Here’s Mike Goheen’s (Geneva Chair in Reformed Theology at Trinity Western University in Langley) answer in response to an interview with Alan Roxburgh:

Churches that are/have:

  • Faithful and Relevant Worship – Faithful to the gospel and relevant
  • Devoted to Communal Prayer – Learn how to pray together and in a way that engages the mission
  • Deeply involved in the needs of the neighbourhood
  • Trained to do evangelism in organic ways not methodological way – Not, “follow these four steps” but rather more natural ways of sharing the gospel
  • Trained for their missionary encounter in various callings – How are people faithful in their work places, in the vocational ministries to which God has called them to on a daily basis
  • Accountability in small groups but not in insular ways
  • Committed to Mission(s) – establishing a witness where there is none (overall the church needs to make mission its horizon, a point of reference for where it is and where it is going
  • Understands its cultural context – What are the idols in the community, bridges for the gospel, etc.
  • Expresses the unity of the body of Christ – Missional church will want to be one with others who are also being missional
  • Immersed in the biblical story – Not moralistic teaching but teaching from the story (narrative) of scripture
  • Well trained leaders – take a lot of time helping leaders catch the missional vision
  • Parents who are trained to take up the task of nurturing their children in the faith – Western culture is not a safe culture for family

Thoughts?  Where are we in these things?  How can The Joshua House get there?

If you want to listen to the interview for yourself click here for the link