The Missional “Elevator Pitch”
I commonly get asked the question, “What is missional?” This is much easier to answer when the person asking the question has some time to explore the concept with me, but often all they have time for or want is a concise, clear and quick answer. In the world of business, we call this the “elevator pitch.” It is so called because it can be delivered in the time it takes for the average elevator ride.
The elevator pitch doesn’t take the place of a good comprehensive discussion of the topic, but it is an extremely valuable communications tool. It is a tool that each person who is interested in or acting as a catalyst for missional should have.
Here are the five rules of a good “elevator pitch.”
- It must be succinct. Remember, you have only 30 seconds.
- It must be easy to understand. No “church talk” or incomprehensible theology.
- It can be remembered.
- It should lay out the problem.
- It should solve the problem.
So, help me create an “elevator pitch” that will clearly, concisely, and quickly communicate the concept of missional to a person who asks the question, “What is missional?” Doesn’t have to be perfect, just start throwing out ideas and statements and lets see what we can bring together.
To get started, here are some statements that I’ve collected from a variety of sources attempting to explain or answer the “what is missional” question.
- Missional is an adjective that describes taking the methods used by the missionary to be on mission in every place at all times by aligning one’s life with the redemptive mission of Jesus in the world.
- Missional - the church scattered, going out and hanging out with the lost, developing real relationships with people who don’t yet know Jesus.
- Missional is being a person or church who reproduces disciples who are learning to see like and live like Christ and are sent into the world, as He was, to proclaim His Redemptive Love and live His Kingdom in the world.
- Being a missional people is to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Like he was, we are sent to live among a people who do not know God so that they might see his kingdom and enter in.
- Missional is the church as it is shaped by Jesus and his mission.
- Missional is replacing the ‘come to us’ invitations with the a ‘go to them’ motivation.
- Missional is to become a missionary and to adopt a missionary stance in relation to your context.
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February 5th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Here is a plagarized working definition from Alan Hirsch - a community of God’s people that defines itself, and organizes is life around, its real purpose of being an agent of God’s mission to the world.
February 5th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Hey Shane, thanks. This looks like a great working definition of a missional church/community, but does it define the adjective “missional”? The last part may, i.e., “being agent of God’s mission to the world.”
February 5th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
To be an agent of God’s grace, His love, the power of His life, using every situation as an opportunity to bring shalom - redemption, healing, and wholeness.
Probably too much “church speak.” How about…
agent of God, demonstrating His love to others.
February 5th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
“God’s not-so-random acts of kindness crew”. ;-)
February 6th, 2007 at 2:48 am
Jesus, in message and deed, brought the unconditional love, mercy, compassion, healing, forgiveness and reconciliation of God to a world full of pain, oppression and injustice, and offered it freely to all who would receive it. It was His mission. As His hands and feet to our generation, His Church should offer no less. Missional faith challenges all believers to reclaim that purpose and mission in a day when the institutional churches have grown so affixed to buildings and programs that they have largely both lost sight of the true purpose of the church, and have rendered themselves incapable of maintaining and engaging in in ministry outside of the 4 walls that, for all intents and purposes have separated them from the world they are called to love.
Missional is church outward, as opposed to institutional being church inward. Our focus is on the mission, not the attraction.
I’m sure someone can narrow that down better than I can with only 4 hour’s sleep. :)
February 6th, 2007 at 4:04 am
Being missional is a bit of christian jargon used to describe what happens when you and I take Jesus at face value that if we believe in him we will put his words into action in our everyday, eating, drinking, working, playing, thinking lives.
It’s how God is part of our ordinary lives and as we go about living them we are transformed and blessed and in turn can transform and bless to the communities we inhabit - radically changed lives, economies, awareness, enviroment and relationships.
February 6th, 2007 at 7:19 am
Rick, I liked the definitions. The problem I have isn’t with the succinct definition of “missional,” but with what it should look like and how it should function. It helps to contrast with the idea of a vendor mentality, but as I recently discussed on my blog regarding Christian schools, I’m not sure if missional churches would have schools. Both my kids attend Christian schools, and I’m thankful for that. If I bring in the idea of incarnational ministry, church schools start to make sense, but then the missional perspective seems to militate against it again. Dunno.
February 6th, 2007 at 8:06 am
Here’s my quick “elevator” understanding of missional – Misisonal describes…”being a missionary everywhere you are!”
It’s about doing missions - aligning your life with the redemptive mission of Jesus in the world.
It’s adopting the posture of a missionary in order to engage those in the culture with the Gospel message.
It’s recognizing that every believer has been sent by Jesus as Christian missionaries with the Good News of Salvation together in community with other believers to their specific geographic and cultural context.
Too much is being said about churches being missional - I think more needs to be focussed on Missional Christianity and being Misisonal Christians.
February 6th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Grace. Not bad. I’m not sure we are his agent as much as we are the physical manifestation of God in the world — his incarnate presence. I’ll have to think on this some more.
February 6th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Lily: That sure is part of what it is all about. Thanks.
February 6th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Webb: Great start. I think you have the essences and beginning of a good elevator pitch here.
It lays out a problem: “the institutional churches have grown so affixed to buildings and programs that they have largely both lost sight of the true purpose of the church.”
It offers a solution to the problem: “Missional faith challenges all believers to reclaim that purpose and mission” of the church.
It is succinct without lots of church language.
Let me work on it.
February 6th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Paul: Good, good, good! I like how you started it off with “missional is a bit of Christian jargon used to describe…” I also like the simplicity of the statements using common language to explain the “jargon.”
February 6th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Adam: Interesting and good insight. I do believe a faith community could have a “Christian” school as a missional expression as long as the focus is not providing an alternative to the public school system to just Jesus followers. That, as you reflected in your comments, then just becomes a service or product.
How about a school run by Jesus followers to meet a community need, like special education for poor at risk kids? Seems like a good missional expression.
February 6th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Dave: Your last point is very well taken, this is why at Friend of Missional I start the entire conversation with this statement:
“One important note before you continue: On this website, the term ‘church’ refers to the people of God; the called out ones; those formed for his dwelling and bearers of his presence in the world. It doesn’t refer to a building, denomination or physical location. So when you read ‘church,’ think of yourself and your faith community, not that building you go to each Sunday.”
You’re right on in thinking of missional in terms of missionary. My only concern in using missionary is that the average Jesus follower has a preconceived notion of what missionary means. After they express their notion, it is usually followed by, “…and God hasn’t called me to be one.” Sad.
February 6th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
“Every heart with Christ, a missionary; every heart without Christ, a mission field.”
* Dick Hillis (1913-2005), Missionary to Asia, Founder of OC International (formerly Overseas Crusades)
Somehow the people of God need to realize that they’ve been sent by Jesus on mission! I don’t know how to better describe it than to identify every Christian as a “missionary.”
Any ideas?
______________________
“God had only one Son - and He was a missionary.”
* David Livingstone (1813-1873), missionary to Africa with the London Missionary Society
February 7th, 2007 at 12:44 am
I always liked elevation ;)
February 7th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Reading 2 Cor.2:15 reminded me of this post….
“we are the aroma (a pleasing scent) of Christ to those who are being saved and those who are still lost.”
Agent vs. incarnate presence is an interesting distinction. I’ll think on it some more too. :)
February 7th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Nice verse Grace. It is interesting how different translations render it.
The Message: “Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse.”
Contemporary English Version: “In fact, God thinks of us as a perfume that brings Christ to everyone. For people who are being saved, this perfume has a sweet smell and leads them to a better life. But for people who are lost, it has a bad smell and leads them to a horrible death.”
TNIV: “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life.”
February 7th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Rick,
Believe it or not, I went to Biblegateway and looked at each translation. I’m having trouble believing that those referring to a stench are accurate translations. It just doesn’t seem right to me. Of course, rather than doing a Greek word-by-word study, I just picked the one I liked and paraphrased it. :)
February 7th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
I’m right with you Grace. I like the whole concept of being a sweet scent to all. The contrast among translations is what interested me.
I just went over to the Net Bible to see if they had any translators notes on the Greek word in question. Here is what they said: “tn The same Greek word (ὀσμή, osmh) translated “odor†here (in relation to the stench of death) has been translated “fragrance†in 2:14 and in the next phrase of the present verse. The word itself can describe a smell or odor either agreeable or disagreeable depending on the context (L&N 79.45).”
February 9th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
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October 22nd, 2009 at 7:42 pm
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