The Document - Need

Most Christians know the commission to make disciples.  The question that everyone is thinking to themselves is, how?  How do I practically do that?

For the next several days I plan to share parts of my document.  Today's post concerns need, current models and a new proposal.

What does the word 'missional' mean?  There are probably several concepts of that word, and I haven't discovered them all yet.  Most any article you will read introducing the concept of the missional movement begins by saying, "The latest rage in the church is 'becoming missional,' but many people have little idea what being missional is."  While this may be true, I promise not to begin a discussion by pointing out the failures of those trying to learn it as they go.  My church pops up on a google search as a "missional church" in the Salem area but it's not yet "missional" as I have now learned that word to mean.  The story was the same in other churches.  About six months ago I spent some time visiting other churches in this city looking for a MC.  I asked pastors if they had ever heard the word "Missional Community" before and they had not heard the term.  In fact no one except I believe two people who attend my church had heard of it.

Reading below, please keep in mind I wrote it before hearing about Missional Communities (MCs) and what MCs mean by "missional".  Formerly, the best idea of what "missional" meant I defined as "Doing church off church campus."  You can see in what I wrote, I just dismissed this idea of "missional" didn't I?  (lol)  I didn't want just another method, but more of a mindset; a sense of identity out of the Word of God that affected my whole way of life.

Since discovering MCs I've picked up the word 'missional' again.  Now it means a whole lot more than what I thought I understood.  Some of those facets are described to the best of my ability in the next few days here on this blog.  I am still learning as you can see, what "being missional" is.  We can learn together.  Please don't think this is about me and my brilliant thinking.  It's not!  It's about the Holy Spirit speaking the same thing to many believers in many places of the world.  I trust the scriptures to speak to you even if you don't feel led to embrace a "movement."  I want to illustrate God's heart to perform His purposes according to scripture.  From the document....

Need 

(an older draft from last year)
“Do you really think we can make a difference in this city? After all we ARE just kids,” my daughter Grace asked in her script for their presentation of “God of this City” in kids' worship.  How can we touch this city for the Kingdom?  Christians want to make disciples, but do not know where to start.  Oftentimes they rely on the church to begin a ministry to the community.

(a newer draft)
Do you see people outside walking by the windows while you sit in church Sunday mornings?  Ever wonder about them?  They're not on my "high five" card because I don't know them.  Does any Christian know them?  What if they would come to church or believe in Jesus if some would pray and obey as the LORD promises to send us out as workers in the harvest?  Are we waiting for opportunities the church gives, or do we make opportunities by seeking God individually?  We embrace our Pastor whose heart is, "If you call me to Salem, we are going after the lost."  It's not a Pastor's responsibility to transform us; each must choose to submit themself to the Holy Spirit.  "Only 5% of Christians lead just one person to faith in Christ in their entire lifetime.”  What should we do?  Right now, I think about that and experience immediate spiritual warfare over how I've spent the last six months.  How about you?

Current Models 

There are two common models for making disciples.  One is the “attractional model.”  This model's objective is to lower boundaries and invite those who feel like “outsiders” into church where they will receive the gospel.  Examples would be AWANA, Women's bible study, First Bikers, the footwear fashion show, etc.  These are excellent at making disciples and they bear fruit, but they are limited to those who feel comfortable ultimately coming in to church.  Another model which is rapidly growing in popularity is called the “missional model.”  Under this model, disciple makers have church services in unconventional areas such as nursing homes or coffee shops or construction sites.  This is an exciting means of touching the city for the Kingdom, since it puts Christians in the midst of the unchurched.   The weakness of this model is that it is difficult to do all that church does, all that the scriptures teach us to do, in an unconventional place.  It still requires in essence, paid staff, a worship team, and a prepared location that is inviting.


New Proposal 

Both the “attractional” and the “missional” model are successful in accomplishing the commission Christ gave.  This proposal is to compliment them.  The solution suggested in this proposal is to knit together willing believers interested in making disciples regardless of their location.  This kind of disciple making will not come under the guise of services and programs to better the community, or a draw of entertainment, or a focus of ministering to a specific demographic, or a draw of short term missions to foreign places or even local ones.  This is a transformational maturing of likeminded believers to make disciples no matter where they are or what they do.  Christians need not go someplace to be a missionary, though they are welcome to do so.  Disciple making is for wherever we already are.  “Let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called” (1 Cor. 7:24).  Slaves for instance did not need to exit slavery in order to have won converts in their day; converts may be made wherever believers most commonly dwell, work, and play.

Scripture & Philosophy

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations...” (Eph 3:20-21). “...Speaking the truth in love, [we] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head— Christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Eph 4:15-16). The heart of transformation and “knitting together” this ministry will provide for making disciple makers has four elements....

(more to come)

Missional Community: My Story

What do you hear God saying to you, through the Missional Community way of life?  I've seen many become born again through the gospel and now they need to grow with Christ.  Growing in our trust of Christ we call "discipleship."  I have about 7 adults and 7 children who primarily look to me since they received Christ through my testimony.  Frankly it's too much for one person to provide, but I can't just ignore them either.  I feel like the disciples who threw their nets onto the other side of the boat.  The catch was so heavy they had to call other fishermen to help drag it out of the sea.  We really don't need a church program to reach God-seekers, they're quite plentiful to find while just living our life!  I do know I wasn't meant to do this in isolation, and neither are you dear Christian.

My Story

About ten years ago my husband and I got married, bought a house and started going to church in Salem. I reached out to my neighbors with the testimony and love of Jesus Christ doing the sorts of ideas being suggested in the free book you can read right now called "Simple Ways to Be Missional."  I offered to help them out with things I could see they were in need of, and had neighbors (now dear family!) regularly in my home.  I did not see much fruit for several years.  Then in about 2007 my husband and I started a season of marital discord which isolated us out of patience for one another.  It was during these 3-4 years of separation that I saw over 30 people trust Christ through my life and testimony.  Wow... something remarkable was happening!  I didn't think consciously at the time, but one day toward the end I looked back and started counting.

God drew others not because I was awesome, but because I was broken.  I testify that it was ALWAYS when I was a wreck and crying, seeking to obey God's voice toward me, when someone would knock on the door and be searching for hope themselves.

In December of 2010 my Sunday school class prayed as a community for marriages and I believe it was at that time that it was the miraculous power of God that restored us.  In mid-January 2011 we reconciled.  The very week following this reconciliation I sat down and began to write a document.  I later titled it, "The Disciple Making Workhorse."  It was a summation of the lessons I had learned about ministry during these years.

For all of 2011 I continually worked on the document.  I was conflicted about sharing it.  Why?  Well first of all it's a piece of paper, and as a human being I think I make a much better substitute for intimacy.  What's more the whole point of what I wanted to say was meant to avoid the familiar route of self-determination and program and organization.  It's too easy to falsely emulate a movement of God in the power of the flesh.  I want show up where the Spirit is already moving.  (See Nobody Told Me About Good Flesh.)

However I wrote the paper because I didn't know how to find people who could join me or who I could join.  In October last year I began looking for a community of people who were more or less like me.  I prayed and prayed for God to help me find likeminded people, to open that door for this reality of my experience of God to spread.

It was last December 25th when God answered that prayer.  I was celebrating Christmas with Ben (my husband) Painter's family.  This is the day we celebrate the incarnation of God, and He gave me the best gift of all!  We sat around with the whole family after a wonderful time of eating dinner and opening presents.  Ben Joyce (my husband's sister married a man with the same name as her brother, different Ben; he is the narrator in the video of yesterday's post) began to share his story of what God had been leading him to.  I asked him to explain what it was all about.  Out poured the very concepts I had been writing about in my document, right down the list!  Now, I had a name for the thing I was seeing: "Missional Community."  What an unexpected way to answer prayer!

Within a two week period I had found a local variety of Missional Community called PAX, here in Salem.  The PAX community is gracious and I am deeply blessed learning with them what it's like to be on mission.  PAX has brought Ben and I together as a couple in ways I never dreamed could happen.  We are truly a team, serving others.  I'm so thankful for my husband and his heart for people.  He supported me all these years, even the difficult ones, to pursue God's work and I'm grateful!

What's Next?

What I have seen is an answer to prayer; amazing!  But what do I do now?  I can't really tell you more of my story without you the reader.  If you know me -- you're part of my story.  I need help to live the life God imparts.  I wasn't meant to make decisions regarding God's plans for me, privately by myself.  You are endowed with the same Holy Spirit I am and I rely on brothers and sisters to testify what God is saying to them.  Yes - I really care what you believe and the last thing I'm interested in is putting down someone or something.  What is the LORD showing you about the Missional Community way of life?

These posts are meant to create conversation.  I hope you will approach me, if you're reading along here, and tell me how the LORD is speaking to you so that I can obey the voice of God - we all can, as one, be caught up in God's story.