Missionary Minded Small Groups

Missionary Minded Small Groups
Posted August 28th, 2008 by Paul Manuel

“Missional” is a term that has been overused and, as a result, misunderstood. So instead of using the ambiguous term “missional”, we at New City use the clearer phrase “missionary minded” to describe churches that reach out to their community in word and deed ministry. A missionary minded church has an outward focus in their mindset–and in all their ministries. What makes a small group missionary minded’? Tim Keller lists six ways:

1. its members love and talk positively about the city/neighborhood,
2. they speak in language that is not filled with pious tribal or technical terms and phrases, nor disdainful and embattled language,
3. in their Bible study they apply the gospel to the core concerns and stories of the people of the surrounding culture,
4. they are obviously interested in and engaged with the literature and art and thought of the surrounding culture and can discuss it both appreciatively and yet critically,
5. they exhibit deep concern for the poor and generosity with their money and purity and respect with regard to the opposite sex, and show humility toward people of other races and cultures,
6. they do not bash other Christians and churches.

Keller contends that if a small group is marked by these missionary minded traits then non-believing people from the city will be invited and will come and stay as they explore spiritual issues. If these marks are not there it will only be able to include believers or traditional, ‘Christianized’ people.

from Tim Keller, “Cultural Renewal.”