For over seven years I have embraced, struggled, rejoiced and cursed the word MISSIONAL. I first became aware of the word through some academic writings (Alan Roxburgh, Pat Kiefert and grad studies) and then,in an extended conversation with a few ministers and Brian McClaren at a retreat. In my missional journey, good and bad, the one thing I cannot get away from is that doing church with any other orientation than God’s mission is to be consumed by self-preservation. This means certain death given the gospel calls us to give ourselves away, take risks and trust God.
What I don’t understand is the reticence to THINK rather than be seduced by pragmatism. I’ve had way too many conversations where the bottom line is simply how to get more people in the pews and cash in the plate. As if this is the measure of what it means to be God’s people. I am not justifying lack of growth but the times we live in demand more than lip service to the mission of God in the name of church growth.
Part of our struggle is a truncated view of salvation that is only concerned with individual redemption and getting to heaven. Certainly God is interested in more since the Lord’s prayer is: Your will be done on EARTH as it is in HEAVEN. Umm. It’s time to think and make some mission adjustments.
All this to say that being a missional leader is daunting and nothing, absolutely nothing in my church or academic training prepared me for serious dialog between the gospel, culture and church.
The following are some notes from a presentation at the Global Missions Conference, Arlington, TX–What does it mean to be a missional leader? Click here The Missional Leader