Missional Church DNA

What does it look like to create church where it does not exist? What makes a missional church?

In the post "Shaping of Things to Come" - 3 from John we see the three aspects of what Forst and Hirsch are saying makes the missional church different from traditional church. SOOOOO the question comes to my mind:

How do we live those things out in a practical on the ground kind of way?

In dialoging with some incredible guys in my area from the missio ministry (www.missio.us) I have heard some awesome ideas. There are three priorities that I want to be the foundational DNA of any missional community I am a part of. They are:

1. Engaging Culture
2. Living life together
3. Growing Spiritually

I think if we actively engage in those priorities we will be incarnational, Holistic, and Missional. So lets take a moment and look at each of these in a bit more detail:

1. Engaging Culture-
This is where incarnational really takes on it's meat. We will engage those around us in loving relationship and love them as Christ loves, with out strings. This should flow naturally from each of our lives as we live out our passion for Christ allowing God to use our likes, passions, and personalities to develop relationships with the non-followers around us.

2. Living life together-
This is true community. A "Do you have any eggs?" life friend. These people have refrigerator rights... they know were the food, plates, forks etc. are and help themselves. This can't happen overnight and demands proximity. To live 30 - 40 minutes away and try to spend the time together needed to "Live life together" is nearly impossible. Just for logistical reasons.

3. Growing Spiritually-
I like how Forst and Hirsch have said that if no faith community comes from our engaging culture can we really say we are building the church? Growing spiritually is always a needed priority of a church. Otherwise there really is no church. Notice what I did not say. I didn't say bible study, or discussion series. To often I think we program the spirit out of our Spiritual development. On the other end of the spectrum, who are we kidding if we think their could be spiritual growth with out God's word. ? It will always be the ultimate authority in faith and in life!