Current Read - The Like Jesus But Not the Church

I went to a meeting last night at my pastor's home. He along with my friend Mitch shared with us some vision and thinking about the Missional Model/Mindset.

I've been hearing a lot about the Missional Model and I realize that it could be considered a new Christian buzzword and maybe in some ways it is but maybe no more so than other Christian buzzwords like redemption and atonement.

At first after hearing them talk last night for some reason the idea of calling it missional bothered me simply because I was think about the tendency that we in the church have had to think that missions just happens overseas by people that we send money to and put on prayer lists.

Today I have been thinking about that idea though. Missions for most Christians isn't a problem. Most Christians would agree, I think, that having missionaries to spread the gospel in other countries is not only the right thing to do but is also biblical.

So if we then take that same thinking about foreign missions and begin to talk about the reality of our own culture here in America and the need for missions to happen here for all of its reasons then I have today realized that describing ourselves as being missionaries is not only more understandable but is something that would be easily communicated to our American churches.

I started reading an excellent book this afternoon entitled "They Like Jesus but Not the Church" by Dan Kimball. So far it is an excellent read. Kimball is such an easy writer to read. He eloquently explains his thoughts and challenges me.

Over the next few days I want to share some thought about the book and what I am reading.

So what is are your thoughts about the Missional Model? Discussion?