Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Frost Explains Missional

Here are a couple of powerful videos of Michael Frost explaining what missional means and how that works out into the life of a congregation (HT: Rick Meigs). In case you don't have the time to watch these powerful videos, I have listed a few key concepts.



"It is not a new model, not a new approach, not a new style. Missional church thinking is a fundamental and prophetic call to the church to orient everything it is doing around the agenda of mission."

"I am anxious, my friends, that you not domesticate the idea of mission, that you not turn it into something that is palatable, which is not dangerous, which is simple and straightforward and you can just add missional language on to business as usual."

If you embrace missional thinking,

You will see God differently. "God is the sending and sent God."

You will see the church differently. "We participate in the work of Christ. We see where he is at work and step in to cooperate with him."

You will see the world differently. "All people share the image of God."




If you are serious about stepping into this missional paradigm,

You will be committed to building missional proximity with those who've not yet been set free. "Mission has to happen up close and personal." "Platforms [in church] are not where ministry happens. Ministry happens in the neighborhoods."

You will practice the presence of Jesus right under the noses of those who've not yet encountered him. "To the poor it would mean alleviating suffering." "To the rich it might actually mean bursting the bubble of consumerism." "You cannot know what it looks like to be Jesus in any context unless you are an absolutely obsessive student of the gospels."

You will embrace powerlessness. "We don't need our buildings, or our money. We don't need the accoutrements of some kinds of institutional power. We have spiritual power which transforms us from ordinary people into a movement of grace and love and power." "Imagine if we could prove to Americans that the following of Jesus is worth more to us than the stuff of religious institutionalism."

You will proclamation the person of Jesus. "You get close to people, you practice the presence of Jesus, you go empty-handed and naked just as our Lord did, [and] I defy you to not proclaim the person of Jesus."

"Being missional is not another cool strategy. Being missional is not another clever way of worshipping. Being missional is not just another thing you can add to your mission statement on the front of your church newsletter. Being missional mean moving into the neighborhood and it means looking like Jesus."

Take the time to watch the videos. Let me know what your reaction is.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"


1 comment:

Tyler said...

i think that is a pretty good over view.