Missional Action

It would only make sense that if WBC is going to be a missional church and if we are going to be missional disciples that we would engage in missional actions. For the sake of definition, I am going to make a distinction between missional action and church action...though they are kissing cousins. A Missional Action is any action, event, conversation, or happening which a disciple engages in outside the walls of the church in order to bring un-churched people into a relationship with Jesus. A Church Action is something that we do in the church that benefits and builds up the church (which, by the way, is a good thing). Hopefully, all church actions are ultimately supporting missional actions. With this being said, we could say that church action is really indirect missional action.

Here is an example of a Church Action (or Indirect Missional Action) - The pastor decides to do a 7 week Sunday Evening series on "Who is God?" based upon two theology books he has recently read. Sound familiar? Ha Ha. (yes, used the Bible too...please put down that stone) I loved teaching that series this past fall. But was it directly missional? Probably not because it was made to educate, encourage, and instruct church people (which, by the way, like I said before, is a good thing) :)

Another church action would be a church-wide fellowship such as a Spring Fling in April of 2008. (Ha Ha. yes we are planning one per my recommendation). Though an event such as this will help our church to bond together and will give our new members an opportunity to get to know many of us who have been here for a while, and though it is an event that we can use to invite our lost friends to church...it is not directly missional (but it is very, very close...and, by the way, church fellowships are a good thing).

So what would be an example of a Missional Action? What is something that I can do as a disciple of Jesus in order to be directly missional?

The best missional action you can take is to verbally present the Gospel to an un-churched person. This is the highest form of missional action you can take. Developing a personal relationship with a lost person is a misisonal action. Inviting a group of un-churched guys over to my house to watch the Super Bowl could be a missional action. There are a number of these a disciple can do in order to be missional.

So...what are some things a church could do in order to be missional. There are 4 people who engaged in a missional action this past November as they traveled to South Africa. This was directly missional.

Another way we engaged in missional action this past Christmas was our caroling ministry in Wakefield. We sung songs to people and then gave them packets of info about our church.

Our deacons who are on call are missional every Sunday when they go and deliver welcome packets.

Our womens ministry had a fantastic ministry they started called the Womens Ministry Christmas Tea. The idea was for women to do these in their neighborhoods and for un-churched people to attend. While we normally plan stuff for church people to attend, they planned these Tea's for un-churched people to attend. (Way to go girls!)

One opportunity for you to be missional beginning Feb 10th is to help us to deliver New Home Owner Packets to new residents in Wakefield. We have been doing this for about 5 months now. And we are going to resume in Feb.

What are some Missional Actions you can take part in? Anything you can think up that has direct contact with un-churched people outside the walls of the church for the purpose of sharing God's love...is a missional action.

LETS DO IT!