Comments on: Must “Emerging” go with “Missional”? http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/07/19/must-e/ politics ~ theology ~ life ~ fart jokes Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:47:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Christina http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/07/19/must-e/comment-page-1/#comment-447 Christina Wed, 19 Jul 2006 08:56:37 +0000 http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/07/19/must-e/#comment-447 If we are CHRISTians (or like Christ) then we must be missional, as God himself is. Jesus himself embodies the ultimate in being missional, incarnational... Alan Hirsch puts it well - our ecclesiology (how we do church) should be defined by our mission, not the other way around. Mission is not a subset of church life, but the defining thing. It is helpful I think to look at what is happening in other countries (as well as the book of ACTS). in China for example, Christianity has grown to over 80,000,000 - in spite of the fact that all their leaders were killed off 55 years ago (or whatever it was). They have no buildings, very few bibles, and it is illegal to meet in groups over 15. There must be something for us to learn from how Christianity has spread, without the fancy buildings, great programs, data projectors, awesome worship bands, and the whole gammet of bits and pieces we see as essential to do church. I agree that the heart stuff is important - Without heart transformation, we won't survive for the long haul in even the comfiest church in the west, let alone in "emerging" churches, or places like China. This is great stuff to be wrestling through Geoff, and Scott and I are certainly thinking it through too. I think the time has come to do things differently as the western church is in decline, but it doesn't have to mean throwing out the "baby with the bathwater".... If we are CHRISTians (or like Christ) then we must be missional, as God himself is. Jesus himself embodies the ultimate in being missional, incarnational… Alan Hirsch puts it well – our ecclesiology (how we do church) should be defined by our mission, not the other way around. Mission is not a subset of church life, but the defining thing. It is helpful I think to look at what is happening in other countries (as well as the book of ACTS). in China for example, Christianity has grown to over 80,000,000 – in spite of the fact that all their leaders were killed off 55 years ago (or whatever it was). They have no buildings, very few bibles, and it is illegal to meet in groups over 15. There must be something for us to learn from how Christianity has spread, without the fancy buildings, great programs, data projectors, awesome worship bands, and the whole gammet of bits and pieces we see as essential to do church. I agree that the heart stuff is important – Without heart transformation, we won’t survive for the long haul in even the comfiest church in the west, let alone in “emerging” churches, or places like China.

This is great stuff to be wrestling through Geoff, and Scott and I are certainly thinking it through too. I think the time has come to do things differently as the western church is in decline, but it doesn’t have to mean throwing out the “baby with the bathwater”….

]]> By: Anne http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/07/19/must-e/comment-page-1/#comment-446 Anne Wed, 19 Jul 2006 03:48:57 +0000 http://www.geoffreport.com/wp/2006/07/19/must-e/#comment-446 I agree with so much of what you say Geoff. I think that by our very nature a Christian should be missional. I live in a community (I didn't move here to be missional) but in that community I have always endeavoured to make meaningful relationships and to always be a Christian. Surely 'being' a Christian from the heart is what it is about. I agree with so much of what you say Geoff. I think that by our very nature a Christian should be missional. I live in a community (I didn’t move here to be missional) but in that community I have always endeavoured to make meaningful relationships and to always be a Christian. Surely ‘being’ a Christian from the heart is what it is about.

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