Introduction to Missional Church

While I was serving as a missionary in Ukraine, I was exposed to the concept of Missional Church through a group called the "Antioch Movement of Ukraine."  An American inspired, Ukrainian-led group of folks who were and still are passionate about reaching their country for Christ.  What they were teaching resonated with what God had already been speaking to my heart about; there is something wrong with our current attractional model of church.  Their teaching challenged a lot of things, the role of leaders in the church, a church's place in the community.  I hope to address all of these issues and revisit what God showed me.

I have to give credit to Dwight Smith and to Saturation Church Planting International in part for the inspiration to write this some 4 years after I left Ukraine.  The Holy Spirit has been working on my heart for some time and what you will read is my Pentecostal, Spirit-led interpretation of what I have both been exposed to and have taught during my 7-year tour in Ukraine.

I plan on asking a series of questions to help direct this journey into Missional Church.  It is not enough to just share new or good ideas.  We need to question what we are doing and why are we doing it.  Jesus did this and in so doing incurred the wrath of the existing religious system.  I think we need someone to shake the tree every now and again to see what sort of fruit is there.  If we cannot stand some close scrutiny into the what and why of our church model then there must be some weakness.  If our foundation is firm then we can stand a bit of shaking and examination but if our foundation is built on non-biblical concepts then we may find that things will crumble under closer examination.

This and the following articles are not meant to be a "How to" or D.I.Y course.  It is an ongoing conversation between you, The Word of God, The Holy Spirit, the other leaders willing to come on this journey and the questions that I will pose.  There is more than one way to "Run a church" but doing it without the Holy Spirit's guidance or doing it a certain way just because it seemed worked for someone else is foolishness.  A church is not a business it is a training outpost for the invading forces of the Kingdom of God.  Not to say that there isn't some need for some business sense.  That is why we need people with gifts of administration. But what must be foremost in our minds is that this is His church, His people, His purposes that we serve.  The church doesn't exist merely to give us something to do or so that we can be employed.  Being a leader in God's Church is a calling and a commission.  We serve at His pleasure to further His plans and intentions.

This series of posts in this blog is meant to be revisited again and again, as you seek God's purpose for your church and examine and reexamine what you are doing, asking, "Lord, show us the way.  Lord lead us in your purposes and intentions."  This is not meant to be a casual read but rather a stretching and illuminating look at your own throughs intentions as compared to God's plan for His Church.  We cannot assume that we have it all together and that everything is just fine.

This journey is not meant to be taken alone either.  If it is your intention to redirect the course of the body of believers that God has given you then you will need others alongside you as you wrestle through this material.  We need each other.  God, the Holy Spirit has given a variety of gifts and gifted people so that the whole body can be built up.  You will need to take those whom God has called to be your co-labourers along on this journey as well.  You may serve as their trail guide, but ultimately your job will be to get everyone willing to go on this journey to the destination that God has foreordained.  It means that there are going to be a lot of discussions and self-examination if you are to reach God's intended goal.  He may have accepted you as you were, but God's intention was never to leave you as He found you.  This applies to the whole church.  As God's ordained leaders you must do everything in your power, with every gift God has given you to lead God's people into the fullness of God's will for them.  As I have heard it put one way, "Ministry is messy".  That's okay.  We are going to stub our toes, knock our heads and slip and fall here and there, but be of good cheer, God is with you and will never leave nor abandon you.

It's all too easy to find ourselves resting on our laurels and running on autopilot.  We must be reminded that we have an adversary who prowls around looking for who he might devour.  He has agents sent into our body to distract and destroy.  They may appear as well meaning people but they are there to disrupt God's plan.  I have seen too many people who have been wounded and crushed by such people.  People who have a form of religion but deny the power of God, who know nothing of the counsel of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. They are informed only by their opinions of what they have heard others say which tickled their ears.

Leadership cannot be achieved in the pulpit alone.  Leaders need to be in the trenches working hand and hand with those who are learning to be subjects of the Kingdom of God.  Releasing them into ministry so that they too can become Kingdom builders.

So if you are fully desiring to do the will of God to follow the path He has set before us, then I encourage you to stay the course, to not become weary in well doing.  Run the race as to win, not turning aside from the task no matter how much effort may be required.  Count the cost.  If you want to continue to just "play church" then this is not for you.  But if you want everything that God has for you and people God has given you, then stay with me, asked the hard questions like Jacob, wrestle with God and demand the blessing needed to accomplish his will.

The following questions will give you a small peak at what we intend to tackle.  It's huge, but we will take it one step at a time as God directs our steps.
The Key Questions for pursuing the path of Missional Church



What does God want:

• for your community?
• for your region?
• for your country?
• for the world?

1. What is the purpose of The Church?
2. How do you biblically measure success in your church?
3. Why is your church located where it is?  What is significant about its location?
4. What is your plan for reaching out to your Circle of Accountability?
5. What does a New Testament leader look like? What are Leadership gifts?
6. What other perspectives can we look at in leadership or what are leadership functions
7. How do we reproduce leaders?
8. How can we more effectively communicate the vision God has given you for the church?
9. How can we better empower the Body of believers to minister in their own gifts
10. What will it take to move from a traditional church to a Missional Church
11. What is your strategy for passionately directed prayer?
12. What don't you know about the community around your church and how can you find out more?
13. What is your plan/strategy to bring the Gospel closer to those in the community around your church?
14. What is your plan for incorporating new believers into the life of the church? 
15. What is your plan/strategy for multiplication - planting new daughter churches?
16. What is your strategy to find other churches to join your efforts to reach the city for Christ?
17. What is your strategy for being partnered with a church in another part of the world?
18. What are some strategies you can put in place to help the necessary resources be released into the purpose/vision of the church?
19. What is your plan for self-examination to keep you on the course God has led you to?

So if you are willing to ask these questions of yourself and your church body and if you are willing to take action on the answers revealed, I invite you to stay with me on this journey.

I cannot promise that I will post often, but when I do, it will be well thought out and challenging,