Will Mancini

I am meeting with a pilot group of 12 churches and 12 consultant-practitioners known as Future Travelers. The group is led by Alan Hirsch.  The 12 churches are large growing mega-churches that represent 90,000 in weekend attendance. Some of the churches involved include: 

• Austin Stone
• Christian Community Church
• Rock Harbor
• Granger Community Church
• Seacoast Church
• Kennsington Community Church
• Mountain Lake Church
• West Ridge Church 

What’s exciting about this group, is that these churches, most considered to be thought-leaders, are not satisfied with their current strategy. They are pushing the envelope of strategy in the name of things like “missional community” and “apostolic movement.”

KEY QUESTIONS WE’RE ASKING

• How does our declining church influence in our leading cultural cities, help us wake-up to the enormous need for completely new strategies? Right now we are in San Francisco which has a 4-6% churched from an evangelical perspective. 

• As we develop new strategies, how do we keep mission as the organizing principle of all we do? (That is, how are we thinking missional not just talking missional.)

• If our best church models will not even come close to touching 40% of our culture, how do we reach the other 60%? Here is a post from Tim Steven on “The Shrinking 40.”

• How do we get our best churches to a place of re-imagining the future and not just improving existing methods?

• How do we leverage the platform of the “attractional,” mega-church to integrate and launch initiatives that multiply the mission with new “incarnational” strategies. 

• Is the multi-site “strategy of the day” just a stepping stone to a more viral and exponential strategy to expansion that could be captured by the progression: MEGA  > MULTI > MICRO. Read Todd Wilson’s Micro Manifesto. 

I will continue to post learning from this group.

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I just read the intro of a new book, entitled The Mission of God’s People, by Christopher J.H. Wright. Zondervan is making the first chapter available for free, Who Are We and What are We Here For?

Here was an interesting little parallel he made in defining missions. The comparison is nicely self-explanatory:

• If Mission = Science, than
• Missions = Sciences
• Missional = Scientific
• Missionary = Scientist 

Here is a 90 second take on the book:

Rather than adopting the latest program, churches that walk the  vision pathway with Auxano  find their own practices and nuanced approaches to engage people who are far from God.

Through the years of helping design missional initiatives and evangelism training, I have found  five essentials that any strategy MUST have in order to work in your local culture. 

#1 TOUCH – Evangelism starts with proximity, and genuine interest expressed through conversation and organic relationship building. Oftentimes churches start evangelism training with how to articulate the gospel. But when your church folks no longer have connection with people far from God, it doesn’t matter how eloquent your gospel presentation rolls.

#2 TALK - When you develop your own strategy, you can’t help but develop unique language for the process of evangelism. This distinct terminology flows out of your church culture for your surrounding community culture. In a sense, new language is a part of incarnating the the truth of the gospel in your time and place. For example, one church in the bible belt, uses the language of “hope” as a door opener in conversation. Another, in the deeply unchurched Pacific Northwest uses the terminology of  ”self-reliance” to clarify the problem of a life disconnected from God.

#3 TOOLS – Peter Drucker said that the greatest problem with non-profits (he definitely had churches in mind) is a lack of focus and a lack of “tool competency.” As a pastor, you want your people engaged in sharing their faith. The single most important question you can ask yourself is, “What tools have I provided for my people to evangelize?” Studies show that people are more inherently motivated than we think. More times than not, their primary motivational question is NOT, “What’s in it for me?” BUT “What tools are you providing for me to do what you want me to do?” Recently Gloria Dei Lutheran created a simple tool that resembles the oil change sticker  you put on your windshield. On the sticker is the name of someone to consistently pray. This simple tool undergirds their mission for membership: Helping one another live life with Jesus everyday.

#4 TRAINING – Obviously, training is an important part of equipping the saints for the work of ministry. Your church does not need another pre-packaged or denominationally based program like you think. God has already provided everything you need to get training done. How, you ask? He has given gifts to men and women and gifted men and women to your church. Some of them have the gift of evangelism. We tend to think that the gift of evangelism is for a few people to do the work of evangelism. That’s not accurate. Remember that spiritual gifts are given with one purpose: the edification of the body. (Eph 4:11-16) Therefore, your job is to release the inherent gifts of evangelism in your church to train and lead the entire body in the process of evangelism and missional service. 

#5 TINGLE - In the end the work of evangelism is the first thing that suffers with the temptations and distractions of the world around us and the flesh within us. Motivation is a critical element. Vision casting and storytelling must consistently invigorate and refuel the people of God. In the end, the greatest tingle factor for the people of your church is your own life model. Remember pastors, that we teach what we know, but we reproduce what we are. As you motivate yourself for the work of evangelism, tell your own stories of success and failure. Always celebrate each precious step that each precious saint makes toward intentional living with redemptive passion. 

Here is a tidbit to reengage your thoughts on values. It’s a sore subject in some ways, because it’s so easy for our “statements” not to mean anything. But do the process well and you might be surprised what happens.

I am amazed at how God is moving in every tribe. While there are certainly more mainlines who talk missional than live it, there are a growing number of churches that are un-programming and re-viving the heartbeat of Jesus in all they do. One such expression of this is the Prebsyterian Global Fellowship. 

Yesterday a pastor friend shared a challenge he is issued to his staff and lay leaders. It’s an excellent example of helping a mainline church rethink its identity and mission. (It ties to the discernment of  the “local predicament” circle of the Kingdom Concept)  The church’s name is not referenced to protect the nature of the missional discernment project.

Dear Co-Workers in Christ,

As an officer of the church your primary directive is to make disciples and to make decisions that make disciples.  In other words, officers empower the congregation to look more to Jesus for guidance and more like Jesus in ministry.

 Given that understanding, I want to invite you – challenge you, really – to join in an experience to which I have committed myself and the entire staff. Between now and the first Sunday in August, I want you to use one hour each week in a discernment project.  I want each church officer to join our staff members in taking one hour each week to meet God at Wal-Mart.

 That’s right.  No joke.  You are assigned to meet God at Wal-Mart. Here are the details.

Once a week, go across the freeway to the Wal-Mart. Spend an hour roaming the aisles and watching the shoppers and employees.  Do not go in to shop.  Do not get your groceries during that time.  This is about people, not merchandise or purchasing or recreational browsing.

I want you make note of the people – their culture, socio-economics, dress, expressed values, perceived attitudes, what they seem to be interested/disinterested in.  I want you to imagine what their lives are like leading up to their Wal-Mart visit and returning from their shopping.

As you observe the people, seek God out in prayer, asking, “God, what in the world does our church have to offer these people?  What do we have to offer them and how would you want us to do that?”  Then listen, and take note.

 If the assignment is too confusing or complex, then do this – ask, “Where do I see Jesus today here at Wal-Mart?”

 My hunch is that some of our assumed values and valued programs don’t/won’t play the same in that context.  God might have something to say about that.  We may get some reality checks, with may receive some insights and inspirations, we may even meet God at levels/dimensions where we have not before. 

 If you get bored with Wal-Mart or feel going there is too repetitive, I offer some alternatives.  You are welcome to try the same thing at one or more of these places – Goodwill Industries Store or the nearby bowling alley.

 You may want to take notes, keep a journal, or simply e-mail me as you have discoveries. 

 Hoping you see Jesus anew, Your Pastor

What have you tried like this? What are some examples you could share of a missional mainline?