SIMPLIFIED MISSIONAL LIVINGexcellent article by Jonathan Dodson from The Resurgence

UPDATED

Missional living is being salt and light right where we are in the ordinary things of our day. As basic as that may seem, many Christians fail to be witnesses of the Lord Jesus in the pots and pans of their world. In the following article, Jonathan Dodson provides some helpful examples of how to let your light shine to your neighbors and community.

But always remember this beloved, these things alone are not profitable for the kingdom IF the gospel is not at the core of your missional strategery. Missional living is making disciples. So, may I encourage you today to get out of the "Christian ghetto" you might find yourselves in, and "live out loud" as a testimony of His saving grace. And as you go... take the gospel and its transforming truths with you. Amen?

Here is a great example of biblical, missional living for you to read and study.

The Cross is a Radical Thing...

Steve

2 Cor.4:5-7

Simplified Missional Living

Jonathan Dodson

Eat with Non-Christians

We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a non-Christian or with a family of non-Christians? Go to lunch with a co-worker, not by yourself. Invite the neighbors over for family dinner. If it’s too much work to cook a big dinner, just order pizza and put the focus on conversation. When you go out for a meal, invite a non-Christian friend. Or take your family to family-style restaurants where you can sit at the table with strangers and strike up conversations. Have cookouts and invite Christians and non-Christians. Flee the Christian subculture.

Walk, Don’t Drive

If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking around your neighborhood, apartment complex, or campus. Instead of driving to the mailbox or convenience store, walk to get mail or groceries. Be deliberate in your walk. Say hello to people you don’t know. Strike up conversations... Make friends. Get out of your house! Last night I spent an hour outside gardening with my family. We had good conversations with about four of our neighbors. Take interest in your neighbors. Ask questions. Engage. Pray as you go

Be a Regular

Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out, and coffee, go to the same places at the same times. Get to know the staff. Smile. Ask questions. Be a regular. I have friends at coffee shops all over the city. My friends at Starbucks donate a ton of leftover pastries to our church 2-3 times a week. We use them for church gatherings and occasionally give them to the homeless. Build relationships. Be a regular.

Hobby with Non-Christians

Pick a hobby that you can share. Get out and do something you enjoy with others. Try city league sports or local rowing and cycling teams. Share your hobby by teaching lessons, such as sewing, piano, knitting, or tennis lessons. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Have fun. Be yourself.

Talk to Your Co-workers.

How hard is that? Take your breaks with intentionality. Go out with your team or task force after work. Show interest in your co-workers. Pick four and pray for them. Form moms’ groups in your neighborhood and don’t make them exclusively non-Christian. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Work on mission.

Volunteer with Non-Profits.

Find a non-profit in your part of the city and take a Saturday a month to serve your city. Bring your neighbors, your friends, or your small group. Spend time with your church serving your city. Once a month. You can do it!

Participate in City Events

Instead of playing XBox, watching TV, or surfing the net, participate in city events. Go to fundraisers, festivals, cleanups, summer shows, and concerts. Participate missionally. Strike up conversation. Study the culture. Reflect on what you see and hear. Pray for the city. Love the city.Participate with the city.

Serve Your Neighbors.

Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, or fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Ask your local Police and Fire Stations if there is anything you can do to help them. Get creative.Just serve!

THE MISSIONAL CHURCH: THE CROSS AND CHRISTIAN MINISTRY...avoiding idolatry in our zeal to serve God

Much needed wisdom from the insightful, sagistic pen of D.A. Carson

"At the moment, books are pouring off the presses telling us how to plan for success, how "vision" consists in clearly articulated "ministry goals," how the knowledge of detailed profiles of our communities constitutes the key to successful outreach. I am not for a moment suggesting that there is nothing to be learned from such studies. But after a while one may perhaps be excused for marveling how many churches were planted by Paul and Whitefield and Wesley and Stanway and Judson without enjoying these advantages. Of course all of us need to understand the people to whom we minister, and all of us can benefit from small doses of such literature.

But massive doses sooner or later dilute the gospel. Ever so subtly, we start to think that success more critically depends on thoughtful sociological analysis than on the gospel; Barna becomes more important than the Bible. We depend on plans, programs, vision statements--but somewhere along the way we have succumbed to the temptation to displace the foolishness of the cross with the wisdom of strategic planning. Again, I insist, my position is not a thinly veiled plea for obscurantism, for seat-of-the-pants ministry that plans nothing. Rather, I fear that the cross, without ever being disowned, is constantly in danger of being dismissed from the central place it must enjoy, by relatively peripheral insights that take on far too much weight. Whenever the periphery is in danger of displacing the center, we are not far removed from idolatry. (p. 26, The Cross and Christian Ministry by D.A. Carson, Baker Books)

HT: JT

WHAT IS THE MISSIONAL CHURCH?...a brief look at how the NT church in our day might function

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship,

to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders

and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had

all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and

belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes,

they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God

and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number

day by day those who were being saved." -Acts 2:42-47

Yesterday I posted a tweet asking a simple question: "looking for what your understanding and definition of "missional" is...?" Here is a sampling of some of the responses:

1. "intentional living in all realms of one's life with the reality that Jesus is King over all"

2. "living and breathing the gospel to your world, in thought, word, and deed."

3. " thinking, acting and panning as one who is reaching out to the other (missional)"

4. "missional: In all aspects its fleshing out the great commission."

5. "is about engagement of people's cultures and context with the gospel message instead of talking about the "good ole days" of fundamentalism"

6. "Having a guiness, listening to U2, smoking a Cuban." (my personal favorite) :-).

I thought these were well stated and helpful. I have also dialogued about this with my friend Ed Stetzer who has been most insightful in his contributions on this subject. The key question I keep getting asked is this: "how does this differ from simply fulfilling the Great Commission?"

Good question.

Here is my response and I hope it will encourage you to pursue biblical ministry within your church.

1. The Missional Church is not about developing programs, events, classes, etc. for the purpose of attracting nonbelievers to come to church. It is about the "equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry" so that they will go in the confidence of the gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ to the people in their community that the Lord has sovereignly placed them in.

2. The Missional Church is not about corporate strategery, but remaining organic within culture operating from a distinctive biblical worldview as salt and light.

3. The Missional Church is about respecting and understanding nonbelievers "in their unbelief"; and how they function within their homes, work places, and communities. It is also really listening to their views on the hypocrisy of the church, suffering, the problem with evil in the world, and faith experiences from their past.

4. The Missional Church is committed to biblical fidelity and cultural viability. It's the philosophical conviction that for genuine ministry to flourish, one must lead with theology/doctrine and not with pragmatics.

5. The MIssional Church desires to fulfill the Great Commission AND the Two Great Commandments as an act of daily worship in culture, in church, in family.

6. The Missional Church is about remaining true to what the Scripture calls us to do as a church as a sign of our faithfulness to Jesus Christ: proclaiming the gospel; preaching the Word; presenting every man mature in Christ; making disciples; calling people to repentance in Christ; worshipping God; caring for the needs of others; loving our neighbor; etc. And then developing passageways for them to be engaged in service to God and others by using their gifts for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

7. The Missional Church is dedicated to preach repentance and not a feel-good tolerance of values.

8. The Missional Church is counter-cultural, but not culturally absent. In the world; not of the world.

9. The MIssional Church is the city of God within the city of Man.

10. The MIssional Church is wholly monergistic, not synergistic; complimentarian, not egalitarian.

11. The Missional Church is dedicated to the propagation of the gospel of Jesus lived vs. the gospel of capitalism. the gospel of self-esteem, the gospel of seeker-sensitivity, or the gospel of political-works-righteousness lauded.

12. The Missional Church is modeling the Pauline mandate to "become all things to all men" without compromising life, witness, doctrine, or gospel.

13. The MIssional Church teaches that all saints are to use their Spirit given giftedness as stewards of the manifold grace of God, for the advancement of His Kingdom, in the power of the Holy Spirit, by His Word, for the service of others, culminating in the praise and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

14. The MIssional Church embraces the dignity of all men as created in the image of God by caring for the poor, the widow, the orphan, and all hurting, sick and disadvantaged under this banner: His holiness not compromised; yet His mercy not restrained.

15. and The Missional Church is resolved to living daily in presence of the glory of God in all things.

(this list is not extensive, but a starting point for discussion and thought)