In one of my life contexts, I have been asked to submit my understanding of the word "missional" for the sake of future conversatons. At this point, the best word-smithing I have found is by Rick Meigs otherwise known as Blind Beggar in the blogosphere. I have found Rick's unpacking of "missional" to be closely related to what I have encountered over the past three years and would therefore like to use some of Rick's material as a springboard into this conversaton. Here, for example, is a short answer definition of "missional" based on Rick's Friend of Missional website. I will be adding to this over the next few days so that you can see what I will be submitting in the very near future.
Jesus told us to go into all the world and be his ambassadors, but many churches today have inadvertently changed the "go and be" command to a "come and see" appeal. We have grown attached to buildings, programs, staff and a wide variety of goods and services designed to attract and entertain people.
"Missional is a helpful term used to describe what happens when you and I replace the "come to us" invitations with a "go to them" life. A life where "the way of Jesus" informs and radically transforms our existence to one wholly focused on sacrificially living with him and others and where we adopt a missionary stance in relation to our culture. It speaks of the very nature of the Jesus follower.
