The Big Question

The following is a guest blog post by author Hugh Halter.

Last February, the movement of missional communities got a kick-start through the VERGE conference held in Austin Texas. In April of 2011, Exponential -- the largest church planting conference in the world -- will focus their attention on missional communities. And over the last two years, I’ve traveled extensively speaking to church planters and existing pastors who want to see God’s extraordinary move throughout the church. What do I talk about? Yep, missional communities.

The biggest question I get asked?

“What is the difference between missional communities and small groups?”

In our newest book AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church, we (my co-author Matt Smay and I) give the missiological differences, but here’s the bottom line. Church gatherings are “first-decision” environments. That is, a person need only decide to be a God believer to come to the church. Likewise, small groups are 1^st-decision environments where the living room is full of people who believe in God and want to grow in their devotion, knowledge of God, and deepen their friendships. It’s all good stuff and part of any good church. But one need only be self-oriented to participate.

But a missional community is a “second-decision” environment where the 1^st-decisions are made, but they add a second intentionality of living the life of Jesus, especially to those outside who haven’t made the 1^st decision yet.

And yes, a true missional community will be much more inclined to see evangelistic influence, but at the core, a missional community is about spiritual formation. And those who take part no longer settle for self-focused cognitive growth, but instead, like a bulldog locks its jaws on a fresh bone, they lock arms with friends who doggedly fight against consumerism/materialism/individualism as they pursue the life of Jesus.

*The witness of the full gospel? Seen best by second-decision people.

*The true…deep growth of believers? Happens faster in second-decision communities.

*A successful church plant? Forms naturally as missional communities unite for a common cause.

*The successful transformation of any church? Begin a grassroots movement of second-decision missionally-incarnational communities, alongside 1^st decision small groups and inspire consumers toward the missionary life of Jesus.

Learn more by checking out these events & free resources:

• Missio www.missio.us
• AND www.ExponentialSeries.com
• The Nines (9/9) www.thenines.leadnet.org/2010/
• 10-10-10 Initiative www.101010initiative.org
• AND Conference, Granger Community Church www.AndConference.com
• VERGE/Exponential Church Planting Conference www.exponentialconference.com

Hugh Halter lives in Denver with his wife Cheryl and their three offspring, Alli, Ryan, & McKenna. Besides directing Missio, Hugh pastors Adullam, and loves to help The Church find it's Missional Mojo. He has co-authored The Tangible Kingdom, Tangible Kingdom Primer, & AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church, and his new book, The Sacrilegious Disciple is due out in June 2011.