HEALTHY CHURCH: Missional Ecclesiology
Would you describe the vision for your church as a missional ecclesiology? Do not be put off or puzzled by the terminology. This is not a lackluster statement that is uninteresting, dull or only academic. Has your missiology and ecclesiology explored the scriptures to make sure that your church’s vision is shaped by Jesus and His mission? Missional ecclesiology is the dynamite. The church (ecclesia), when true to its real calling, all about what God is all about, is by far the most potent force for transmissional change the world has ever seen. Yet, it appears that there is a lot of missional activity that is dysfunctional and even unbiblical.
The time has come to get back to the biblical example of Paul. Acts 19:10 states, “And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” In Made for More, Todd Wilson and Rob Wegner stated, “The role of the local church is to be the mobilizing home base. This empowers all disciples to discover their personal calling and then deploy them to express the fullness of Jesus into every corner of culture and into every sphere of society.” What a challenge to every New Testament church, “to every corner of culture and into every sphere of society.”
Your local church is central to God’s plan (Eph. 3:8-10). Paul’s strategy was clearly to go into an area and proclaim the gospel. He used just about any means he could to stir up attention and get a “beachhead” of Christians. A “target” audience, if you will, was contacted. Your church must remember that people cannot receive Christ unless they have heard of Christ and understand their need for a Savior (Rom. 10:14-15). Fulfilling your purpose as the Lord’s church requires not only living your lives as examples but also using your lips to tell others who Jesus is. You must get out amongst the people and talk to them.
David Hesselgrave reminded us, “The message (the gospel) itself is universal; the love of God applies everywhere in the world. However, the method of communicating that message will vary from situation to situation. This involves the whole study of intercultural communication.” Your people are the communicators of God’s truth, but never forget that the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts people and draws them to Him. Are you communicating the gospel clearly and understandably? He continued, “The purpose of contextualization is primarily to make the message understandable to the target audience.”
The goal is not to make the gospel more appealing or palatable but to articulate it well. Paul went to the synagogues to speak to the Jews, but he also visited Mars Hill and proclaimed the gospel to the Gentiles. You must be willing to examine whether people are hearing what you say. Can you explain the gospel clearly so that it is understandable to them in their context and setting? This is why there is great wisdom in beginning your gospel conversations in Genesis and not with the Romans Road. If you are not careful, you can produce decisions instead of disciples.
The first priority should never be how many people you share the gospel with; instead, it should be whether you have communicated the truth of the gospel effectively. There will be a lot of questions along the way, and you must be ready to answer all of them well. The Engle scale of evangelism helps to assess where someone is on their spiritual journey and how to minister to them along the way. A -10 is someone who has no awareness of God, while a -5 is someone with a positive attitude toward the gospel. This scale describes the movement of an individual all the way from an awareness of the gospel to interest in the gospel and then to the acceptance of the gospel.
How long this will take is never quite the same, and if you are going to communicate the gospel well, you must build a relationship for the long haul. You must strive to understand their perspectives and worldview. Good Soil training walks you through how to “unpeel” their worldview onion. You begin with what they call “entry” conversations. These focus on common human experiences and concerns like the weather, work, family, hobbies and everything in between. The second phase is called “investigative” questions, which focus on behavioral patterns, personal choices, and then internalized values.
This spiritual journey process can take time, and there is a call for patience mixed with a heavy dose of perseverance. The third stage centers on “conversion” conversations that help individuals confront their personal core beliefs in relation to the truths of God’s Word. These core beliefs are greatly influenced by their family of origin, background, experiences and the culture around them. Now, the time has come that they will hopefully be open to change through crisis and/or confrontation. King Agrippa stated to Paul in Acts 26:28, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” It usually takes many conversations, not just one.
There are some excellent resources available to help you in guiding others in their spiritual journey towards Christ, such as The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell and the Good Soil material, The Story of Hope, by Ron Berrus and Wayne Haston. Don’t be scared to walk with unbelievers through this process. You will probably be asked questions you cannot answer at the moment. Simply say, “You know I’m not sure about that, but I will find out and get the answer for you.” Be ready to ask them if they are ready to make Jesus Christ Lord of their life.
Use the Word of God and trust the Holy Spirit. John 20:31 says, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have
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Larry Barker
Director of Church Planting and Church Health Larry Barker submits a weekly column titled, Healthy Church Solutions, designed to strengthen and encourage the local church.
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