Welcome to Missional Journey

...thoughts on Missional churches, missional people and how a church planting movement might be fostered in the Texas District, LCMS.

Some have been gleaned from others who are writing, speaking and living with church planting everyday. Some are my own thoughts from my own experience with church planters and missional churches. Your comments and reactions are welcomed.


God's Blessings as you continue on your own missional journey.
Paul Krentz
Mission and Ministry Facilitator
Texas District, LCMS

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Handing off the Missional Baton


I spent yesterday in training with Will Mancini in utilizing The Church Unique process (Church Unique; Jossey-Bass, 2008) of helping churches discover their Kingdom Concept, develop their Vision Frame and create their own vision pathway.

Will's vocabulary includes seeing Mission as Missional Mandate. The etymology of mandate from the Latin means "to give into one's hand" the way a relay runner hands off the baton in a race.

Exactly what are we to hand off as we state the unique Missional Mandate for each church? In John 20:19-22, Jesus tells his disciples "Peace be with you" which sets the stage for the hand-off of His mission. In v. 21 he says "as the Father has sent me, I am sending you." For the disciples, that Missional Mandate had a unique look which first included sharing the Gospel with their Jewish brothers and sisters between the borders of the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. It soon expanded to Greek speaking Jews in places like Antioch and rapidly expanded to the Gentile world of Asia Minor, Africa and Europe.

Each new church start and existing church of Christ followers is also handing off a baton to those who become part of its mission. You and your church are in a unique local setting. Generic photocopied mission statements from other churches won't be adequate for expressing the uniqueness of God's Missional Mandate for your church. What is the unique baton expressing Christ's Great Commission your are handing off? Missional Mandates always express how your church will help people move from A--->B. Think of Jesus' Mission. One expression of it is found in Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Another is found in John 10:10 "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." In each of those expressions of His Mission, Jesus tells how he wants to move someone from lostness to being saved; from emptiness to a full and abundant life.

What baton has Jesus handed off to your church to carry out Great Commission ministry using the unique strengths and assets with which He has blessed you? What do you believe God wants to have happen in the lives of your members and attenders because your church exists?