Podcast Download: Episode 19 - Missional Renaissance - Chapters 3 & 4

Bill Sloat and I will be at IMPACT in a few weeks with a breakout discussing Reggie McNeal's Missional Renaissance. Here is a 30 minute podcast on chapters 1 & 2. Hope you will join it.

Take a look through the following quotes and put the one that strikes you most in a comment (either good or bad) and tell us why.

If you right click on the podcast, then click "Save Target As", you can save the MP3 to your computer.

Download: Podcast - Episode 19 - Missional Renaissance ch 3 & 4

I made a compressed version that plays about 10 minutes shorter. It is the same as the other, just plays faster.

Download: Podcast - Episode 19 - Missional Renaissance ch 3 & 4 Compressed



Chapter 3 – Shift # 1 From an Internal to an Ministry External

Instead of having an evangelism strategy, I urge congregations to have a blessing strategy. – p 47

I usually challenge them to “bless three people this week.” … And make sure one them doesn’t’ deserve it. – p 47

“How can I ask God to bless you?” (That question was not random on his point. At the conference where he and I met, we had talked about using these words to open up spiritual conversations because they reflect the heart of God and the heart of Jesus). – p 48

When I coach leaders who want to begin incarnational modes of church, I warn that if they begin with an attractional approach, the tail will always wag the dog. – p 52

In the attractional model, worship easily becomes the show, perpetuating the unwarranted and mistaken notion that what happens when the church gathers represents the vitality of its mission… The true vitality of a congregation rests in the abundant lives of its participants and in the blessed lives in the community it serves. – p 52

In the incarnational approach, attractional components point back to the mission in the world. The worship gathering for instance celebrates life beyond the gathering. Followers of Jesus gather to share tales of God’s work in the world. – p 52

The missional church is made up of missionaries, who are playing the big game every day. They live their lives with the idea that they are on a mission trip. … they have the quality of “abundance” that comes only from living a life of an intentional blessing agent of the kingdom. – p 54

Missional Jesus followers believe that the way they demonstrate love and service will intrigue people to pursue getting to know the God who inspires such service. Using the life of Jesus and the early years of the church as their reference point, they maintain that an authentic expression of faith requires Jesus followers to adopt an intentional life of blessing people. This they believe demonstrates the heart of God for people. – pp 56-57

The traditional church is and has been institutional for centuries. It focuses on its institutional goals, a church-year calendar, a place to belong, and a member culture. it is centralized in buildings and cared for by people hired to look after it. The staff of the institution develop and administrate its programs while attempting to meet constituents’’ service needs and expectations. In return, the members support the institution with the resources of prayer, time, money, energy, and talent. Church is just one part of life.

The organic church is… pp 57-58

Nothing less than a total conversion from the institutional model will suffice… The pain comes when the reality of what it takes to “do church” has very little to do with Jesus. The miracle occurs when the leader finds the courage to change the scorecard to reflect an incarnational expression. – p 58

One pastor making this journey has determined to interview people every week during his sermon to talk about their challenges and successes. – p 58

Sherri engages with some fellow teachers in a “prayer and share group.” … “That group is my church.”… The typical church doesn’t count this; in the missional church, this is what really counts. – p 60

My hope is that existing churches will see their way clear to expand the bandwidth of what they recognize as church to include these missional communities. Most congregations could sponsor dozens of these without ever harming their “bottom line” in terms of attendance and participation. – p 64

Once we see what God is doing “out there” in the world, it changes everything we do “in here” in the church. – p 65