Missional Communities, Part 3

Missional communities are committed to having the interests of others first. They see themselves as the body of Christ; they empower people to daily mission. They look to join God in what he is doing where they live and finally they exist to know God and be known by Him and others. Matt Smay and Hugh Haulter lay out a rhythm of missional living that calls communities to live out of mission, communion and community (Halter and Smay 2008). The rhythm or way of live invites all members to be on mission to seek communion with God and live out biblical community. This means that missional community members live in such a way that there is space to commune with God their creator. They recognize that they are “sent ones” and are looking for opportunities to bring the kingdom to Earth[1] and finally have time and space for community where friends, food and life are shared. But it is not enough for the community to simply know each other. The community exists for its host – the surrounding community. St. Patrick recognized this as he sought to evangelize the Celts and worked to know those in his midst, work with them to meet immediate contextual needs, discuss spiritual matters along the way as they arise, and eventually invite the stranger or in his case the barbarian into faith in Christ (Hunter 2000).  

George Hunter points out that to convert people to a real faith in Jesus the people of the land had to know who Jesus was. Since there was a language barrier the best way to do this was through the lives of the Christian community (Hunter and Ebooks Corporation. 2002). St. Patrick and his community moved into the Celtic space and got to know the people. They shared stories (often through plays), they shared meals and they shared their lives with the inhabitants. St. Patrick knew that there was no shortcut to knowing people so his community committed for the long haul (2002:20).

Previous Roman models of evangelism had been based on a model of presentation, decision and then fellowship. St. Patrick upended this system and sought fellowship first, followed by ministry and conversation that gave way to belief and an invitation to commitment (Hunter 2002:53).

Much like St. Patrick, we find ourselves in the midst of a world that doesn’t understand us. We speak the same language but we really don’t or maybe it’s that we shouldn’t. We share common spaces but we don’t really share the space. Our lives look similar but we are a million miles apart. We make speeches or presentations but the surrounding culture is either not listening or doesn’t’ understand us.

Missional communities established and led by the Spirit of God stand up to meet this challenge. Right where they are, where they live they are a community of people who are committed to knowing, serving and loving each other and their shared locale. It is through this love that they are known and our God is seen, known and followed. Love, compassion and mercy are a common language that everyone speaks and the beauty of what Jesus and the early church left us in pictures of the kingdom fleshed out is that it works anywhere any time. Our American exurbs desperately need this mindset. The question is, “Will we find where God is already at work and join in or will we just go to church?”