10/4/26 by Larry Barker
There is a real tension between the attractional and missional church models. Critical thinkers should be willing to consider the positives and negatives of both positions. Attractional and missional approaches need to be respectfully considered, but churches must also determine if their chosen ministry methods are biblical. Attractional is exactly what it says: how can a church attract people to the services they offer and the campus they maintain. That is not to imply that this approach is wrong or unbiblical but rather that it is incomplete. Missional churches emphasize the principle of living on mission and equipping their members to live sent. They study and submit to how their church can be faithful and obedient to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
Hopefully, the focus will be placed squarely on making the Scriptures our gold standard; not only what a church believes but also what a church does, especially in the area of developing and implementing a ministry approach. Ed Stetzer in Comeback Churches states, “In its simplest form, the term ‘missional’ is the noun ‘missionary’ modified to be an adjective.” The purpose of the adjective is to help modify or describe the noun. The term missional should describe the ministry focus of every New Testament church, and every church should measure how obediently it is following Christ’s command. Jesus said He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and that He was sending His followers in the same manner that the Father had sent Him (John 20:21).
In Church Planting Thresholds, Clint Clifton points out the challenge, “American churches have been far too busy with ministry to give much attention to mission.” Unfortunately, the primary metric has become bodies, buildings, and budgets. The Great Commission is the responsibility of every New Testament church regardless of its size, facilities, or finances. Churches must be willing to spend the needed time in prayer to discover God’s plan for their church, in order to reach their local community. Most churches seem to agree that people need the Lord, but they do not appear to have a plan in place to intentionally reach those outside the church with the gospel. The local church is God’s tool to advance His mission here and around the world.
What is your plan to reach the lost and dying world around you? Could it be that you do not need to choose one approach or the other but rather a combination of the two? Is it not time for every believer and congregation to accept the biblical admonition to develop a missional ecclesiology? This terminology is not a lackluster declaration that is unimportant or uninteresting, but rather speaks to the very heart of God. It is backed and supported by the words of Christ, the life that Jesus lived, and the commands that He gave His followers. Missiology and ecclesiology look to the Scriptures to form the foundation for your evangelistic strategies and systems. Our vision must be shaped by Jesus, and His word produces the dynamite of the gospel (Romans 1:16)
In The Attractional Church, Billy Hornsby gives us the following definitions. “Being ‘missional’ is an individual responsibility—each of us must accept our personal responsibility to share Christ with others in any given situation. Being ‘incarnational’ is an individual responsibility—our transformation into the image of Christ by the renewing of our minds cannot be dictated from the pulpit but must come from within… Being ‘attractional’ is a corporate responsibility—the leadership of the church has the responsibility to present Christ and His Kingdom as perfectly as possible, the way it is revealed in Scripture. It also must encourage and train its members as ‘sent ones’ (living missionally) and to be like Christ (incarnational) to the lost world around them.”
Excuses for a lack of evangelism include church size, resources, or how difficult the culture has become, making it almost impossible to penetrate the darkness with truth. Are we saying that God is not able to reach the lost? Would you be comfortable in declaring that God can send revival anywhere except where you are? Did you know that, according to a report by significantchurch.com, 60% of people attend churches under 300 people, and only 6% of the population attend megachurches? Little churches are every bit as needed and important (if not more so) as the big ones. Billy Hornsby challenges us in this area with this thought: “We must never forget that everything we do inside our churches is designed for everyone outside our churches.”
One of my favorite quotes is from Made for More, by Todd Wilson and Rob Wegner: “The role of the local church is to be the mobilizing home base. This empowers all disciples to discover their personal calling and then deploy them to express the fullness of Jesus into every corner of culture and into every sphere of society.” What a challenge to every New Testament church: “to every corner of culture and into every sphere of society.” Every New Testament church belongs to Jesus, and He has enabled that church to contribute to accomplishing His mission, large or small. Every congregation is a mission field, a training center, a launching pad for the gospel, a safe place and haven for those seeking Him, and a family called to serve Him and one another.
This will require some changes and shifts in how you approach ministry. In DiscipleShift by Jim Putman and Bobby Harrington, they suggest the following shifts: “From Reaching to Making. From Informing to Equipping. From Program to Purpose. From Activity to Relationship. And from Accumulating to Deploying.” Your head may be swimming and wondering where in the world you should begin, but the best place is on our knees before the Lord, seeking His face. Bill Elliff challenges us in The Presence Centered Church: “This discussion will focus on God’s presence and encourage us to do everything necessary to build a church where God is pleased to dwell.” Those are words of wisdom and experience. Let us begin there.