Happy September! We look forward to engaging with you via the blog and/or our Do Not Depart Community on Facebook.
“Missional living” is a current buzz word in various Christian communities, but it is not a new concept. My church decided to move from being an “attractional” church to being a “missional” one. My church is growing the church by sending believers to BE THE CHURCH in the community. The current pandemic has given our church the perfect opportunity to put this into practice, and it has been wonderful to watch God work.
Missional Living Defined
We can understand what “missional” means for the church, but this month we are exploring what living missionally looks like for you and me. Essentially, a “missional” life is following Jesus and doing what He calls us to do. GotQuestions.org puts it like this: “In truth, every disciple of Christ should strive to be an agent, a representative of the kingdom of God; and every follower should try to carry the mission of God into every sphere of his life. We are all missionaries sent into the world.”
Sent as Jesus was Sent
Carrying out a mission implies a sending. Jesus was on a mission for God, the Father. Jesus confirms this in his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane:
“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” (John 17:3-4)
After His resurrection Jesus appeared to His disciples and commissioned them:
“…Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” (John 20:21, KJV)
Jesus sends us. He is our commissioner. It is and can be a difficult mission, but it is not an impossible one. We can have peace that in commissioning us, He equips us to do what he asks of us.
Join Us
All month long, join us as we explore “missional living.” We’ll be share what it looks like in our lives and how it challenges us, stretching our faith. Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect each week in September.
[…] we’re exploring what missional living looks like for us individually. As Cheli reminded us in the series introduction, “missional living” means “following Jesus and doing what he calls us to do”. Which leads […]