In an article titled, "The 'Missional Church': A Model for Churches?" David Horrox writes, "The church should stop mimicking the surrounding culture and become an alternative community, with a different set of beliefs, values and behaviors. Ministers would no longer engage in marketing; churches would no longer place primary emphasis on programs to serve members. The traditional ways of evaluating 'successful churches' – bigger buildings, more people, bigger budgets, larger ministerial staff, new and more programs to serve members – would be rejected. New yardsticks would be the norm: To what extent is our church a 'sent' community in which each believer is reaching out to his community? To what extent is our church impacting the community with a Christian message that challenges the values of our secular society?"
Well, that lays out a significant difference between a traditional way of looking at church, and even a growingly popular way of doing church (marketing and programs and measuring "success") and a radically new/ancient way of being the church. Ultimately, to be true to the Gospel, the Church needs a transformation. Not a change, but a transformation. The purpose of the church is not to sell religious goods and services to its clients/members. The purpose of the Church is to be foretaste of God's kin-dom and the means to God's missional ends: healing the earth, ensuring the health and dignity of every person and the abolishment of violent way of dealing with differences.
What would it take for First Plymouth to take such a bold step?
