Missional

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According to the Oxford English Dictionary, missional is defined as, "Relating to or connected with a religious mission; missionary." It was first used in 1907 in W. G. HOLMES’ Age Justinian & Theodora II, page 687. Quote: "Several prelates, whose missional activities brought over whole districts and even nationalities to their creed."

As commonly used today, the word describes the way in which Christians do all their activities, rather than identifying any one particular activity. To be missional is to align one's life with the mission of Jesus in the world. The concept is rooted in the alignment of every believer and every church with Jesus’ mission in the world.

Jesus knew His mission. He knew why God sent Him into the world. He aligned Himself with this mission. Everything that He did, everything that He taught, everything that is recorded of His life in the Gospels was focused on accomplishing the mission for which He was sent. At the end of His life and ministry, He prayed to the Father, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (John 17:4)

A missional church aligns all of the program, function and activities of the church around the mission of God in the world.