"What is missional?" Synchroblog

[Oops! I put this into "draft" mode by mistake ... so here it is again ... sorry!]

Back on my 15th wedding anniversary, Rick Meigs posted this reflection and challenge on his blog:

I think it is time to make a bigger effort to reclaim the term [missional], a term which describe what happens when you and I replace the “come to us” invitations with a “go to them” life. A life where “the way of Jesus” informs and radically transforms our existence to one wholly focused on sacrificially living for him and others and where we adopt a missionary stance in relation to our culture. It speaks of the very nature of the Jesus follower.

To help reclaim it, I propose a synchronized blog for Monday, June 23rd on the topic, “What is Missional?”

There are any number of ways one could blog on this topic. You could illustrate what the term means, describe what it is not and how it is wrongly used, define the term, explore its misuses, explore its theological foundations, or you name it.

I think I was first introduced to the word "missional" by Alan Hirsch, during Neil Cole's first Organic Church Planting Conference in January of 2007. I'm sure I actually heard it earlier, but that was when I started paying attention to it.

And boy have I been hearing a lot about it ever since!

The volume was turned up last October when I attended the Allelon Missional Order Gathering in Seabeck -- which resulted in my launching of this wee blog. I was very happy to be able to share my ride to Seabeck with my friend, Brad, and our new friend, Rick -- the same Rick who has orchestrated this amazing event.

According to my count, nine of the Seabeck MO Bloggers (as noted in my sidebar) are in this group of 50 who have taken the time to share their passion for reclaiming the word "missional" -- and I hope that you'll take the time to check back on Monday, June 23rd, to see what The Abbess has to say about what missional means to her -- and read the thoughts of the rest of the crew listed below:

Alan Hirsch
Alan Knox
Andrew Jones
Barb Peters
Bill Kinnon
Brad Brisco
Brad Grinnen
Brad Sargent
Brother Maynard
Bryan Riley
Chad Brooks
Chris Wignall
Cobus Van Wyngaard
Dave DeVries
David Best
David Fitch
David Wierzbicki
DoSi
Doug Jones
Duncan McFadzean
Erika Haub
Grace
Jamie Arpin-Ricci
Jeff McQuilkin
John Smulo
Jonathan Brink
JR Rozko
Kathy Escobar
Len Hjalmarson
Makeesha Fisher
Malcolm Lanham
Mark Berry
Mark Petersen
Mark Priddy
Michael Crane
Michael Stewart
Nick Loyd
Patrick Oden
Phil Wyman
Richard Pool
Rick Meigs
Rob Robinson
Ron Cole
Scott Marshall
Sonja Andrews
Stephen Shields
Steve Hayes
Tim Thompson
Thom Turner

See you Monday, if not before!

Abi