Photo. Sandhills fb page. 2011

Five elements of Missional Churches – Tim Keller

1. Use common language – intelligibility

Use the common language of our culture. Words matter. Not have religious speak unintelligible to those outside a ‘holy huddle’, but speak in a straightforward way.

2. We want to learn the cultures story and connect that to the gospel’s story.

Leslie Newbigin had a profound impact here. In Fremont, how do they define success? What makes life meaningful? What does human flourishing in Fremont look like? What are things that they love and worship more than God?

Then after you have defined ‘your place’, your town, are there places the gospel bridges into the culture as well as confronts the culture? The world, Fremont, is not to be seen as a sinking ship to be discarded and seen as worthless, but rather what aspects of it reflect God’s character and beauty and what is being redeemed to Christ? See what it is and not dwell on what it is not.

Seeing the beauty in Fremont is a means God uses to have us LOVE this place!

3. We need theologically trained lay people for public life and service.

The pastor is not seen as the expert to be the only one qualified to ‘close the deal’ for someone entering the kingdom. How is it in what I am doing is building and forwarding the kingdom?

4. Seek to create counter-cultural Christian community.

Culture Making book by Andy Crouch talks about three common misconceptions of how we as Christians poorly approach culture. God made us gardeners and artists to take the elements of his world and make culture to reflect his great character.

5. Proactive Christian unity within our culture.

Work with the Catholic church, for instance, in addressing hunger and homelessness within our town. Even when groups do not fully align with the PCA, work winsomely with them and elevate the level of thinking in the conversation on how Christ redeems all of culture!

Source. Based on Tim Keller’s five points of Missional Church