Mission to Missional
Mission, Missions & Missional
Definition of Mission & Missions

Mission – is God’s work through
human ambassadors to reconcile
sinful humanity to Himself (2 Cor.
5:18-20)
• God
• God
• God
• God
is the theological foundation
is the source of power
provides the guiding principles
provides the saving message
Definition of Mission & Missions

Missions – is the plans and
strategies used by committed
believers to accomplish the
mission of God.
• Christian’s response to God
• Practical implementation of guiding
principles and saving message
Central Missions Themes
Orientation
Focus
Scriptures
Action
Principle
God
Directed
Source of
Mission
Jn. 17:2,
18, 21
God calls God of
people to RelationHim
ship
Christ
Centered
Core of
Mission
Jn. 3:16-17 Christ is
the Way
People
Focused
Heart of
Missions
Mk. 16:16
Peoples’
Contextual
may hear Message
Missional
Life
Outcome
Missions
Acts 1:47
1 Cor. 3:7
God gives Ambassadors
& Good
growth
Stewarts
Service
Seeking
Plan of
Missions
Mt. 28:18
Make
disciples
Ministry of
Reconciliation
Holistic
Strategies
Strategy: Who to Send

Two core requirements
• Love God
• Love of people
Qualifications for Missionaries

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People
People
lost
People
People
Christ
People
People
People
who know God (relationship)
who share God’s love for the
of prayer
committed to the body of
obedient to the Lord
who are energetic and creative
who are maturing
Two Types of Biblical Mandates

Cultural Mandate – is the Biblical
concept of Christians being socially
responsible to the poor and under
privileged.
• Mt. 22:39; 25:34-46; Lk. 10:25-37

Evangelistic Mandate – is the Biblical
expression of Christians’
responsibility to go and make
disciples so people may be in a
proper relationship with God.
• Mt. 28:19; Mk. 16:15-16; Lk. 24:46-47
Three Views of Evangelism

Presence Evangelism
• This type of evangelism is the idea that
evangelism is basically passive but
living as Christians among none
Christians and doing good works.
• It does not actively try to make
disciples.
Three Views of Evangelism

Proclamation Evangelism
• This type of evangelism believes in the
idea of presence with good works but
also believes that the word should be
proclaimed so people hear and
understand but stops short of
persuading people.
• It would not push the urgency of
accepting the gospel message.
Three Views of Evangelism

Persuasion Evangelism
• Persuasion evangelism has both the
elements of presence evangelism and
proclamation but a person must become
a disciple of Jesus Christ and a member
of a local church.
• A person is not evangelized by just
hearing and understanding (Matt. 13:19, 18-23).
Holistic Mission

Definition:
• Holistic mission is the intentional
integration of building the church
and transforming society (EDWM,
448).
Holistic Mission

Emphasis of Holistic Mission:
• Restoration of the physical situation
• Restoration of communities
• Socio-economic improvements
• Improved life now
Holistic Mission

Scriptures for Holistic Mission:
• Mt. 25:31-46
• Lk. 4:16-21
• Jn. 9:25
• Rom. 12:19-21
Holistic Mission
Four Dimensions of Human Life
PHYSICAL
SPIRITUAL
ECONOMIC
SOCIAL
Jean-Paul Heldt, Revisiting the “Whole Gospel”: Toward a Biblical
Model of Holistic Mission in the 21st Century. (2004)
Holistic Mission
Integrated View Human Nature
Physical
Economic
Social
Spiritual
Individual
Health
Well-being
Poverty
Literacy
Depression
Captivity
Hopelessness
Powerlessness
Peace
Oppression
Guilt
Shame
Salvation
Family
Heredity
Environment
Employment
Child labor
Prostitution
Divorce
Abuse
Gender relations
Religion
Beliefs
Rituals
Community
Sanitation
Pollution
Social Welfare
Environment
Education
Land
distribution
Culture
Social injustice
Violence
Peace
Worldview
Godview
Evangelism
Nation(s)
AIDS
Health-care
Economy
Education
Exploitation
Wars, conflicts
Human rights
Slavery
Racism
Ideology
Religious
liberty
Redemption
Jean-Paul Heldt, Revisiting the “Whole Gospel”: Toward a Biblical Model of Holistic Mission in
the 21st Century. (2004)
Holistic Mission
Four Dimensions of Ministry Found in Luke 4:18-19
PHYSICAL
“Recovering of
sight to the
blind”
ECONOMIC
“Preach good
news to the
poor”
SPIRITUAL
“Set at liberty
those who are
oppressed”
SOCIAL
“Proclaim
release to the
captives”
Jean-Paul Heldt, Revisiting the “Whole Gospel”: Toward a Biblical
Model of Holistic Mission in the 21st Century. (2004)
Systems Approach to the Study of Humans
GOD
Revelation
Spiritual
System
Social
System
Cultural
System
Holistic
Elements
Personal
System
History
Biological
System
Physical
System
Eternity
Missional Church

Definition:
• The missional church is the church
that sees itself and operates as
being sent into the world to reach
the lost.
Missional Church

Characteristics of Missional Church:

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Evangelizing is not something we do it is
what we are.
Contextual
• Attempts to make Christianity meaningful in
peoples’ cultural context

People recognized as created in the image
of God
• Not just prospective members
• People of worth even before saved

Incarnational rather than attractional
• Living and sharing the gospel where life is taking
place for people
Missional Church

Six Recontextualizations for
Modern Churches:
• From a cognitive cathedral to a holy
walking with God
• From attenders to community
• From members to ministers
• From strong to weak
• From cultural accommodators to
kingdom participants
• From monocultural to multicultual
(www.missiology.org/mmr/mmr33.htm)
Missional and Church Growth
Paradigms
Missional
Church Growth
Focus on Evangelism
Emphasis on bringing
people into the
kingdom of God
through holistic
ministry of making
disciples
Evangelism as
discipling and
perfecting for
individual salvation
Social Action
Orientation
The Gospel,
evangelism and social
action are intertwined
and should not be
separated
Priority given to
evangelism and
church planting above
social actions
Visionary Leadership
Incarnational ministry Growth principles to
of being Christian not attract people with a
just doing evangelism tendency to overemphasize growth
Missional and Church Growth
Paradigms
Missional
Church Growth
Orientation
Theocentric
Theological
Postmodern
Anthropocentric
Pragmatic
Modern
Theological Focus
Mission Dei
Great Commission
Central Question
What is the Gospel?
What makes the
church grow?
Scripture Perspective
Narrative of God’s
purpose
Propositional Truth
How does Mission
Occur?
By God’s Spirit
By Strategic Planning
Nature of Community
Inclusive, unity of the
body of Christ
People Groups
Church Growth to Missional
Perspective
Modern &
Christendom
Context
Movement toward
Post-modern
Context
Diverse
Church Growth
Movement
1960 - 1980
Expansion
Of
Church
Growth
1980 - 1990
Post-modern
Post-Christendom
Context
Evaluation of
Church
Effectiveness
and Context
1990 - 2000
Missional
Church
Reorientation
2000 - 2010
Adapted from Popular Perspectives of the Church, 1960-2010, p 29 of Church Unique by Will Mancini
The Missional Church
Shaped by God’s mission
• Missio Dei – church enters God’s
mission
• Kingdom of God – church reflects and
proclaims the rule of God
• Incarnational – church represents
Christ in the world and He is are
example of incarnational ministry
• Sacrifice – willing to sacrifice for
humanity as Christ
• Eschatological – ultimate victory in
Christ in death or life
The Missional Church
Community Action
• Leavening influence in community
• Kingdom living (showing God’s rule in
our lives)
• Life sharing
• Outward focused
• Social action reflecting Christian ethics
• Holistic view of ministry
• Connecting and discipling the
receptive
Strategy of Receptivity
Definition: The state of being
open to responding to the
gospel message.
Strategy of Receptivity

Reasons for prioritizing receptive
people
• It follows the biblical example
Limited commission (Mt. 10:1-15; Mk.
6:7-13; Lk. 9:1-16)
 Nicodemus (Jn. 3:1-21)

• Our time is limited
• Our resources are limited
• We want to be as faithful as
possible
• Follows open doors (Col. 4:3; Rev.
3:8)
Strategy of Receptivity

Signs of receptivity
• FRANs – Friends, relatives, &
neighbors
Trust in established
 Relationships established
 Experience Christian presence
positively
 A meaningful gospel message

• Church visitors
Looking to fill a need
 Want to be part of a group
 Spiritual seekers

Strategy of Receptivity

Signs of receptivity
• Life situation changes
Major personal & family life
changes
 Work changes
 Political & economic changes
 Cultural changes

The Rainer Scale
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U5 – highly resistant to gospel, antagonistic
U4 – resistant to the gospel, not antagonistic
U3 – no apparent receptivity, neutral, open to
some degree
U2 – receptive to the gospel and to the church
U1 – highly receptive to the gospel
D1 – “baby” in Christ
D2 – signs of early maturity in Christ
The Rainer Scale
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U5
U4
U3
U2
U1
–
–
–
–
–
Antagonistic (5%)
Resistant (21%)
Neutral (36%)
Friendly (27%)
Very friendly (11%)
The Engel Scale
Spiritual Decision Process Model
rejection
Make Disciples
-8
-7
-6
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
Awareness of a supreme being only
Initial awareness of the gospel
Awareness of gospel fundamentals
Grasp of implications of the gospel
Positive attitude toward the gospel
Personal problem recognition
Decision to act
Repentance & faith in Christ
The person is regenerated & becomes a new creature
Nurture
+1
+2
+3
Post-decision evaluation
Incorporation into the Body
Lifetime of growth in Christ
ETERNITY
Source: Spectrum, Winter, p. 5
Planting Churches - Postmoderns
Gray Metrix – Desire for people to move toward “C”
Planting Churches - Postmoderns
Planting Churches - Postmoderns
Ed Stetzer
Planting
Churches in a
Postmodern Age
Strategies for Growth

Four major types of growth
• Internal growth
• Expansion growth
• Extension growth
• Bridging growth
Strategies for Growth

Internal Growth
• Inside the body
• Christians become better
Christians
• Quality growth = spiritual
maturity
• Organic growth = growth in
ministries
Strategies for Growth

Expansion Growth
• Evangelistic growth = unsaved
brought to Christ & incorporated
into local church
• Transfer growth = Christians
moving their membership from
from one congregation to
another
• Biological growth = Children of
Christians become Christians
Strategies for Growth

Extension Growth
• Unsaved reached & new church
planted
• Church experiences internal and
expansion growth
• Affords the greatest opportunity
for growth
Strategies for Growth

Bridging Growth
• Unsaved reached & new church
planted in another culture
• Degrees of bridging because of
cultural differences
• Cultural barriers to be bridged
Strategies for Growth

Foundational spiritual factors for
church growth
• Churches grow when they have biblical goals
• Churches grow well with effective teaching
ministries
• Churches grow by personal contact in
communities that lead to sharing the gospel
• Churches grow with help of evangelistic
programs
• Churches grow with prayer
• Churches grow when evangelism is
emphasized by the leadership