Mission or Missional?

I have served churches in South Carolina, Mississippi, and North Carolina. Every church I have served has prided itself in being mission-minded. In fact, this past weekend I overheard a member of my present congregation talking to a church guest about what a great mission-minded church FBC Washington is. When most people talk about a mission-minded church they are describing a church which prays and pays for missions. For example, at FBC Washington we contribute generously to our denomination's mission budget. We regularly take special offerings for mission causes; pray for missionaries and people groups; and even send out mission teams. I agree that like many churches of all stripes, we are a mission-minded church.

However, I am becoming more and more convinced that Jesus did not call us to simply be mission-minded; He called us to be missional. Yes, mission funding is important. Praying for missionaries and people groups in unreached places around the world is paramount. But at the very core of the Christian life is our calling to be the presence of Christ in our world. We are His hands, feet, ears, eyes, and mouth. Being the Body of Christ is not just about Sunday mornings. Living the Christian life is more than church attendance. Christ has called us to engage our broken world with His good news of hope and healing. Being the Body of Christ is about what takes place in our neighborhood, our community, our workplace, our school or university.

In my experience, we can be mission-minded and still inwardly focused. We can pay and pray for missions and missionaries, but still be primarily concerned about our comforts and our needs. Being missional means we have an outward focus. Missional takes seriously the words of Jesus who said: "You are to be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the world."

Blessings,
Jimmy