This is a transcription of the audio of a YouTube video used relative to our morning service on 15 February 2015.

This is the Missional Church: simple.

In the past, churches have spent large amounts of resources to construct the most attractive places imaginable for the community in which they were situated.

Great music, compelling teaching, and a host of programmes designed to gather people together were the staple of such church communities.

Anyone who wanted to come was welcome, and church members were encouraged to invite their friends and neighbours.

Generally, people had a pleasant experience.

The people who came – and were cared for – seemed relatively similar. Education, income, pastimes, race, struggles and histories seemed to be almost identical.

Eventually, someone asked the question: what about all the other people who aren’t like us but who live around us?

Why aren’t they here too?

In response, the church increased its marketing budget, direct mailing the community, taking out ads in local papers, buying radio time, releasing a fresh web page, and offering to host the world’s greatest event.

The church was determined to be the centre of everything great that happened in the community.

Church members began to rely on the church to do the work of conveying God’s story in the world. If someone could be brought to an event, they could hear about Jesus from a professional teacher.

Inviting people became synonymous with evangelism.

The Missional Church, on the other hand, empowers its members to be the church in the community.

The Church trains, encourages, resources and challenges its people to live out the Good News in their community with those who would otherwise be suspicious of a Church and its marketing efforts.

The Church sends out its members to live among people unfamiliar with Church customs, songs and what it holds sacred – just like a foreign missionary.

The Missional Church recognises that every believer embodies the life of the Church in their neighbourhood, at their school or in their place of work – each one of them telling God’s story in the context of compassionate and genuine relationships.