Missional Incarnational

I suppose I should begin by explaining what I mean by missional-incarnational church. The terminology is becoming more commonplace in some circles, but these terms are often defined differently by different people. For the long version, read through Alan Hirsch's book, The Forgotten Ways, which is my favorite book on the subject. For the short version, I will offer my own, very simplified explanation.

Missional means that the believers are focused on telling the story of God. In the same way that foreign missionaries are men and women sent to far off places to connect with a culture and share with that culture the faith that sustains them, we are domestic missionaries, sent to connect with our own culture, and the tribes within it, to share our faith. Missional can also be understood in contrast to maintenance. We don't believe the church should exist merely to perpetuate itself or to provide for its members. It should always be focused outward; on blessing others. Or it can be explained in contrast to attractional, meaning that, rather than attracting people to a central location (a church building) we want to be the church living and interacting in a variety of community contexts.

Incarnational means that our objective is to act as the body of Christ. Just as we believe that Jesus is the incarnation of God, we believe we are to become like Jesus to others. If he was loving, compassionate, forgiving, wise, and enlightening to the world into which he entered, then we are called to be the same to the world we live in. We tell an ancient story of loss, hope, and redemption, not only through our words, but in the way we relate to people in our communities, the values by which we organize our lives, and the pursuit of a Christlike character.

So then, we are seeking to be missional and incarnational, a community of faith, living in and among a broader community, teaching others about the Jesus we know, not by indoctrination or assault, but by becoming, as much as we are able, the living representation of Jesus, his teachings, and his ministry.

Blessings,
Doug