I believe on of the biggest challenges to missional ministry is the need for the ministry to be cross generational. A great value is lost when we focus on only one segment of the population:
The follow generations are the ones sitting in our churches today:
Traditional workers (born before 1946): They value loyalty and discipline, and they respect authority and hierarchy.
Baby Boomers (1946-1960): They have great expectations of success. Currently, this group occupies positions of higher corporate responsibility, and has the largest proportion of workaholics in history. This is also the generation that gave birth to the “Yuppie” phenomenon.
Generation X (1961-1979): This generation has the best academic training and international experience in history. They have begun to make a break with traditional patterns of behavior, demanding a more informal environment and abandoning hierarchical authority in favor of a more horizontal and flexible structure. They have pioneered policies that involve flexibility and conciliation. This generation is rich in entrepreneurs because personal initiative predominates within a context of skepticism toward large enterprises.
Generation Y (starting from 1980): Generation Y is the first in history to have lived their entire lives with information technology. It is not easy for them to understand the world without it. Like members of Generation X, their childhood was comfortable and prosperous. They are more individualistic than earlier generations and demand autonomy in their opinions and behavior. They emphasize personal activities above social and labor considerations.
As you can see there are vast differences between these groups. Add to that the environment i.e. urban, suburban, and rural and you can the mix of generational factors the church faces today.
If we are to have truly missional ministry in a community, when will be able to involve all generations. Each will be counted on to bring their strengths to the mission and contribute as God as gifted.
To many times today ministry is aged focused. We need more cross generational opportunities. Whets wrong with all worshipping together, learning together or serving together? We need the ability to pass on wisdom down and up the generational chain. Traditionals and Boomers need x,yer's knowledge of technology and our changing world. X and Yer's need their commitment to getting the job done, experience and determination.
True communitas can only come across the generations when we are all committed to a common mission with common purpose. Leaving groups behind does not create communitas it creates division.
How can we strive for our missional communities to be cross generational?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Showing posts with label missional discipleship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label missional discipleship. Show all posts
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Missional - Only takes a Cell Phone
Check out this article.......
Man gets 5,000 calls for YouTube posting
So you make a YouTube posting offering to talk to anyone about anything. 5,000 needy people call you. Doesn't that tell us something about engaging our world's?
A simple act of being willing to talk to someone sparks a huge response.
I was preaching yesterday on the fact that we are called to love the unlovable. This guy is out there living it out.
So what can you do?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Man gets 5,000 calls for YouTube posting
So you make a YouTube posting offering to talk to anyone about anything. 5,000 needy people call you. Doesn't that tell us something about engaging our world's?
A simple act of being willing to talk to someone sparks a huge response.
I was preaching yesterday on the fact that we are called to love the unlovable. This guy is out there living it out.
So what can you do?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Missional – Reaching Out with Art
Seth Godin has this great post.
Artist in Residence
Now I ask the church…………. Why not an artist in residence?
Art to illustrate each sermon?
Commissioned art for each family?
Community showings
Art on Loan to public businesses
Art classes for the community
So many kewl things could be done with something like this.
What do you think?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Artist in Residence
Now I ask the church…………. Why not an artist in residence?
Art to illustrate each sermon?
Commissioned art for each family?
Community showings
Art on Loan to public businesses
Art classes for the community
So many kewl things could be done with something like this.
What do you think?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Missional - are we remarkable?
You need to take the time to watch this:
Be Remarkable
After you watch this, watch 1 other video on this site for a week. Get inspired get informed and then get busy.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Be Remarkable
After you watch this, watch 1 other video on this site for a week. Get inspired get informed and then get busy.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Missional - Bolger interview
You need to see this:
What is a Missional Church
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
What is a Missional Church
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Missional Prayer
I think one of the most powerful tools in our missional arsenal is prayer.
Few people ever refuse prayer.
There’s no more intimate way to show your care for someone than to ask for their need and pray for them.
We need to build bridges into our communities that allow us to discover the needs of the people and pray for them. If you show you care enough to pray you earn the right to be heard in other aspects of their life.
So what creative ways can we reach out to our communities in prayer?
Here’s one House of Prayer
DO you have any others?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Few people ever refuse prayer.
There’s no more intimate way to show your care for someone than to ask for their need and pray for them.
We need to build bridges into our communities that allow us to discover the needs of the people and pray for them. If you show you care enough to pray you earn the right to be heard in other aspects of their life.
So what creative ways can we reach out to our communities in prayer?
Here’s one House of Prayer
DO you have any others?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Missional Small Groups
What happens when missional small groups start?
Check out this post from my friend Mark.
Missional Small Groups
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Check out this post from my friend Mark.
Missional Small Groups
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Missional – When a Missional Church Gathers
What happens when a missional church gathers itself together?
Someone recently posed this question to me, so I’ve spent sometime thinking about this.
When a missional church gathers itself together what might it look like?
The first quality I think it should have is that it should gather around its testimony. If the missional church is operating in its sent mode each week, then the people of the church should have testimony of how God is working. These stories should be a building block of the time spent gathered together. Testimony of God’s working is a powerful catalyst for propelling us forward in our mission. It gives us hope that God has not abandoned us and that each of us can be and are being used by Him for His Kingdom.
The second quality would be an attitude, atmosphere and applied sense of worship. We are in awe of the wonder, majesty, grace and all the other qualities of the King. We should approach Him with praise and worship on our lips and hearts. We gather to worship the King.
The third quality should be an incubator of learning. Using all the styles of learning we should creatively present the Word and ingrain it in the hearts of the people. Learning need not only be facilitated by top down learning methods but by, auditory, participatory and visual methods as well.
The fourth quality is fellowship. True fellowship should be nurtured and fostered. We can not be the body of Christ with out being in fellowship with Him and the rest of the body.
Another important quality is remembrance. We need to be reminded of Who God is, What He has done, What we believe, where He has brought us from and the reality of His Kingdom. Remembrance is a centering tool that allows us to place in balance the past, present and future.
One more that I can think of would be commissioning. The sending of the body back into the world to accomplish God’s mission in the coming week. “in your going, DO!” We send those gathered together back into their mission to build the Kingdom as God has called them to do.
I’m sure theres more but these are my initial thoughts.
What do you think?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Someone recently posed this question to me, so I’ve spent sometime thinking about this.
When a missional church gathers itself together what might it look like?
The first quality I think it should have is that it should gather around its testimony. If the missional church is operating in its sent mode each week, then the people of the church should have testimony of how God is working. These stories should be a building block of the time spent gathered together. Testimony of God’s working is a powerful catalyst for propelling us forward in our mission. It gives us hope that God has not abandoned us and that each of us can be and are being used by Him for His Kingdom.
The second quality would be an attitude, atmosphere and applied sense of worship. We are in awe of the wonder, majesty, grace and all the other qualities of the King. We should approach Him with praise and worship on our lips and hearts. We gather to worship the King.
The third quality should be an incubator of learning. Using all the styles of learning we should creatively present the Word and ingrain it in the hearts of the people. Learning need not only be facilitated by top down learning methods but by, auditory, participatory and visual methods as well.
The fourth quality is fellowship. True fellowship should be nurtured and fostered. We can not be the body of Christ with out being in fellowship with Him and the rest of the body.
Another important quality is remembrance. We need to be reminded of Who God is, What He has done, What we believe, where He has brought us from and the reality of His Kingdom. Remembrance is a centering tool that allows us to place in balance the past, present and future.
One more that I can think of would be commissioning. The sending of the body back into the world to accomplish God’s mission in the coming week. “in your going, DO!” We send those gathered together back into their mission to build the Kingdom as God has called them to do.
I’m sure theres more but these are my initial thoughts.
What do you think?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Missional – Do “missions-minded” and Missional go together?
One thing I think is a concern with churches who are moving in a missional direction is that some feel that a missional mind does not include a missions-mind.
This is not the case at all. A missions-minded church is one who has a heart and practice of supporting foreign missions. Missions-mindedness is necessary for a missional church. It is the outgrowth of the church taking the last part of Acts 1:8 to heart: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." A church must have a missions-mindedness towards taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. It’s what Christ commanded for us.
I am aware of a church considered one of the most missional in the country who sends 25% of their income to foreign missions and has one-half of the congregation of 2,000 go on short term mission trips each year. Twice a month the church sponsors short term trips. They even have pre-believers going on missions trips and being lead to the Lord while there.
Missions-minded is essential to missional.
So what’s the difference?
Missional takes the first part of Acts 1:8 and makes it a reality: “and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,” this is the other part of missional, reaching your Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. If we ignore these then we are turning our back on the command of Jesus. It’s the same with foreign missions. They go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. The key becomes making them dance partners. A good dance occurs when both dancers are in balance, know their steps and roles and perform their own roles.
Matthew 28:19-20 says: “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” A better translation of the Go here is, “in your going, do!” As we go about our lives we are supposed to be carrying out the commission in our everyday life. A missional church will live out the mission of God in all aspects of its life. In it’s community and region and state and around the world.
The problem comes when we try to separate these things and only do one of them. We get out of balance and the dance begins to look awkward. The longer we stay out of balance the more accustomed we become to our dysfunction. This causes us to be incomplete in accomplishing God’s mission for His church.
A missional church views it’s town as it’s mission field, it’s county as it’s mission field, it’s state as it’s mission field, it’s country as it’s mission field and also the world as it’s mission field. All these in proper balance make up a missional church.
As you can see one can not be completely missional without being missions minded. The goal is to treat our communities with that very same missions mindedness and see ourselves as the missionaries. I believe that churches and the believers in them are called to have a heart for missions, to personally share the Gospel message, and to support those who take the message to others. Missional embraces all those things and more.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
This is not the case at all. A missions-minded church is one who has a heart and practice of supporting foreign missions. Missions-mindedness is necessary for a missional church. It is the outgrowth of the church taking the last part of Acts 1:8 to heart: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." A church must have a missions-mindedness towards taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. It’s what Christ commanded for us.
I am aware of a church considered one of the most missional in the country who sends 25% of their income to foreign missions and has one-half of the congregation of 2,000 go on short term mission trips each year. Twice a month the church sponsors short term trips. They even have pre-believers going on missions trips and being lead to the Lord while there.
Missions-minded is essential to missional.
So what’s the difference?
Missional takes the first part of Acts 1:8 and makes it a reality: “and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,” this is the other part of missional, reaching your Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. If we ignore these then we are turning our back on the command of Jesus. It’s the same with foreign missions. They go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. The key becomes making them dance partners. A good dance occurs when both dancers are in balance, know their steps and roles and perform their own roles.
Matthew 28:19-20 says: “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” A better translation of the Go here is, “in your going, do!” As we go about our lives we are supposed to be carrying out the commission in our everyday life. A missional church will live out the mission of God in all aspects of its life. In it’s community and region and state and around the world.
The problem comes when we try to separate these things and only do one of them. We get out of balance and the dance begins to look awkward. The longer we stay out of balance the more accustomed we become to our dysfunction. This causes us to be incomplete in accomplishing God’s mission for His church.
A missional church views it’s town as it’s mission field, it’s county as it’s mission field, it’s state as it’s mission field, it’s country as it’s mission field and also the world as it’s mission field. All these in proper balance make up a missional church.
As you can see one can not be completely missional without being missions minded. The goal is to treat our communities with that very same missions mindedness and see ourselves as the missionaries. I believe that churches and the believers in them are called to have a heart for missions, to personally share the Gospel message, and to support those who take the message to others. Missional embraces all those things and more.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Monday, April 09, 2007
Missional People
Jamie has a great post
The Community Coming To Be Known As Missional
Take the time to read it.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
The Community Coming To Be Known As Missional
Take the time to read it.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Missional - A Missional Sunday School Song
I was a good kid growing up. Attended Sunday School every week, I even learned all the songs!
The other day in the shower I was singing one of those Sunday School Songs:
Be A Missionary Every Day!
Be a missionary every day! (clap)
Tell the world that Jesus is the way!
Be it in the town or country
or the busy avenue!
Africa or Asia, the task is up to YOU!
So, Be a missionary every day! (clap)
Tell the world that Jesus is the way!
The Lord is soon returning
There is no time to loose, so
Be a missionary
God’s own emissary
Be a missionary to day!
This got me to thinking…….. if I were to write this song today and teach it to my teenagers what would the song say? So here’s my new version.
Be missional every day!
Live and show your world that Jesus is the way!
Be it in your town and neighborhood
and driving on the highway!
wal-mart and McDonalds, the task is up to YOU!
So, Be missional every day!
Live and show your world that Jesus is the way!
The Kingdom is at hand
There is no time to loose, so
Be missional
cus God is missional
Be missional today
Yup that’s how I’d sing it today.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
The other day in the shower I was singing one of those Sunday School Songs:
Be A Missionary Every Day!
Be a missionary every day! (clap)
Tell the world that Jesus is the way!
Be it in the town or country
or the busy avenue!
Africa or Asia, the task is up to YOU!
So, Be a missionary every day! (clap)
Tell the world that Jesus is the way!
The Lord is soon returning
There is no time to loose, so
Be a missionary
God’s own emissary
Be a missionary to day!
This got me to thinking…….. if I were to write this song today and teach it to my teenagers what would the song say? So here’s my new version.
Be missional every day!
Live and show your world that Jesus is the way!
Be it in your town and neighborhood
and driving on the highway!
wal-mart and McDonalds, the task is up to YOU!
So, Be missional every day!
Live and show your world that Jesus is the way!
The Kingdom is at hand
There is no time to loose, so
Be missional
cus God is missional
Be missional today
Yup that’s how I’d sing it today.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Friday, April 06, 2007
Missional - State of Church Video Ver 3.0
OK after some suggestions from friends and readers (Jeff, Jackie, Webb, Barry etc)
Here's my edited version.
If you like it Please share it.
I don't think it's to bad for my first effort!
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Here's my edited version.
If you like it Please share it.
I don't think it's to bad for my first effort!
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Missional or Not? Your Chance to Vote
It's time for another addition of Missional or not.
Check out the link and VOTE!
King of Kings Statue
So how do you vote?
HT: to my best buddy Jeff for the tip.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Check out the link and VOTE!
King of Kings Statue
So how do you vote?
HT: to my best buddy Jeff for the tip.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Missional - State of Church Video
Here's my first attempt at some video.
Version 2.0
Which is better?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Version 2.0
Which is better?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Missional Frustration
I frustrated with people who think missional and emerging are the same thing.
They arent - Im far more traditional than emerging yet Im very missional.
I believe every church should be missional, because actively participating in God's redemptive work is everyone's role.
So when I see the number 2 entry in Google for the keyword missional so messed up like it is here it really frustrates me. There is a bias and an agenda with some of the contributors.
The fact that the word has been around 100 years doesnt seem to matter. Only thing that matters is source cites that meet with their approval.
Let's be real here folks - there's little that is nuetral in the statements made there.
Co-opted? from what? emerging and missional are not the same. Missions and missional are not the same.
What say you to helping Brother Maynard set the record straight?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
They arent - Im far more traditional than emerging yet Im very missional.
I believe every church should be missional, because actively participating in God's redemptive work is everyone's role.
So when I see the number 2 entry in Google for the keyword missional so messed up like it is here it really frustrates me. There is a bias and an agenda with some of the contributors.
The fact that the word has been around 100 years doesnt seem to matter. Only thing that matters is source cites that meet with their approval.
Let's be real here folks - there's little that is nuetral in the statements made there.
In this usage "missional" has rapidly entered the lexicon of the growing emerging church movement whose participants have co-opted the term for their own use, enabling participants in this movement to recognize each other across denominational lines. Different emergents may use the term with different nuances and connotations, but the term persists as essentially a postmodern alternative to the ecclesiology and missiology of Evangelical Christians. The practical outworking of emergent, missional living does not coincide with the emphases on propositional evangelism, teaching, and holiness found in historic Christianity. Missional believers are more inclusive than exclusive, refusing to identify boundaries that could be perceived as an "us vs. them" mentality. Within this atmosphere so-called missional believers seek to enhance the lives of all postmoderns regardless of their belief system or lifestyle.
Co-opted? from what? emerging and missional are not the same. Missions and missional are not the same.
What say you to helping Brother Maynard set the record straight?
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Monday, April 02, 2007
Missional - Community means Belonging
Sunday I got to teach my first week of 13 weeks of Sunday School class on Becoming more missional (thanks to those who helped me with the cir).
One of the things we mentioned briefly there was the idea of community.
I was following a motorcyclist tonite, everytime he passed another biker he waved. It was like he was friends with every other biker on the road. That couldn't possibly be, but there he was waving.
Why? Because bikers share a common bond and it doesnt matter who you are, if your a biker your in.
A friend of mine and I were talking sometime ago about the fact that fans are the same way. Show up at a staium full of tailgaters, throw on the proper team jersey and instantly everyone wants to share their drinks and food with you. Put wrong jersey on and you will get run out of the parking lot. But the right jersey means your in!
See to fans if your one of them it doesnt matter. Come on in and join the party!
What we talked about in the class was the classic TV show "Cheers"
Remember the lyrics to the theme song?
One aspect of being missional is that we must be able to develop a sense of belonging in people around us. The sense that a life lived in loneliness is a life unfulfilled. God created us for community! We must build that sense of community in everything we do.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
One of the things we mentioned briefly there was the idea of community.
I was following a motorcyclist tonite, everytime he passed another biker he waved. It was like he was friends with every other biker on the road. That couldn't possibly be, but there he was waving.
Why? Because bikers share a common bond and it doesnt matter who you are, if your a biker your in.
A friend of mine and I were talking sometime ago about the fact that fans are the same way. Show up at a staium full of tailgaters, throw on the proper team jersey and instantly everyone wants to share their drinks and food with you. Put wrong jersey on and you will get run out of the parking lot. But the right jersey means your in!
See to fans if your one of them it doesnt matter. Come on in and join the party!What we talked about in the class was the classic TV show "Cheers"
Remember the lyrics to the theme song?Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.
You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows
your name.
One aspect of being missional is that we must be able to develop a sense of belonging in people around us. The sense that a life lived in loneliness is a life unfulfilled. God created us for community! We must build that sense of community in everything we do.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Friday, March 30, 2007
Missional U2 Praise and Worship
Thanks Brad for the link.
Bono does worship.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Bono does worship.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Missional Vacation - Voluntourism and Kingdom Building
If you have noticed, I read alot.
Matter of fact I'd call myself and information junkie. The internet has made my habit worse, blogs havent helped. So suprise suprise when I found this article:
'Voluntourism' on the rise
Go ahead go read and then come back...........
Did you see this quote?
The church needs to understand that people want to praticipate and they will sacrifice and give up to be part of the solution. They want to get their hands dirty and see that they have made a difference.
Is the heart of what this article talks about missional? Maybe we should take a hint and move our churches in this direction.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Matter of fact I'd call myself and information junkie. The internet has made my habit worse, blogs havent helped. So suprise suprise when I found this article:
'Voluntourism' on the rise
Go ahead go read and then come back...........
Did you see this quote?
Like the 55-year-old Wood, many of the vacation volunteers are baby boomers, who have the money to spend and the time to donate as they edge closer to retirement. But with inspiration coming from a variety of sources -- be it 9/11, Hurricane Katrina or just having more disposable income -- participants range from teenagers to retirees. Voluntourism is catching on in college campuses, where many students would rather spend spring break doing something altruistic than carousing.
The church needs to understand that people want to praticipate and they will sacrifice and give up to be part of the solution. They want to get their hands dirty and see that they have made a difference.
Is the heart of what this article talks about missional? Maybe we should take a hint and move our churches in this direction.
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Missional Living Must be Lived with Passion
A key ingredient to a missional life is passion.
What are you passionate about?
While I dont agree with this gentleman's position but you have to love his passion!
No Impact Man
If you live with passion people are drawn to you. The want to discover what you are all about. Passion breeds opportunity to speak of the "Hope that is within you."
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
What are you passionate about?
While I dont agree with this gentleman's position but you have to love his passion!
No Impact Man
If you live with passion people are drawn to you. The want to discover what you are all about. Passion breeds opportunity to speak of the "Hope that is within you."
missional, missional church, Missional Living, Leadership,
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