Why I Love Missional Thinking (And You Should, Too!)

I have read many books by missional thinkers during the last several years, and also have many friends that probably fit within the missional movement. I have really enjoyed reading and reflecting on how missional thinking and living can enrich my life and and also the church to which Lou Ann and I belong. I have learned many things that have challenged me to change the way I think and interact with my friends and neighbors. These are all positives and outcomes of "missional" thinking. 

With that in mind, here are two reasons why I love missional thinking, and I think you should also.

Missional thinking has called me back to why the church exists. Simply put, the church exists to make disciples and this is a major theme of the missional movement. Since making disciples is not a fad, the missional movement has staying power as long as churches keep disciple-making as a central focus and practice. As a leader in a local church, I am looking for ways to disciple other men. I fail as a leader if I am not intentionally reproducing myself in others. Missional thinking has called me back to this fundamental purpose.

Missional thinking also challenges me to live outside of my little box. To be honest, the box I live in is pretty big, but like many I can pretty much live my day in my box without much interaction with neighbors and friends. This is why I have really appreciated some of Mike Breen's observations in his book Leading Missional Communities. Mike observes, "Essentially, his "big plan" is to hang out with people who like you and then answer their questions when God moves in their lives." Further on he urges us to "find the people around you in whom God is already working and join God there." As I read that, I was reminded that living missionally is not adding alot of other activities to an already totally crammed schedule. Instead, it is simply living with intentionality and taking the time to really care about and interact with people.

There is more I could write about how my life has been enriched by "missional" thinking, but these are two reasons why I love missional thinking (and you should, too!)

~ Jim