Six years ago, I wrote a letter to my future self. I was preparing to enter seminary, and was apprehensive about what Seminary would do to me. Many students go into seminary as on-fire followers of Jesus, and come out as frozen, arrogant know-it-alls.

So I wrote a letter to myself, telling me what I wanted to be able to say once I came out of seminary. I never went back and read it all during seminary, and when I graduated three years ago, went back and read it. I posted it on this blog here.

Yesterday, as I was sifting through some old files, I stumbled across something I wrote when I was nearing graduation three years ago. I forgot that I had written it. This reflection upon graduation from seminary is posted below. [Read more…]

Many churches claim to be missional, but are really just traditional. There is nothing really wrong with traditional church, but they often lack several missional elements.

To help determine whether your church (or a church you are thinking of joining) is missional or traditional, below are ten diagnostic questions. But be warned: Seeking to become missional may kill your church.

1. What would you do if the church members became convinced that to do a better job at reaching people in the community, they needed to change the name of the church?

2. What would you do if the church members became convinced that to do a better job at reaching people in the community, they needed to sell the church building?

3. What would you do if the church members became convinced that to do a better job of reaching people in the community, the church needed to switch service times from Sunday morning to Tuesday night?

4. After attending meetings and preparing a sermon, the pastor finds that he only has five hours of time left in his work week. Do you think he should spend those hours with people who are already part of the church or with people who are not?

5. Recently, some teenagers have been coming to church who wear all black, and smoke out front before and after the service. What do you think the church elders should do?

6. A single mother comes up to you after church one day for advice. Due to work and her busy schedule, she can only attend one “church function” a week, either the Sunday morning service or her Tuesday night “Life Group.” She confides in you that she actually “gets more out of the Tuesday night group and is developing good relationships there” but would feel guilty “skipping church” on Sunday. What do you tell her?

7. A Hindu attends church one Sunday, and afterward tells you that he doesn’t believe in eternal judgment or that Jesus is the only way to God. What do you tell him?

8. How long have you lived where you live right now? What are the names of your neighbors, and what problems are they facing right now?

9. How are you showing love to others tangibly, and to whom are you showing this love?

10. How much money does the church receive, and where exactly does this money go? Is there a “missions” or “outreach” budget? What percentage of your budget is it? What sorts of things is it spent on?

Can you think of any other diagnostic questions that help determine whether a church is missional or traditional?