Missionary Churches in a Post-Churched World

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Recalculate!

Recalculate for the Kingdom of God is at hand. Matthew 4 Use the right map Recalculating

Which city? Which map?

Using the Right Map Three different worlds (contexts) in which we live and serve as God’s people Pre-church Churched Post-church

Three Mission Contexts: Three different Maps Pre- Church Churched Post- Church

Using the Right Map Each mission context has its set of Cultural “Insiders” Cultural “Outsiders”

Using the Right Map Who? Where? When? What’s the starting place? Answered by Cultural Insiders

Using the Right Map It is essential to know which world we are in order to serve effectively –Are we cultural insiders? –Are we cultural outsiders?

Using the Right Map: Pre-Church Pre- Church Churched Post- Church

The Pre-Churched Map Church has no identity, thus no credibility Non-Christians are Cultural “Insiders” Missionaries begin as Cultural “Outsiders”

Pre-churched Map Who? Where? When? What’s the starting place? Answered by the Unchurched

The Pre-Church Map First step in mission work is to become permeable To remove as many “foreign” or “outsider” elements as possible Learn the Language and Culture of the “insiders” Share life experiences Get to know and be known

The Pre-Church Map Three steps in permeating Learner Trader Story Teller

The Pre-Church Map Starting Places First Article Bridges (I believe that God has made me and all creatures. That He has given to me...)

The Pre-Church Map Note: The missionary might never become a cultural insider Get Gospel communication into the hands of cultural insiders ASAP Missionaries focus on multiplying cultural insiders who speak the Gospel

The Pre-Church Map Focus on the unchurched High engagement with the unchurched Maintain a porous boundary with unchurched Maintain a porous boundary with unchurched Operate with Several Word gifts (Eph. 4) Unchurched → evangelist Unchurched → evangelist Churched → pastor/teacher Both → apostle, prophet Develop Little structure VocationalOrganizational

The Pre-Church Map Potential impediments –Professionalize the witness –Over structure The porous boundary between church and community thickens, eventually becoming impermeable. Cultural “insidership” of the unchurched community gives way to the cultural “insidership” of the churched community

Using the Right Map: Churched Pre- Church Churched Post- Church

The Churched Map Church is essential to the community The unchurched are cultural “outsiders” The churched are Cultural “Insiders”

The Churched Map The churched are now the cultural “insiders”. Church has great credibility Central to the shared story of the culture Know (shape) language and culture Socially and culturally in charge

The Churched Map Who? (Communicates) When? (It happens) Where? (It happens) What (is the starting place)? These questions are now answered by the church.

The Churched Map The unchurched are now the cultural “outsiders” Their relationship to the church Share the church influenced language and culture Value the church’s role in the society Church is a FIRST ARTICLE BRIDGE

The Churched Map The unchurched are now the cultural “outsiders” The church’s relationship to them The unchurched are Invisible (assumption that everyone is a Christian) Possibly suspicious (non-Christians hold something against the church or God)

The Churched Map Pastor is a cultural insider (holds high credibility) Knows the language and cultural at a high level Considered the guardian of the culture Local outreach (Jerusalem, Judea) is the vocation of professionals Respected by unchurched

The Churched Map Focus on the churched Non-Christians will come to church to hear the Good News Operate with Fewer Word gifts (Eph. 4) Unchurched atrophy Churched consolidate → pastor/teacher Build permanence (structure) Focus on securing the Boundaries

The Churched Map Potential impediments to Gospel spread –Increased professionalization of the witness (only the pastor can do this) –Preoccupation with church permanence (Fixation with protecting the boundaries) –Increased concern for the needs of the already “churched”; concern for the lost slowly atrophies.

Using the Right Map: Post-Church Pre- Church Churched Post- Church

The Post-Church Map The community around the church is increasingly unchurched, more and more reflecting the “pre-churched” context of ministry. At the same time, the church continues to operate with the assumptions of a “churched” society or context.