Attractional and Missional - Jared Wilson

As an onlooker of what the bigger churches do as a means to attract people to their worship and a practitioner and disciple of the road less traveled here, my ears perk up anytime I hear of someone trying to be fair, charitable, but serious in comparing that method versus a more missional or organic approach. Jared Wilson's chart seemed to be an attempt to do just that. He goes to great lengths to not slam the attractional folks but set out a different way for his church.

Read the whole article and comments and he'll explain each decision on what goes where. I can tell you frankly that I lean more to the right side of the chart and would even if I was at a mega. For me that side reflects a way of thinking that will help make disciples better and show the community we live in the love of Jesus more often and in more places.

The Gospel-Driven Church: Attractional and Missional

Attractional and Missional
This could really backfire on me.

I created a chart recently to include in our handout for Element's Vision Night that was meant to aid me as I unpacked what it meant for our community to be missional. One intrinsic problems with creating a contrast like this is that it can communicate an "us vs. them" sentiment, which is not really what I had in mind (honestly). It can also communicate Element's ministry philosophy and practice as merely a reaction to another form, and while we do find ourselves in rebellion to some aspects of "cultural Christianity," Element doesn't exist to be what other churches are not.

This is a revised version of the chart. The original was less "nice," and after running it by some pastor friends of mine, and having them confirm my already existing unease with the one-sidedness, I was encouraged to make it more evenhanded.

There are a few more disclaimers I could add, but I'll only offer one more. I've done the attractional worship paradigm for fifteen years, as a staff member, as a church member, and as an apologist/proponent. I get it. And while I no longer think the attractional paradigm as typically implemented is sufficiently biblical (or even successful), I know those who work it have the best of motives (and even some verses). I don't offer this contrast as a "bad vs. good."... (read the rest - DW)