What is Missional?

Missional is one of the hottest terms in the church. And if you were to ask ten people you would get eleven or twelve definitions. So below is my attempt at explaining how we are Missional and how we intend for our church to be Missional.

Missional is not a program. Missional is a lifestyle. We will have missions as part of our church but we are to live on the mission of God daily. This mission includes loving our neighbors, serving others, and discipling our children. All of those things require daily considering others better than ourselves, laying our lives down and being a servant just like Jesus.

In our increasingly secular world we need to live more like the first century church than the nineteenth century church. The first century church lived in community with other believers, lived in the margins of society, and served God through their lives.

Missional is not something that can be learned from a weekend seminar; it is something that must be lived out and caught rather than taught. We are building the foundation for our church by practicing these same principles. We will infuse the Missional lifestyle into our Missional Communities through serving the community in a way the group is gifted and by serving other members of the group.

One of the other tenets of Missional is seeing all Christ followers as the priesthood of believers. Too many times we rely solely on the paid professional holy men to minister, serve and provide discipleship. But the Bible is clear that all believers are Saints, Ambassadors, Servants, and Disciple Makers. Part of being Missional is seeing ways we can minister to others, lead them toward Jesus and live completely for Christ.

The journey toward Missional living has consumed much of my thoughts and struggles over the last four to five years. I am excited to have an idea of how to live, love and lead. And I am excited to see how God will use this type of life to build His kingdom and His church.

Partners

Partners in the Gospel fill my heart with joy! No words can describe what a blessing it is to have prayer partners in many states lifting us up before The Lord daily, and at least one person praying for every single street in Lowry! Wow! It leaves me speechless (which we all know is rare, HA). What’s cool is how reciprocal it is, too. Many of our prayer partners share personal prayer needs and praises with us as well! What a privilege to intercede on their behalf. I often take that for granted, but God is deepening my intimacy with Him through prayer!
Another huge blessing for us is having several church partnerships, not only financially, but Gospel ministry partnership! We were privileged to have the new youth minister from Fairhaven Baptist Church, where we were privileged to serve 8 years before answering the call to plant, here with us last weekend. We were so encouraged to hear how God continues to move at Fairhaven and in “our” students. Having them choose to support us by sending a mission team this summer is huge! It excites me! Loved hosting Tyler and seeing him see Lowry and feel burdened for the lostness of our neighborhood and all of Denver metro. Statistics are alarming and real, but being here is sobering and heart breaking, yet exciting. Pray for this team of youth, college students, and adults from Fairhaven. Pray God will use them mightily, praise God for how exponentially our time and Gospel influence will be multiplied that week, pray for lives to be changed and disciples to be made.
I am overwhelmed when I read these verses now, though I’ve read them before. I am truly thankful for all of our Gospel partners and praying God continues to bring laborers into His harvest!

Philippians 1:3-11
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace,[d] both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Thank you, partners! Thank you!