![\"Missional.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/imgs\/Missional.jpg\")
<\/span>Alan Roxburgh and M. Scott Boren are onto something: in their new book called Introducing the Missional Church: What It Is, Why It Matters, How to Become One (Allelon Missional Series)<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=jescre-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0801072123\")
\u00a0, <\/strong><\/em>they ask the big question:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Can your church be missional?\u00a0<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
[I will provide what I think is the central missional question below.]<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
But they know that there\u2019s a major hitch: \u201cIf one wants to lay the missional over or add it to our known ways of being the church, we would answer \u2026 No!\u201d Why? \u201cThis missional journey calls us out onto a new kind of river that none of us know how to navigate, because it challenges the core of our church imagination\u201d (49). Becoming missional is not adding a new program to your already existing programs. Becoming missional is transformation from the inside out.<\/div>\n
\nThen the authors list with brief descriptions a wide array of missional ventures in this world. What marks them: \u201cThey have opened themselves up and ventured out on an experimental journey into their neighborhoods to see what God is up to in this world\u201d (53).<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
Here is what I [SMcK] think is the central missional question: while I must admit I like that \u201cWhat is God up to?\u201d question, I believe the missional people are asking folks in their own neighborhood another question first: \u201cHow can I help you?<\/b>\u201d The answers to that question will determine what \u201cmissional\u201d means in that neighborhood.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
So Roxburgh and Boren: \u201cmissional people should practice God\u2019s life before a watching world\u201d (54). It includes worship, preaching, communion, loving one another, social justice, caring for the poor, and sharing Jesus\u2019 gospel. Thus: \u201cAll of God\u2019s people are on mission to engage their surrounding neighborhoods, not just a few who are sent outside the church to do something called missions\u201d (54).<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Can Your Church Be Missional?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alan Roxburgh and M. 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Alan Roxburgh and M. Scott Boren are onto something: in their new book called Introducing the Missional Church: What It Is, Why It Matters, How to Become One (Allelon Missional Series)\u00a0, they ask the big question: Can your church be missional?\u00a0 [I will provide what I think is the central missional question below.] But they […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[425],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-missional"],"yoast_head":"\n