What does missional mean?

Here is a great article by Alan Hirsch. As he says too often the word missional is used without any definition. Finally everything is missional and of course in reality , nothing is then really missional.

Read his thoughts at http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/communitylife/evangelism/17.20.html

Let me know what you think. I agree with so much of what he says but still feel he sets up a false dichotomy regarding missional and attractional church. Show me a good missional church that is not attractional? Surely the call is both to come and to go, they are the two missionary impulses that infuse the whole of the New Testament.

Comments

[Philip Cochrane]

Dave, I agree the dichotomy is a false one but his definition of missional helpful. He rightly reflects on the Godhead as our starting point for reflecting theologically on the meaning of mission.

However, if we are truly Christlike then we will both be attractive (and repellent!) and sent. Jesus was both in the Temple and the marketplace. He attracted crowds but still he went to villages and towns. Mark 1:38 "Let's go to the neighbouring towns so that I can preach there, too, because that's why I came."

I therefore agree it is not 'either/or' but both. Great book by the way!

[Peter Hallsworth]

Dave

I think that Bob Hopkins teases out some of the differences here www.acpi.org.uk/stories/5%20Making%20sense%20of%20emerging%20church.htm

hope this helps

Peter

[Dave Male]

Thanks Pete, yes its a good article that helpfully describes the attractional/incarnational debate and suggests three models. I still wonder though whether even this model present a false dichotomy and pressuposes that the incarnational is the most radical.Maybe we need to do some more work on what we mean by incarnational and attractional and how that relates to Jesus ministry.

[Carin LeSeure]

Dave, I too have struggled with missional vs. attractional church...and the reality is we have to have both..and be both...offer both the parish church experience, mid-sized gatherings to do the work of the Kingdom, care for each other and invite one another in....but we also need the Cathedral experience....of coming together with the larger body to celebrate God, and testify to His great works.....look up Mike Breen and the concept of Missional Communities which filled in all the gaps for me....and affirms that yes, we need both. Thanks for posting..though I'm clearly late to the party!