Call for Missional SynchroBlog
I have a continuing concern that the term missional has become over used and wrongly used.
Audio Ur posted a podcast with Alan Hirsch yesterday and I got around to listen to it this morning. Alan takes up this very concern and says things like: It is a critical term. We must reclaim the term. The concept behind missional is really big and it would be terrible to lose it.
I think it is time to make a bigger effort to reclaim the term, a term which describe what happens when you and I replace the “come to us” invitations with a “go to them” life. A life where “the way of Jesus” informs and radically transforms our existence to one wholly focused on sacrificially living for him and others and where we adopt a missionary stance in relation to our culture. It speaks of the very nature of the Jesus follower.
To help reclaim it, I propose a synchronized blog for Monday, June 23rd on the topic, “What is Missional?”
There are any number of ways one could blog on this topic. You could illustrate what the term means, describe what it is not and how it is wrongly used, define the term, explore its misuses, explore its theological foundations, or you name it.
Who wants to participate? Leave a comment and I’ll keep track of who is doing what.
Long or short post, doesn’t matter. It is time for action.
For a list of those who have joined this synchroblog, click here.
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Tags: Missional SynchroBlog
June 5th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Couldn’t agree more my friend, I’m in!
June 5th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
i’m in rick. as i’ve been learning more and more about missional from you and others, i am having the increasing suspicion that my denomination has been using the word (or buzzword for that matter) in an entirely different fashion than it ought to be. i believe the nazarenes are using it to describe churches which are actually attractional. anyway, i’ll be exploring this in my post.
thanks for the idea and the date to blog on.
June 5th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Rick, here is my attempt with a short piece I wrote for our Baptist state convention paper earlier this week. I had to conserve my words for editorial reasons, but also tried to speak to a specific Baptist audience. I would appreciate your thoughts on it:
http://missionalchurchnetwork.com/missional-more-than-a-buzz-word/
June 5th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Great idea! I’ll be happy to add a post on the topic on my blog and give it a look through a house church lens.
June 5th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
count me in
June 5th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I’ll post.
Maybe you can add something to the wikipedia entry, too…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missional_living
June 6th, 2008 at 1:07 am
Here are two posts I did for a Missional Syncroblog over the last two months (with 2 more to come) links at the end of my posts to the other blogs.
“What Missional Means to me” - April
http://brackishfaith.blogspot.com/2008/04/are-things-you-are-living-for-worth.html
“Why am I missional’ - May
http://brackishfaith.blogspot.com/2008/05/wwsbd-what-would-shepherd-book-do.html
coming up
June: Where is God calling me into mission?
July: My best missional story.
June 6th, 2008 at 3:19 am
Hi Rick, I’ll write a post.
June 6th, 2008 at 6:40 am
This should be fun to follow and see what people post. I’m interested in participating, but better not commit right now. So its a maybe from me.
June 6th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Though I wouldn’t have time to participate in such a synchroblog, I’d love to read what people have to say about it. “Missional” is getting thrown about very casually these days, sometimes used for anything involving church growth or evangelism without consideration for its meaning as “go to” rather that “sit-and-wait-for-them-to-come.”
June 6th, 2008 at 6:50 am
btw, Rick, it was through your blog way-back-when that I first learned about missional. It came at a critical time in my spiritual recovery. Thanks for blogging, it makes a difference.
June 6th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Adam, thanks for sharing that. Very meaningful to me.
June 6th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Thanks everyone who has committed so far. I’ll put together a list later of all who are participating so you can add it to your post. That will allow people to read all the different views.
June 6th, 2008 at 8:15 am
I’ve been giving this some thought and would be willing to write something too.
June 6th, 2008 at 9:56 am
hi rick. i’ll attempt something. glad we have a couple weeks to prep!
June 6th, 2008 at 10:02 am
I’m new to the missional discussion, but I’d like to take part.
-Alan
June 6th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Rick,
Your idea is good. Too often good words get over used, and in the process misused. It is certainly happening to the term “missional.” I’m in.
Rob
June 6th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Perhaps it’s time for me to drag out the Missional Shampoo graphic once again. I look forward to taking part in this, Rick.
June 6th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I’m in.. are you sending the fridge magnet :)
June 6th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
ok, I’ll settle for the bumper sticker. btw, a friend of mine consistently pushes back with me in the same way some are pushing back on “missional”, except with the word “leadership.” Maybe we need a second sychro-blog.. hmm.. this could lead to the “missional leadership synchro blog series” or being fond of acronyms, the “MLSBS” later to be synicated into books and tapes of course ;)
June 6th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Great idea Rick. I have been meaning to post on this anyhow. good call. I’m in!
June 7th, 2008 at 8:54 am
I’ve tried to get a personal email back to each of you, but I apologize if I have missed anyone.
This should be a very interesting synchronized blog with a good cross-section of people. Look forward to reading each of your posts.
June 8th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Rick,
I have the same thoughts and concerns. I have attempted to address some of the key issues on my heart in a couple of blogs entitled Frontier vs. Regular.
http://www.thehoffmans.info/blog/tabid/3319/BlogID/12/ParentBlogID/5/Default.aspx
June 10th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Great idea. I’ll work on one too.
June 11th, 2008 at 4:53 am
I’ve been tossing this idea around in my head to see what might come of it … I’m in.
June 12th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I’m in…
June 12th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
rick - just found out about this through Brad Grinnnen’s blog. Love the idea and you can count me in. What a great way to get a broad swath of people thinking on the same thing. Excited to read everyone’s post.
June 12th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Definitely needed. Count me in.
June 13th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I read about this suggestion on Adam Gonnerman’s blog, and since the regular synchrobloggers haven’t come up with a suggestion for june, I’ve suggested that they join in with this theme.
SynchroBlog mailing list
SynchroBlog@p2ptrust.org
http://p2ptrust.org/mailman/listinfo/synchroblog_p2ptrust.org
June 13th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
yeah. saw this on glenn hatcher’s blog. count me in. i will say something on the 23rd.
June 14th, 2008 at 3:18 am
I think i’m in, but i will be on mission in Worcester South Africa and don’t know yet what my ability to get to the internet will be. I hope I can participate.
June 14th, 2008 at 5:23 am
heard about this through sonja, i’ll write something for the 23rd. i always like to hear what other people are saying about the same thought and yeah, i agree, missional certainly has become quite the buzzword….thanks for coordinating.
June 14th, 2008 at 5:40 am
I have had a very simple post in my head for a few weeks that fits this subject perfectly. I would love to participate.
June 14th, 2008 at 8:53 am
I will give it a shot!
Sounds good.
June 14th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Okay Rick, I’m in.
June 14th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I’m in, too, Rick. I told Sonja that since all the big guns are in, this wee Abbess can say some small thing without having to carry the weight of the world (or the women’s perspective) with it!
June 14th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Thanks all for participating. Each of you should have gotten an acknowledgment email from me. If not, be sure to let me know.
June 15th, 2008 at 5:03 am
Just heard about it from the regular synchroblog crowd. We’ll be doing ecology on the 20th, but some of us will also be joining in on missional on the 23rd. I’m in for both. Not sure what I’m doing yet, but have two possible ideas in my head, sure one of them will become a reality.
June 15th, 2008 at 6:15 am
I am in.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:45 am
I couldn’t agree more. While most of the time I don’t blog on emerging kinda stuff, this idea of been in my head lately. You can count me in!!
June 16th, 2008 at 7:02 am
What a great opportunity to blow the dust off my copy of Missional Church and say a thing or two. I will be traveling, but will try.
June 16th, 2008 at 7:06 am
I’m in. First German blogger, I suppose…
June 16th, 2008 at 10:02 am
If you’re still looking for some more voices I’d be glad to share my ignorance.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:45 am
In order to have time to compile a final list, verify it with each blogger and then get it to them later this week, I going to cut off new additions to this SynchroBlog. With the numbers we have, I think we should get the topic addressed nicely. Really looking forward to reading all your posts.
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