The Shift from Consumer Church to Missional Church

 

 

 

 

The Church needs to rediscover itself as the people of God through whom the Holy Spirit works to impact the world, and ‘break in’ the kingdom of God. When the Church is seen as the instrument of God’s activity in the world, then the focus moves off ourselves - breaking us out of the ‘consumer mind set’, turning us outwards as mission people

… everything would then begin to change......

 

Ø      People won’t ‘go to Church’, but will ‘be the Church’ - a group of people less interested in programmes and events, and more focused Christ and his activity  in the world

Ø      Our Sunday focus will shift from planning events that give people a specific experience, and be more about equipping people for kingdom living through the week..

Ø      People will naturally want to feed themselves on the Bible and be devoted in prayer, since it will be perceived and believed that our relationship with Jesus is our own responsibility to grow. (1 Peter 3.15-16)

Ø      People will more naturally see the Church, not as a building that we go to for certain things, but as a community of faith - a family - with whom we share a journey, with all its struggles, joys, difficulties and encouragements. (Acts 2.42 ff) 

Ø      People will come to believe that the needs of strangers, newcomers and fledgling believers take precedence over their own needs..

Ø      We will see ourselves as ambassadors of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5.20) - seeking to incarnate the values of Jesus in all that we say and do.

Ø      Evangelism will naturally become a part of the fabric of who we are

Ø      Genuine and deep rooted every member ministry will move from being a theory to a reality and an expectation of all, including new people.

Ø      Parents will take responsibility for the spiritual growth of their families and children, supported and equipped by the wider church community (Deut 6.4-9) 

Ø      We will naturally have a greater concern for social justice, poverty, injustice and the needy, as an expression and fruit of our mission orientation.

 

There is no way that a ‘Consumer church’ can produce ‘Missional Christians’

Equally a ‘Missional Church’ will not produce ‘Consumer Christians’.

Both go against the nature of that model of Church.

But becoming a missional Church requires more than a statement , or a piece of paper - it needs nothing less than a fundamental metamorphosis in the entire fabric of the Church