How to Lead a Missional Church that Expands God’s Kingdom
The Missional Church
Characteristics of a missional church
What are the characteristics of a missional church? We will discuss some principles that are necessary to consider if we want to mobilize missional leaders to develop missional churches.
Every church can become a missional church regardless the size. God has called us to fulfill His purposes and mission. Pastors are not limited to the size of their congregations to become missional churches. Regardless the size, every single church can play a strategic role in fulfilling the Great Commission. We have everything that we need to accomplish God’s mission. When kept in the context of the Scriptures, Missio Dei correctly emphasizes that God is the initiator of His mission to redeem through the Church a special people for Himself from all of the peoples of the world. Thus, this passion and vision needs to start with the pastoral leadership of every congregation. “We must view churches as centers of mission vision and implementation. Indeed, there is a sense in which each local community of faith is to mature into a mission fellowship.”10
Believers are sent every day from everywhere to reach everyone. God is looking for people who are available to respond to His call.11 The power is on the obedience, and it is better than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22). One needs to start in Jerusalem, in our own neighborhood, then reaching out to Judea, Samaria, including the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). The bottom line is obedience and that is one of the biggest challenges for many believers today. Consequently, followers of Christ need to be intentional in hearing God’s voice. Moreover, to obey late is also disobedience, and there are billions of people that still need to hear the message of salvation.
Every believer is called to be missional. We are part of a glocal community that is called to be missional. Our roles may be different according to God’s given spiritual gifts each of us has received from the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, we are all called to share the gospel of salvation. Missions used to be thought of as us going to a foreign country. Peter identified believers as “sojourners and pilgrims (1 Pet 2:11).” Therefore, wherever we are is a foreign land. The mission field is all around us, and the Spirit is personally inviting us as individuals and communities to “go into all the world (Mark 16:15).” Our personal call is to share the gospel from everywhere to everyone. “When we focus on Christ, we can complete the task regardless of the obstacles and challenges. It is not about us, but about working together to bless people who still need to hear the message of salvation.”12
Category: Ministry, Winter 2011
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