Forgotten Ways II

In the first part of Alan Hirsch's book Forgotten Ways he tries to set the context for the missional church in today's culture. He notes that the Christendom model of cultural engagement (what he calls "evangelistic-attractional") is simply not up to the challenge of cross cultural evangelistic and missional engagement. With good intent many churches spend their time trying to reach the same narrow demographic slice of people. "What is becoming increasingly clear is that if we are going to meaninglfully reach this majority of people," writes Hirsch, "we are not going to be able to do it by simply doing more of the same." Attractional evangelism has limited appeal in a culture that increasingly rejects the current mode of being church. A host of different writers have addressed this issue. (One of the best in my opinion is Reggie McNeal's Six Tough Questions.) We are now in a new missionary age which demands not only cross cultural evangelism but a mode of being (& doing) church which reaches across the cultural divide. Our consumer model of doing church, however successful it may look today, will not finally carry the day. The attractional consumer driven church is not the future. As Hirsch puts it, "We plainly cannot consume our way into discipleship." The answer is not to become less open or more indifferent to the culture around us (as many mainline churches have done). Hirsch's insights are not cause for stubborn celebration of organ music as somehow more holy or cllinging to an out of touch building driven understanding of church. It is a challenge to rediscover what it really means to be missional. For his part Hisch suggests what he calls the TEMPT model. It looks somethign like this: Core Practice Spiritual Discipline (T)together we follow Community Togetherness (E)engagement with Scripture Integrating Scripture into our lives (M)mission Missiion (the central discipline) (P)passion for Jesus Worhsip and Prayer (T)transformation Character development & accountability He is challenging us to radically rethink what we are about in doing and being church. I'll continue the reporting in my next blog.