What Is Missional?

Written By Rev. Dr. Wilbert J. Sohns

BEING MISSIONAL flows from, is based on, and described in The Word of God, which was exercised by Christ, and by His authority and power, for the essence, essentials and the shape of the Missio Dei. 

BEING MISSIONAL embraces the interpreting of all Scripture, doctrine (teaching), the means of grace, discipleship, and the world with the lens of the Missio Dei (The hermeneutic). 

BEING MISSIONAL is having God’s Sending Heart. It is having an awareness and understanding that the Missio Dei, the Sending of God, is the central heart of Christianity, which can also be iterated as, and inherently is being freely justified for Christ’s sake through faith (AC IV) – Fundamentally, there is no justification and sanctification of the sinner without the sending of Christ and sending of the Holy Spirit (The Great Sending). 

BEING MISSIONAL is having an awareness and understanding that the Missio Dei is the Gospel and is the identity and essence of the sending of Christ, the Holy Spirit and the baptized in Christ into the world (John 3:16-17; 17: 1-3, 17-19; 20:21-23) to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). 

BEING MISSIONAL is having an awareness and understanding that the Missio Dei, The Sending of God, which belongs to God alone, is the mission of the church (I.e., The mission of the church is the mission of God) and is to avoid and reject all intentional or unintentional distractions from and disobedience of the Great Sending. 

BEING MISSIONAL is the applying of the Missio Dei, that is, aligns all teachings, mission practices, activities, and arrangements with the Missio Dei. 

IN SUMMARY, the MISSIONAL dynamics are 1.) the exercise of and submission to God’s powerful and transforming Word, 2.) the Missio Dei is the lens to interpret (the hermeneutic) God’s Word, all doctrine, the church, and the world 3.) the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom of the Missio Dei essence, identity, and essentials, and 4.) the alignment of all mission, teaching, training, and ministry activities in the church and world to the Missio Dei.

IT IS NOT MISSIONAL SIMPLY BECAUSE OF

  • having “mission festivals” occasionally.

  • having foreign mission work and financial supporting of missionaries.

  • having prayers for missions.

  • having invitations to the community children to a VBS or SS.

  • having a Divine Service.

  • having building endeavors.

  • having activities, projects and programs.

  • having collaboration with others.

  • having evangelism training.

  • Having catechesis, educational classes, and educational venues

  • Having church planting to multiply the LCMS.

  • However, being Missional is also being Scriptural and Confessional. And being Scriptural and Confessional is also being Missional

Rev. Dr. Wilbert J. Sohns

  • immersion initiator and general author and editor of the Great Sending: God’s Heart Beating Through You

  • former LCMS Wyoming District President

  • former member and chairman of LCMS Board for Missions

  • former Pastor, serving churches in Cambridge, NE; Casper, WY; Broomfield, CO; Springfield, IL; Cheyenne, WY; and, in retirement, Aleman, TX

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What the Missio Dei Is NOT
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The Twelve Mission Theses