 Historical Overview
 1000 Years the Western World
Influenced by Christendom
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Society’s Institutions Christianized People
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Society’s Institutions Stigmatized nonChristian Beliefs and Behaviors
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Result – People Were Cultural Christians
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The Church’s Job – Challenge People
to be Regenerated
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Advantages:
 Common Language for Public Discourse
 Society Could Discuss Good and Evil
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Disadvantages:
 Morality without Regeneration Produces
Hypocrisy and Cruelty
 The Church was/is often Silent about Power and
Greed
 Leslie Newbigin – India 1950
 Saw Missional Churches in a Non-Christian
Culture
 Returned to England – Saw Non-Missional
Churches in a Non-Christian Culture
 World No-longer Christianized
 The Church did Business as usual
 Some Churches did Evangelism as a Ministry
 No Churches Adapted All they did to
Reach the Non-Christian World
 (Negative Description of a Missional Church)
 U.S. Different From Europe, Canada and
Australia/New Zealand
 Still have Two Worlds in One Nation
 Heartland – Christendom (Informal Culture)
– Quickly Passing However
 Cities and Coasts – Christendom gone
#1
People Learn to Discourse
in the Current Vernacular
 Christendom – Little Difference in
Language Inside/Outside the Church
 Missional Church –
Terms/Terminology Need
Explanation
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The Missional Church Avoids:
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Tribal Language
Stylized Prayer Language
Unnecessary pious “Jargon”
Archaic Language to set a Spiritual Tone
We –Them Language
Disdainful Jokes that mock Politics, Beliefs,
Behaviors
 Disrespectful Comments about those who Differ
 Sentimental, Pompous, Self-Fulfilling Talk
 The Missional Church:
 Always Acts as if Unbelievers are Present
 Engages the Culture with Gentle, SelfDeprecating Joyful Irony
 Communicates Empathy for Those Hurt and
Mislead by the Culture

The Missional Church Acts Differently
Because:
 Hearts are Broken for Lost People
 It is on a Mission of Love
 The Church is not All about Us
 The Missional Church Acts by:
 Asking Questions and Listening
 Seeing Itself as a Spiritual Guide to
Searching Pilgrims
 Matching our Vision with the Vision of Lost
People
 Seeking the Spirit’s Help in Developing New
Strategies
#2 We Enter and Re-Tell the
Culture’s Stories with Good
News
 Christendom Motivated by Guilt
(Exhortation)
 Christendom did not Listen
 Missional Church - Preaching and
Communication ALWAYS Assumes:
 Unbelievers are Present
 That We Engage Their Stories
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Sympathy and Acquaintance With
 Literature
 Music
 Theater
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The Arts Reveal the Culture’s
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Hopes
Dreams
“Heroic Narratives”
Fears
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Christendom: Be A Good Person – Live
Well – Be Merciful
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Current Culture: Be Free – Self Created –
Authentic

Make the World Safe so all Can Live This
Way (Justice)
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Christianity: Freedom without Slavery –
Embrace others without Injustice
 Understand Grace and its
Stewardships
 Express our Honesty (Successes and
Failures) in Living out Grace
 Show How Their Stories and Our
Stories Fit the Big Story
#3 Theologically Train Lay
People for PUBLIC Life and
Vocations
 Christendom:
Trained People for
Spiritual Private World Skills
 The Missional Church:
People Need
to Learn to Think Christianly About
All of Life and Learn to Live with
Distinctiveness
 Christians Need to Know:
 Cultural Practices – Common Grace
 Cultural Practices – Antithetical to
Grace
 Cultural Practices – Adapted and
Revised
 Honor Christians Living Well in the
“PUBLIC SQUARE”
 Most Negating Factors Against
Christianity is INTOLERANCE
 Robin Hood Philosophy of Ministry –
Take Power and Resources for those
Without Power and Resources
 The Church is Here to Save
Individuals and Communities
#4 Create Christian Community
Which is Counter-Cultural and
Counter-Intuitive
 Christendom:
Key is Fellowship
 The Missional Church:
Christians
Radical Approaches to Sex, Money
and Power
 Sex:
Avoid Society’s Idolization and
Former Society’s Fear
 Money:
Promote Generosity in
Time, Money and Relationships
 Power:
Use Power for Racial
Equality and Class Equality
 Missional Church – More Committed
to Social Justice than Liberals Ever
Were
 Missional Church – More Committed
to Evangelism than Fundamentalists
Ever Were
 Every Aspect of Ministry Committed
to Making Disciples
 Use our Power and Money for those
without Power and Money
#5 We Practice Christian Unity at
the Local Level
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In Christendom –
Churches Defined Against Each Other
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Denomination
Theology
Polity
Practice
Missional Church –
Defined in Relation to Culture
 Spiritual Characteristics
 Community Commitment
 We Focus on the Kingdom not our
Denomination
 We Define What is Crucial or
Foundational
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Marks of a Missional Church
 Love for the Community
 Use of Language
 Biblical Truth Engages People’s Stories
 Engaged in the Arts
 Deep Commitment to the Poor and
Powerless
 Willing to Work with Other Christians
 If Marks are Present:
Unbelievers will
Come to Learn and Stay
 If Marks are not Present:
We Only
Attract Christians and people of
Christendom