The Blind Beggar

In the Winter issue of Leadership, Tim Conder, pastor of Emmaus Way in Durham, NC, says that missional is not a single way of doing church and therefore identifying missional churches can be difficult. Yet, he believes there are some common commitments.

• “Missional communities try to align themselves wholistically [sic] with God’s theme of redemption. They resist the use of Christianity as an anesthetic to the pain of human needs or as an affirmation of the superiority of one culture’s way of life.
• “Missional communities are discontent with spiritual formation as primarily cognitive (”I believe this to be true”). Instead, it’s presented as a way of life, a rhythm of being. It emphasizes faithful living during the week rather than worship at a weekend event.
• “[Missional] communities are passionate activists when they find the pathways and trajectories of God’s redemptive presence. The work of justice, reconciliation, peace, and spiritual direction are becoming the dominate reflexes of missional communities. In this spirit of activism, theological debates and historical sunderings are becoming marginalized.”

Tim goes on to identified at least five missional “streams” in the church today.

• Reformation Stream — Characterized by a strong identification with a particular theological system (usually reformed theology, though other systems apply here) combined with creative commitments to authenticity in a post-modern culture. This stream retains the gospel message as conceptualized in reformed “systematics” while radically adapting its methodology.
• Transitional Stream — These churches allow missional Christianity to develop alongside traditional understandings of church life. These churches blend elements of missional strategy with other approaches (small groups, seeker sensitivity, etc.).
• Pre-Reformation Stream — Fellowships in this stream are exploring sacramental theology and practices. Much attention is directed toward the grand narrative of God’s redemptive work with a desire to connect with the pre-Reformation Christianity and even pre-Christian Judaism.
• New Monastic Stream — Not “church” by traditional definitions, these communities are guided by some form of communal living, a commitment to a rule of values (such as relational reconciliation, peace, advocacy for the oppressed, and hospitality) a shared rhythm of spiritual expression (”offices” such as common meals, liturgies, and prayer gatherings), and a priority of place (a parish mindset that focuses ministry toward a defined local community).
• Post-Church Stream — These non-traditional expressions, such as house churches or informal communities of Christian sojourners, avoid the forms and norms of institutional church.

What do you think of these “streams?” Do you feel they are valid, useful, helpful in the conversation?

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