Marks of a Missionary Movement #5 - Adaptive Methods

In Steve Addison's book Movements that Change the World, Adaptive Methods is the 5th mark of a Mission Movement.

Addison reminds the reader that various forms of soccer (football) "have been played for thousands of years in diverse cultures." Why is that? "You can drop a round ball at the feet of a three-year old child and she can start playing immediately." That is not true of American football, baseball or golf. Soccer can be adjusted to play in any circumstance, geography and people group. It is an adaptive sport.

Adaptive methods in mission are like soccer in that they are simple, easy to learn, contagious, adaptable, transferable and low cost. Dwight Marable of Missions International has done extensive research on Missional Movements and found the same thing in research released in 2010's A Comparison of Root Principles in 2 Recently Assessed Nations, Missions International. Dwight found that where exponential growth of the church is taking place "training is given in small pieces in the homes of believers, at the village well, or in the rice field. They learn enough to implement and do, and they go and do just that. . . There is no waiting period. . . everyone should be teaching new converts and unbelievers creating a culture of training."

Adaptive methods enable a movement to function in ways that suit changing environments without changing the core beliefs. How can we know when adaptive methods are needed. Addison offers a powerful analysis:

"When powerful organizations and movements in one era end up crippled in the next, the cause is often 'the failure of success.' They stop learning and adapting. Worse still, the informal methods that brought initial success become formalized and inflexible with complex policies and procedures. Creativity and innovation jump ship or are made to walk the plank."

What is the solution? Revisit and embrace core beliefs; Give the young and young at heart freedom to pioneer new adaptive methods. Support grassroots missional networks at the local and regional level. Give permission, encouragement and support to those who demonstrate the spread of the one true Gospel in diverse and innovative ways and learn from them.

I would encourage you to order Steve Addison's book Movements that Change the World from http://www.movements.net