Characteristics of a Missional Community
Author: Michael Dennis, Founder and Director/Go, Get, Scatter
People are taught the church exists to go, get, gather, and focus on keeping the people you gather, however, scripture teaches the church is to go, get, scatter (John: “sent me”-30+, Acts 1, Romans 1, Epistles) and our focus is to be sent and send out (missional communities). Below is a list of characteristics of a missional community.
1. Prayer: Responding to God
a. Acts 2: Everyone wants the Acts 2 experience, however, we need to be a people who are responding to God.
b. When we are responding to God’s calling on our life we will be a people who pray.
c. Reflective Question: What has God called you to? Most people will wrestle with the career, spouse, and income;
however, Matthew 28 calls us to live out our faith and God doesn’t care what you do for a job. Does it help or hinder
your ability to live out your faith?
2. Biblical Authority: Hunger to devour God's word
a. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, however, we don’t position ourselves in a place to see the need for His word.
b. When we are positioning ourselves in this place we will see a need for training and growing in righteousness and our
hearts will be more open and teachable.
c. Reflective Question: Are you in a place where you are learning and devouring God’s word? Most people just read the
Bible for reflection instead of required nourishment.
3. Gospel: Jesus is a big deal
a. John 4 calls us to lift up our eyes and look and there is a whole harvest before us.
b. It is why we have gone through Genesis, Romans, and 1 John. It is not enough just to go through scripture because the
Pharisee’s went through scripture but never saw Jesus.
c. Reflective Question: Are you learning the gospel? Not the bridge illustration, but learning it conversationally. (Tim
Keller, Mark Driscoll, Puritans are all helpful ways.)
4. Accountability: The biggest difference between missional and selfish-ional
a. Colossians 4:2 calls us to make the most of every opportunity and unless someone is talking to us about it on a weekly
basis then it won’t happen.
b. This time can be used the address the spiritual needs in their life and we can better access and grow in our spiritual life
when we are confronted with participating in what God is doing.
c. Reflective Question: Who hold you accountable to the things God is laying on your heart? Are you open to the truth they
are speaking into your life?
5. Spiritual Development: We need to maximize our resources
a. James tells us that our growth takes place through trials, however, many of us long to avoid trials and long for spiritual
growth. It doesn’t happen.
b. Spiritual development doesn’t occur through the classroom, but through the experience of modeling and coaching them
through the process.
c. Reflective Question: Who are influencing? Are you being intentional? What does it look like to be intentional?
Category: Church