church follows mission

By my reading of the Scriptures, even though it is a non-negotiable, ecclesiology is the most fluid of the central doctrines. The church is a dynamic cultural expression of the people of God in any given place. Worship style, social dynamics, liturgical expressions must the result from the process of contextualizing the gospel in any given culture. Church must follow mission. We engage first in incarnational mission and the church so to speak, comes out the back of it. But if it is consistent with incarnational practices, that church will take the shape of the cultural group it is trying to reach. Mission in the incarnational mode is highly sensitive to the cultural forms and rhythms of a people group because these are the means of meaningful relationship and influence. Incarnational mission thus engages people from within their cultural expression. Once this essential missional listening, observation, connecting, and networking has been done, then the forming of Jesus communities can take place. This is the only way to ensure that the Christian community truly incarnates itself and is fully contextualized. This can be diagrammatically represented as follows…


churchfollows.png

Only this way can the church actually become part of the cultural fabric and social rhythms of the host community. Once it has achieved this, it can therefore influence it from within. And it doesn’t matter what group that might be. In our neighborhoods are literally hundreds of different ‘tribes’ that can be meaningfully reached by such means. Through the missional-incarnational approach Jesus is introduced into their imaginations and conversations in a really evocative way.

March 17, 2008 | Filed Under incarnational mission, the forgotten ways |  

Comments

8 Responses to “church follows mission”

  1. Kevin on March 17th, 2008 11:37 pm

    Alan-

    I’m thoroughly enjoying the book, just 3 chapters in. I’m reading it for an upcoming class for the Fuller TS Doctoral program, taught by Eddie Gibbs. After reading The Shaping of Things to Come, I was left with the impression that you & Frost would just rather do away with the traditional church altogether. The Forgotten Ways has answered several questions and filled in the blanks that The Shaping of Things to Come didn’t satisfy. The history in this work is particularly helpful. It is practical as well. Here is my question though and perhaps others could answer it as well:

    Who are your harshest critics? Or rather- what are the major criticisms of what you present in your books? I’m trying to read critically, but I’m not finding a lot of places to argue with you (which isn’t so bad).

    Thanks,
    Kevin in a Houston suburb

  2. Alan Hirsch on March 18th, 2008 12:52 am

    Kevin, to date no-one has seriously criticised the book–at least as far as I am aware. A friend f mine has recently done what might be called a critique. You can find it here. I have attempted to answer him in a comment.

  3. Alan Hirsch on March 18th, 2008 12:53 am

    sorry, here is the link
    http://www.opensourcetheology.net/node/1475

  4. Jay on March 18th, 2008 5:29 am

    Yo Alan,
    Heard you speak last year at the Organic Conference. I agree when you said that our Ecclessiology should follow our Missiology that should follow a more Biblical Christology. If our view of Christ is correct then He will likely spontaneously jump-start a movement. I am developing what I am calling “the Doctrine of Obedience.” Our friend Linda B and Neil C know George Patterson who I get this from. I read in Bob Roberts new book, “The Multiplying Church” that Church Planting Movements should not be our goal but “Jesus Movements.” He says this because he says that much of CPM talk has become very man centered, esp. by folks who are not apart of these type movements.

    I am a part of one such movement in the Buddhist world. I suggested to Bob that we add “Obedience to all of Jesus’ commands Movement” because in Matthew 7:24-28Open Link in New Window, Jesus described those who merely have “accepted” or “listen and talk” about Him as those who are foolish! Simply accepting Jesus or going to endless Bible studies and seminars on Jesus is not the rock which Christ spoke of in the conclusion illustration to the Sermon on the Mount. The Rock in that story is not Jesus! It is loving/ relational OBEDIENCE to the Risen King of the Universe.

    In the past five years I have seen first hand how the Gospel that Paul preached, once planted and obedience to Christ’s commands, and coaching chains of new leaders can jump-start and sustain an incarnational Church as you describe above. These believers have been founded on obedience to Christ’s commands and were encouraged to be who they were made to be in Christ. They are the first Buddhist background church in their country to praise Jesus in the Buddhistic way with Buddhistic chants, praise music, baptized holidays and terminology. Many are being “ordained into the Monkhood (baptized)” of Jesus.

    Jesus is the only Way to the Golden City of Nirvana,
    Jay

  5. Matt Stone on March 18th, 2008 10:07 am

    Hey Jay, I’d like to hear more of that story. Have you ever written an article or anything on it? And are we talking theravadan Buddhists or mahayana Buddhists here? My own background experience is mainly with Western zen, and I don’t do I lot with Buddhists these days, but always love to hear more about what people are doing in this field. And if you have any Christian artwork or gospel presentations from these guys then you have my rapped attention.

  6. todd on March 18th, 2008 10:24 am

    Hi Alan or anyone else,

    great stuff. Anyway, I’ve moved to Melbourne (living in Hawthorn)and looking for a church group. If you could sugguest a few for me would be good.

    Regards

    Todd

  7. Peggy on March 18th, 2008 12:50 pm

    Thanks, Alan, for the link to Andrew’s article and “critique” — and for your response. Hope you have a chance to read them, Kevin.;)

    I’m in the middle of major synthesis, and this was a good “stir” of the pot! :)

  8. Penney Winiarski on March 18th, 2008 11:36 pm

    Alan,
    Hope you don’t mind if I post this link. It’s Holy Week and I thought you and Deb might enjoy this.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW3Rjlkj8cc

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