{"id":817,"date":"2009-07-09T04:01:58","date_gmt":"2009-07-09T04:01:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/07\/missional-and-formational-interim-summary.html"},"modified":"2009-07-09T04:01:58","modified_gmt":"2009-07-09T04:01:58","slug":"missional-and-formational-interim-summary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/07\/missional-and-formational-interim-summary.html","title":{"rendered":"Missional and Formational: Interim Summary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 11 of series: Missional and Formational?
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nSo far, I\u2019ve looked at the biblical connections between the missional and formational dimensions of the Christian life. After some initial definitions, I\u2019ve examined these connections in the Old Testament, the life of Jesus, and the ministry of Jesus. I had thought I might go on and look at several New Testament passages that show how missional and formational go together in early Christianity. But I think it\u2019s time to end this series, at least for now. So I\u2019ll move on to an interim summary. (If you\u2019re curious about the some the New Testament passages I would have considered, you might want to study the following on your own: Acts 1:1-8; 4:23-31; 2 Corinthians 5:13-21; Philippians 3:7-16; Ephesians 6:10-20; 2 Timothy 1:6-7; Philippians 2:1-13; 1 Corinthians 15:9-10.)
\nThe basic finding of this series has been the essential character and essential interconnectedness of the missional and formational dimensions of the Christian life. <\/em>
\nBoth missional and formational are essential dimensions of the Christian life<\/em>. All Christians and all churches have a missional calling. We have been sent by Jesus into the world to continue his mission. All Christians and all churches have a formational calling. We are to be formed into Christlikeness both as individual believers and as churches. Neither missional nor formational are optional for Christians.
\nMissional and formational are essentially connected in the Christian life<\/em>. You can\u2019t have one without the other if your missional and formational realities are fully Christian. We will only be able to do the mission of Christ, individually and together, if we are formed in the image of Christ. Or, to use the language of Jesus, we will only bear much fruit if we abide in him. Moreover, if we abide in him, we will in fact bear much fruit. The more we become like Jesus and the more we are shaped by and filled with his Spirit, the more we will be invested in his mission. So missional and formational are like two links in a chain that must not be separated. They need each other.
\n
\nOf course I am aware that many Christians and many churches major in being missional or formational, but not both. Some churches are big on outreach: evangelism, justice, caring for the poor, etc. Some churches are big on formation: prayer, worship, silent retreats, Bible studies, etc. But all churches, no matter their size, should be big on both. Missional without formational becomes programmatic, turning believers into cogs in a missional wheel rather than disciples who are living missionally in the world. Formational without missional turns people inward, making partial, self-absorbed disciples who don\u2019t fulfill the basic calling of the disciple of Jesus: to make more disciples.
\nScripture makes it clear that individual Christians are to be formed in the image of Christ so that we might engage in his mission. Scripture also makes it clear that in order to engage in his mission, we need to be formed in the image of Christ. <\/em>
\nCentral to both missional and formational are:<\/p>\n

1. The Holy Spirit<\/em>, who empowers us for mission, shapes us to be like Jesus, and binds us together as Christian community. Without the Spirit of god you won\u2019t have mission or formation.
\n2. The Word of God in Scripture<\/em>, which gives us our missional message and mandate, teaches us God\u2019s truth, and forms our hearts to be like Jesus.
\n3. The community of disciples<\/em>, who are necessary to our formation in Christ and to our engagement in his mission. We cannot be either fully missional or fully formational on our own.
\n4. Relationships with God and God\u2019s people<\/em>. Spiritual formation isn\u2019t a process that happens to us so much as the result of a relationship with the triune God. Mission isn\u2019t something we do to people so much as a relationship with them through which they encounter the living God.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This last point suggests are direction for my next blog series. I\u2019m going to explore further the relational dimension of the Christian life. Stay tuned . . . .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 11 of series: Missional and Formational? Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series So far, I\u2019ve looked at the biblical connections between the missional and formational dimensions of the Christian life. After some initial definitions, I\u2019ve examined these connections in the Old Testament, the life of Jesus, and the ministry of Jesus.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-missional-and-formational"],"yoast_head":"\nMissional and Formational: Interim Summary - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/817\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}