Missionary Churches in a Post-Churched World. What blessed my marriage.

Missionary Churches in a Missionary Churches in a Post-Churched WorldPost-Churched World

What blessed my marriageWhat blessed my marriage

What blessed my marriageWhat blessed my marriage

Recalculate!

Recalculate for the Kingdom of God is at

hand. Matthew 4

• Use the right map

RecalculatingRecalculating

Which city?

Which map?

Using the Right MapUsing the Right Map

Three different worlds (contexts) in Three different worlds (contexts) in which we live and serve as God’s which we live and serve as God’s peoplepeople

Pre-church

Churched

Post-church

Three Mission Contexts: Three Mission Contexts: Three different MapsThree different Maps

Using the Right MapUsing the Right Map

Each mission context has its set ofEach mission context has its set of

Cultural “Insiders”

Cultural “Outsiders”

Using the Right MapUsing the Right Map

Who? Where?

When?What’s the

starting place?

Answered by Cultural Insiders

Using the Right MapUsing the Right Map

It is essential to know which world It is essential to know which world we are in order to serve effectivelywe are in order to serve effectively

– Are we cultural insiders?Are we cultural insiders?

– Are we cultural outsiders?Are we cultural outsiders?

Using the Right Map:Using the Right Map:Pre-ChurchPre-Church

The Pre-Churched MapThe Pre-Churched Map

Church has no identity, thus no credibility

Non-Christians are Cultural “Insiders” Missionaries begin as

Cultural “Outsiders”

Pre-churched MapPre-churched Map

Who? Where?

When?What’s the

starting place?

Answered by the Unchurched

The Pre-Church MapThe Pre-Church Map

First step in mission work is to First step in mission work is to become become permeable

To remove as many “foreign” or To remove as many “foreign” or “outsider” elements as possible“outsider” elements as possible

Learn the Language and Culture Learn the Language and Culture of the “insiders”of the “insiders”

Share life experiencesShare life experiencesGet to know and be knownGet to know and be known

The Pre-Church MapThe Pre-Church Map

Three steps in permeatingThree steps in permeating

• Learner

• Trader

• Story Teller

The Pre-Church MapThe Pre-Church Map

Starting PlacesStarting Places

First Article BridgesFirst Article Bridges

(I believe that God has made me and (I believe that God has made me and all creatures. That He has given to all creatures. That He has given to me . . .)me . . .)

The Pre-Church MapThe Pre-Church Map

Note: The missionary might never Note: The missionary might never become a cultural insiderbecome a cultural insider

Get Gospel communication into the Get Gospel communication into the hands of cultural insiders ASAPhands of cultural insiders ASAP

Missionaries focus on multiplying Missionaries focus on multiplying cultural insiders who speak the Gospelcultural insiders who speak the Gospel

The Pre-Church MapThe Pre-Church Map

Focus on the unchurchedFocus on the unchurchedHigh engagement with the unchurchedHigh engagement with the unchurched

Maintain a porous boundary with Maintain a porous boundary with unchurchedunchurched

Operate with Several Word gifts (Eph. 4)Operate with Several Word gifts (Eph. 4) Unchurched → evangelist Unchurched → evangelist

Churched → pastor/teacherChurched → pastor/teacherBoth → apostle, prophetBoth → apostle, prophet

Develop Little structureDevelop Little structureVocationalVocationalOrganizationalOrganizational

The Pre-Church MapThe Pre-Church Map

Potential impediments Potential impediments – Professionalize the witnessProfessionalize the witness– Over structure Over structure

The porous boundary between church and The porous boundary between church and community thickens, eventually becoming community thickens, eventually becoming impermeable.impermeable.

Cultural “insidership” of the unchurched Cultural “insidership” of the unchurched community gives way to the cultural community gives way to the cultural “insidership” of the churched community“insidership” of the churched community

Using the Right Map:Using the Right Map:ChurchedChurched

The Churched MapThe Churched Map

Church is essential to the communityChurch is essential to the community

The unchurched are cultural The unchurched are cultural

““outsiders”outsiders”

The churched areCultural “Insiders”

The Churched MapThe Churched Map

The churched are now the cultural “insiders”.The churched are now the cultural “insiders”.

Church has great credibilityChurch has great credibility

Central to the shared story of the cultureCentral to the shared story of the culture

Know (shape) language and cultureKnow (shape) language and culture

Socially and culturally in chargeSocially and culturally in charge

The Churched MapThe Churched Map

Who? (Communicates)Who? (Communicates)When? (It happens)When? (It happens)

Where? (It happens)Where? (It happens)What (is the starting place)?What (is the starting place)?

These questions are now answered These questions are now answered by the church.by the church.

The Churched MapThe Churched Map

The unchurched are now the cultural The unchurched are now the cultural “outsiders”“outsiders”

Their relationship to the churchTheir relationship to the church

Share the church influenced language Share the church influenced language and and cultureculture

Value the church’s role in the societyValue the church’s role in the society

Church is a FIRST ARTICLE BRIDGEChurch is a FIRST ARTICLE BRIDGE

The Churched MapThe Churched Map

The unchurched are now the cultural The unchurched are now the cultural “outsiders”“outsiders”

The church’s relationship to themThe church’s relationship to them

The unchurched are Invisible The unchurched are Invisible (assumption that everyone is a (assumption that everyone is a

Christian)Christian)

Possibly suspicious Possibly suspicious (non-Christians hold something (non-Christians hold something

against the against the church church or God)or God)

The Churched MapThe Churched Map

Pastor is a cultural insider (holds high Pastor is a cultural insider (holds high credibility)credibility)

Knows the language and cultural at a high Knows the language and cultural at a high levellevel

Considered the guardian of the cultureConsidered the guardian of the culture

Local outreach (Jerusalem, Judea) is the Local outreach (Jerusalem, Judea) is the vocation of professionalsvocation of professionals

Respected by unchurchedRespected by unchurched

The Churched MapThe Churched Map

Focus on the churchedFocus on the churched

Non-Christians will come to church to hear Non-Christians will come to church to hear the Good Newsthe Good News

Operate with Fewer Word gifts (Eph. 4)Operate with Fewer Word gifts (Eph. 4)Unchurched atrophy Unchurched atrophy Churched consolidate → pastor/teacherChurched consolidate → pastor/teacher

Build permanence (structure)Build permanence (structure)Focus on securing the BoundariesFocus on securing the Boundaries

The Churched MapThe Churched Map

Potential impediments to Gospel spreadPotential impediments to Gospel spread

– Increased professionalization of the witness (only Increased professionalization of the witness (only the pastor can do this)the pastor can do this)

– Preoccupation with church permanencePreoccupation with church permanence(Fixation with protecting the boundaries)(Fixation with protecting the boundaries)

– Increased concern for the needs of the already Increased concern for the needs of the already “churched”; concern for the lost slowly atrophies.“churched”; concern for the lost slowly atrophies.

Using the Right Map:Using the Right Map:Post-ChurchPost-Church

The Post-Church MapThe Post-Church Map

The community around the church is The community around the church is increasingly unchurched, more and increasingly unchurched, more and more reflecting the “pre-churched” more reflecting the “pre-churched” context of ministry.context of ministry.

At the same time, the church continues At the same time, the church continues to operate with the assumptions of a to operate with the assumptions of a “churched” society or context.“churched” society or context.