Missional
From Neoredemptive
Emerging church buzzword for churches that see themselves functionally as missionaries amid a foreign and hostile culture. Different tradeoffs between coexisting with, coopting, confronting, and transforming that culture are probably the most important distinctive of the various streams of the emerging church.
The "missional" mindset contradicts a great deal of conventional church growth wisdom, as there is no shared sense of the identity of God, the authority of scripture, or the language of theology to be tapped into or upon which to build.
Rockhopper's Take
I am not a big fan of the emergent movement in practice; I appreciate the goals that the emergent movement strives to achieve, much in the same way that I would subscribe to the goals of true community: each individual seeing themselves as part of a greater whole, and whose actions were initiated for the benefit of the community resulting in overall care and concern for the individuals. Unfortunately, just as no community truly represents the initial concept, the emergent practice of missional churches/participants also tends to stray from the original intent.
As stated above, the current "missional" mindset strays from the practice of redemptive living and church structure found in the writings of the apostles and early church fathers. The current mode is to form a "spiritual collective" where all are equal in their pursuit of truth and holiness in Christ - participants often share the teaching responsibilities, and there is a "team-led" mentality concerning church structure and authority.
For those of a redemptive mindset, "missional" or (to use the term I prefer) "intentional" practice can take on a different meaning than what the emergent movement has at times made of it: a missional viewpoint, in light of redemptive theology, presents the salvation of Christ to humanity; when the disciples of Jesus determine to bring his redemptive work into the farthest reaches of the darkness of the world.
To join in a discussion on intentional living and practical ways to live our faith in love for others, check out http://www.freepowerboards.com/livewithintent/index.php
