Missional Churches aren’t Launched…they are Born.
The best hope for a missional future for the American Church is that every church plant is birthed with a missional character. Much progress is being made in developing the practice of helping churches become reproducing- this is a vital, although it does not address the missional footprint of the new church itself. Missional new churches connect with their communities in an incarnational way, enculturating the gospel in the life of the community. It must, in the words of Rick Rusaw, becoming a church that speaks “from the inside” of the community rather than from the outside. This has to be more than just a new set of programs that meet community needs. Missional churches have members that connect to the community personally, they don’t just run programs. How do we instill this missional character in the life of the new church? Missional churches aren’t launched, they are born. The missional character can’t be purchased, ordered from an audio/visual supply company, or designed by a graphic artist— it has to be cultivated in the hearts of the core team, and the early history of the church. The mission, has to be alive in the hearts of the core team before it can become foundational to the DNA. We must be careful that we don’t just win people to the mission of new church, when in reality the mission is to make disciples—win our culture—win our community. There may be some “re-discipling” that is needed in the lives of many of our core team members. If they don’t have a lifestyle of wining those around them, we need to start by helping them to develop a passion for the lost and the relational and evangelistic tools to touch those around them. We must first help them to become missional. What are some of the steps that we can take to build this missional heart into the early workings of our team? My Next Blog entry will discuss some key initial steps including community needs assessment and developing a track record of service. Check out the new needs assessment at http://www.compassionbydesign.org/church-planting.html