Missional or Attractional
There is a great debate going on in the church world today over the right pattern of ministry. The issue at hand is whether the motivation of ministry should be missional or attractional. If it is not a verbal debate it is certainly a functional one. One side has grown weary of the attractional approach seeing it as an outdated method which primarily focuses on signs and advertisements to get new people to church. A part of the attractional crowd uses revival and renewal to attract people and seem to echo the cry, "we set ourselves on fire and they come to watch us burn." It is often centered around experience.
The missional group sees the church as a group on a mission and seeks to activate it's workers around fulfilling the mission of reaching a community for Christ. It is often centered around methods. The attractional group says "come" while the missional group says, "go"! Which is right? Both in my opinion. When Jesus met the woman at the well he was definitely on a mission. Before going there the Scripture says Jesus said, " I need to go through Samaria." There was an internal motivation followed by a purposeful plan to reach someone. This is very missional. Then, after the lady is confronted by Jesus she goes back to her home town and tells the inhabitants of the city, "come and see a man who told me all that I ever did". This is attractional. The result, the town came out to see and hear the man Jesus. Many believed because of two kinds of ministry, the missional and the attractional. Jesus said, "go" and she said "come".
The bottom line is fruit. I see missional churches today doing great things for God and bringing many to the Lord. I also see attractional churches reaching many and making disciples. Let's not condemn methods, let's celebrate the fruit.
There is a great debate going on in the church world today over the right pattern of ministry. The issue at hand is whether the motivation of ministry should be missional or attractional. If it is not a verbal debate it is certainly a functional one. One side has grown weary of the attractional approach seeing it as an outdated method which primarily focuses on signs and advertisements to get new people to church. A part of the attractional crowd uses revival and renewal to attract people and seem to echo the cry, "we set ourselves on fire and they come to watch us burn." It is often centered around experience.
The missional group sees the church as a group on a mission and seeks to activate it's workers around fulfilling the mission of reaching a community for Christ. It is often centered around methods. The attractional group says "come" while the missional group says, "go"! Which is right? Both in my opinion. When Jesus met the woman at the well he was definitely on a mission. Before going there the Scripture says Jesus said, " I need to go through Samaria." There was an internal motivation followed by a purposeful plan to reach someone. This is very missional. Then, after the lady is confronted by Jesus she goes back to her home town and tells the inhabitants of the city, "come and see a man who told me all that I ever did". This is attractional. The result, the town came out to see and hear the man Jesus. Many believed because of two kinds of ministry, the missional and the attractional. Jesus said, "go" and she said "come".
The bottom line is fruit. I see missional churches today doing great things for God and bringing many to the Lord. I also see attractional churches reaching many and making disciples. Let's not condemn methods, let's celebrate the fruit.
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