Attractional & Missional; A Swinging Pendulum

Written By Derek DeGroot, Aspen Group Architect

Matthew 4:19 Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me.  I will teach you to catch people instead of fish.”

Matthew 28:19 So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations : baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

These two pieces of scripture have shaped the church of the last couple decades, birthing both the  Attractional movement and the Missional movement.  For some time, the pendulum has swung far toward Matthew 4:19, as we have become better Fishers of Men than ever before.  However, as some of the leading megachurches are finding today, the pendulum is beginning to swing toward the instructions of Matthew 28:19 as we become increasingly aware of the need to disciple His people.  The Missional Church embodies this effort.

Click to EnlargeRecently the Missional movement has begun to invade the Attractional church, filling the gaps in their disciple making while at the same time, the churches dwelling in a disciple making mode struggle with how to attract the lost.

As we move forward, these two opposite ends of the pendulum may meld into a church that can take us through the journey Jesus layed out for us, where we “Come and See”  (Connect) “Follow” (Disciple) and “Make you Fishers of Men” (Equip).

The Alignment of Facilities and Ministry is necessary to maximize the efforts of an impactful church, so we turn our attention to what the role these facilities have in the swinging pendulum.  How does a facility aid to Connect, Disciple, and Equip people?