dimension of life and the message of reconciliation, justice, peace, healing, liberation, and love for the entire world: “and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:20, NRSV).

Seeking, receiving or entering God’s kingdom. To me, especially in regards to what I’ve been thinking about lately, this means God’s kingdom determines the structures (form, method and approach). Learning what this kingdom looks like and is all about is of first importance.  Determining structures should stem from what God’s kingdom looks like and is all about.
A great resource for Missional Church musings can be found at the blog of Kevin Cawley, a ThM student at Regent. Check it out.  I’ve found it very helpful.