Ethnos Is Missional

As a church, to be "missional" means we identify as people who have been sent by Jesus to his representatives in the world. We take the idea of being a missional church from the way Jesus Himself lived. Jesus became a man and lived and served among the poor, the hurt and the lost. He became such a close friend of "sinners", He was accused of being a glutton and a drunk (Luke 8:34). He gave of Himself, even paying the ultimate price (His life) out of love for all people, and called those who wanted to follow Him to similar servanthood.

Historically, the Church has viewed mission as primarily attracting and converting non-believers. While this is part of the picture, it has been overemphasized while going and serving have been underemphasized. A missional church has an external focus that balances out its naturally occurring internal focus. For Ethnos, our focus can never be simply on those around us, but on those who have not yet joined us... and even on those who never will. We serve them regardless of whether they ever become followers of Jesus, because that life of service to the "least of these" (Matthew 25) is what Jesus calls us to.

We should also remember that the missional church is culturally engaged without becoming culturally absorbed. This is a fine line, but we must walk it. Rather than looking at the Church as "sacred"and the world as "secular", we should see it as "redeemed" and "not yet redeemed." We need to look for "redemptive windows" in our culture to share the good news of love and life in Jesus.

In the midst of seeking to be relevant to our greater community and incarnational in our geographic context, we remember that Jesus' message calls us to be counter-cultural. One of the main keys to the identity of a missional church is being an alternative society within the dominant culture. When the church proclaims the Kingdom and truly lives life in the way of Jesus - whether by loving enemies or welcoming those on the margins - it will be a counter-cultural in the eyes of the world.

Will You Join Us in Our Pursuit of Being Missional?

What you can do: Purpose to live intentionally in your neighborhood, taking the most of every opportunity God brings your way with those who have yet to believe. How about thinking creatively as to how you might serve your neighbors or those in your community? Seriously consider getting involved in making Ethnos an incubator for missional groups and initiatives. Seek God's direction for what ministries he might be birthing in your own heart to start?


Resources

Missional Church, The (Tim Keller) - An article on the website of City Church of San Francisco.

Night Strike Portland - An outreach to homeless we serve in.

Northwest Children's Outreach - An outreach to children we serve in.

Pregnancy Resource Center - Help women with unplanned pregnancy

Shaping Of Things To Come, The (Frost & Hirsh) - A fantastic book that talks about the missional church.

Visible Grace - The mission organization founded by our beloved Ashby.