Tension can be good. Out of tension flows a creative discussion and differences of opinion that force us to re-evaluate our viewpoints and emphases to ensure that we’re thinking biblically and effectively.

For example, right now, the tension in church planting discussion surrounds models.

Should we launch large and fast?

Should we take our time and build a strong core group?

Should we start having church to make disciples?

Should we make disciples and allow a church to form out of the discipleship?

Should we be attractional? Missional? Uni-laterally bi-directionally intentional?

And so we have megachurches, house churches, traditional churches, organic churches, plus a lot of dead and dying churches (unfortunately).

As we’ve planted Grace Hills Church, we keep using three words to reflect our model and approach to making disciples.

We Will Be Attractional

The “Come and See” of the Gospel

The attractional approach gets a bad wrap for a couple of reasons.

First, some churches know how to attract people to a production, but have no depth past Sunday morning. Second, we sometimes think the sound, the lights, and the technology are the attractive part.

We need to be attractional by living distinctively redeemed lives, keeping our integrity and trust with the surrounding world, leading people in genuine God-directed worship, serving in tangible and visible ways, and teaching a life-changing, absolute truth from the Word that acts like a sword, piercing to the depths of the human heart.

The shiny objects may get you attention, but what really attracts people is genuine community, authentic and relevant teaching, heartfelt worship, and genuine love between people.

We Will Be Transformational

The “Come and Die” of the Gospel

Jesus invited four fisherman to follow him one day.

By the end of the gospels, they are ready to die for Him.

In fact, three of them do indeed become martyrs for the faith and John suffered nearly to the point of death for the gospel.

That is transformation. That is life-change.

And that needs to be celebrated from the very birth of a new church.

We Will Be Missional

The “Go and Tell” of the Gospel

God’s intention was never for us to isolate ourselves from the world or to imitate our surrounding culture.

Rather He wants us to infiltrate the culture around us and demonstrate His love to the least, the lost, and the last of humanity so that the nations of the world can be brought into the enjoyment of the glory of God.

If attraction is all about gathering a church, then mission is more about scattering the church into the community, and into every possible mission field on the planet.

Perhaps we should stop arguing over which model is the best or most biblical and see in both the ancient and the modern church the power and effectiveness of being attractive to the culture, transformational for individuals, and missional for believers.

Balance might just be the key.

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By Daniel Im: 

What is missional community?

In an individualistic culture, the term missional community is strange and out of the norm. To put others before yourself, to step outside of your comfort zone, to risk the possibility of being rejected for the gospel … it seems like an odd lifestyle. However, that is exactly the kind of life we are called to live. Interestingly, it is when we are living this way that we get to experience the fulfilling and purposeful life we were created to.

In order to be a missional community, we must first understand what it is. In these Ministry Grid training videos, Todd Engstrom defines missional community and explains why it is essential for gospel movement to occur. At his church, The Austin Stone Community Church, their vision is to be a New Testament church existing for the supremacy of the name and purpose of Jesus Christ. Located in Austin, TX, they are presented with the challenge of reaching a fairly resistant city with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

They realized that if they wanted to see their vision in action, something needed to change. So they made it their mission to build a great city renewed and redeemed by the gospel movement. For a movement to occur, he said, every small community needed to declare and demonstrate the gospel to their neighborhoods and networks of relationships in their city. Todd defines a missional community as a community of Christ followers on mission with God in obedience to the Holy Spirit, that demonstrate the gospel tangibly and declare creatively the gospel of Jesus Christ to a specific pocket of people. His definition is intentional and concentrated. He broke it down and elaborated on each portion.

A community of Christians

Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has redeemed people for Himself. He empowers and sends them to be His witnesses. John 20:21 and Matthew 28:16-20 tell us that every person is called to share Christ. We are called and sent to show a hurting, broken, and dying world that Jesus is who He says He is and did what He said He did. God is about bringing glory to His name and establishing His Kingdom.

To read the remainder of the article, and to watch the Ministry Grid training videos, click here.

These videos are part of Plus Membership. To get full access to them, and much more, I encourage you to become a Plus Member. Click here to see all the benefits of becoming a Plus Member.

Tweetables:

• “Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has redeemed people for Himself. He empowers and sends them to be His witnesses.” —
• “We are called and sent to show a hurting, broken, and dying world that Jesus is who He says He is and did what He said He did.” —
• “God is about bringing glory to His name and establishing His Kingdom.” —
• “Communities on mission should set out to be a blessing to the people around them and demonstrate the reality of God’s new Kingdom.” —
• “The promise of missional community is that when we give our life away, we will receive life to the fullest.” —

Additional Resources: