What to Do When Some Members of a Missional Church are not Missional Disciples, and What is the Role of the Holy Spirit in Their Transformation?
While a missional church is defined by its core identity as a community of sent missionaries rather than just a place to attend, not all members are automatically active, mature missional disciples. In practice, a missional church is a community developing all members into disciples who live out the gospel. [1, 2, 3, 4]
- The Ideal vs. Reality: Ideally, a missional church views every member as a missionary (a "family of servant missionaries"). However, this represents a journey of growth where all are learning to become disciples, rather than a state that all members have already achieved.
- The Goal is Formation: The goal is to move every member from being just a consumer to a disciple who makes disciples.
- Differentiation: A missional church is a "visible community of authentic disciples of Jesus Christ who gather... and then disperse locally and globally as His missionaries". Yet, it acknowledges that this is a maturing process. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Key Characteristics of a Missional Community:
- Life on Life: Authentic, visible, and accessible relationships.
- Community: Living like a family.
- On Mission: Intentionally focused on those outside the church through a "pocket of people". [1, 2, 3, 4]
In summary, a missional church provides the environment for all members to become missional disciples, but it is an ongoing process of growth and engagement. [1, 2]
Moving non-missional members to missional disciples requires shifting from passive consumption to active, intentional engagement through small group environments, shared missionary team experiences, and intentional evangelism training. Shift focus from hosting events to engaging, serving, and being present in local communities. [1, 2, 3]
Strategies for Shifting to Missional Discipleship:
- Establish Missional Small Groups: Move existing small groups toward missional communities by focusing on sharing the gospel with their local community and neighborhood.
- Create Community Rhythms: Encourage rhythms like meals or shared activities that allow members to be present and build relationships in their community.
- "Party Like Levi" Approach: Encourage members to invite neighbors and acquaintances to simple, hospitable gatherings, such as a dinner or "Free Food" event.
- Equip Through Training: Teach practical skills like crafting a 90-second testimony and role-playing gospel conversations to help members feel prepared to share their faith.
- Focus on "Whole Life Stewardship": Teach that discipleship involves managing relationships, time, and resources to serve God and others.
- Shift from "Volunteer" to "Disciple": Realign church resources to encourage, empower, and equip members to take ownership of the mission rather than just running programs.
- Use "Third Places": Encourage people to use public spaces like coffee shops, restaurants, or community hubs for building connections. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
Moving from Community to a Disciple-Making Core:
- Present the Challenge: Clearly define expectations for joining a disciple-making group.
- Create Focused Groups: Form smaller groups with intentional, qualified leadership.
- Use Tools for Engagement: Use resources that foster study and discussion in community settings, focusing on applying the gospel in daily life.
- Celebrate Small Wins: Encourage and celebrate any small steps of obedience, such as praying for a neighbor or hosting a meal. [1, 2, 3]
Praying to the Holy Spirit is essential for transforming believers into missional disciples because the Spirit is the primary agent of sanctification, empowering individuals to embody Christ’s likeness and act as witnesses. True, lasting transformation of the heart, mind, and will—moving from nominal belief to active, sacrificial service—is achieved only through the Spirit's power. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Key Reasons for Praying to the Holy Spirit:
- Empowerment for Mission: Just as in Acts, the Holy Spirit provides the necessary power to be effective witnesses. This empowerment helps believers overcome spiritual apathy and fear, enabling them to fulfill the Great Commission.
- Heart Transformation: Transformation goes beyond behavioral modification; it is the Holy Spirit who creates a genuine hunger for righteousness and shapes a disciple’s character to mirror Jesus.
- Guidance and Direction: The Spirit serves as the guide for the new evangelization, directing when and where to share the gospel and how to connect with others' lives.
- Deepening Discipleship: The Spirit brings the presence of Jesus into the lives of believers, enabling them to move from simply knowing scripture to living it out in sacrificial love. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
Essential Aspects of this Prayerful Process:
- Obedience and Docility: A radical openness and prompt obedience to the Spirit's promptings are required.
- Cultivating Intimacy: Prayer is the foundation for a deeply rooted relationship with God, allowing the Spirit to convict of sin and foster the likeness of Jesus.
- The Model of Early Church: The early church became a missional force only after they were "clothed with power" at Pentecost. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Without this reliance on the Spirit, disciple-making can become merely a set of intellectual exercises, whereas, with the Spirit, it leads to enduring, fruit-bearing discipleship. [1, 2, 3]
