Great post on Missional Leadership

HT to Leslie has a great missional blog here.

The following is from her most recent post. I'd love your comments.

One of the breakout sessions at Humana 2.0, hosted by Gerardo Marti, a professor of sociology and author; Brian Russell, a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary; and Octavio Martinez, was titled Missional Leadership. It was also probably one of my favorite times at the conference. Below are some of my notes and comments. As with the previous post, you will find my favorite things emboldened. (If you just read one thing from this post, please read the emboldened line at the bottom center.)

Some thoughts on community:
- Every human being was born to connect, reflect, and relate.
- Community- relationships come down to affinity (how we connect with other people) and the things that you are willing to do for another person. Affinity can be created through almost anything.
- Friendship is organic. Community is based on these friendships coming together. Organic- people develop their friendships naturally.
- Our ambition should be to get people to talk to each other. We do not have to program every moment of our life or theirs in order to make friends. Friendships are the natural progression of human interaction. Relationship-building is second nature.
- Practical relationship building tip #1- Go to an actual cashier; don't use the automatic checkout.
- See each and every person you come into contact with as an extension of your ministry.
- People have 3 basic, intrinsic needs: 1) to live for a purpose, 2) to feel like they've become a better person, and 3) to fulfill a destiny or be part of something.
- Put yourself in the places where the people are. This is what we are to do as the body of Christ, not as a paid, pastoral job.
- People do things like go on Dr. Phil because he will directly connect with them. This needs to be the role of the church. We need to be the ones who will answer their craving for connection.
- We can't make friends and drop them when they don't come to church. We have to stick with them.
- We need to be less structured and more proactive. Not afraid to wander but to wander with a purpose.
- People have a high view of Jesus but a low view of Christians. People want to hear from us on a personal level, not for us to take them on a crusade
- Spiritual development does not stop in a church building on a Sunday morning.

Some thoughts on communication:
- We can't make excuses saying that our technologically advanced world only allows us to communicate through text messages and e-mails.
- The Spirit of God is not limited by text messages and e-mails.
- It's a misnomer that the technological era has stopped us from communicating.

My favorite line in the whole presentation:

"If you're not willing to be inconvenienced, you're not willing to follow Jesus."

That line just really struck me. Am I willing to be inconvenienced? What does inconvenience look like for me in terms of serving Jesus? For me, it means going out of my way to love on other people. Giving up my time to others is a challenge for me. In my mind, it's my time. Sometimes its hard for me to pull myself away from me. To be inconvenienced for Jesus means that I become more involved in your life and less engrossed in mine. It means that sometimes I pick up a cross for you. I fight a battle with you- often through prayer. It means I give something of myself; something intangible.

What does being inconvenienced look like for you?

missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,

Share