Misssional in Urban Centers

Is there something about hands-on church planting and/or living and serving in urban areas which makes you think missionally in a different way? In other words, does context in some sense determine content, direct outreach and effect  outcomes? I'm wondering out loud as I hear debates on the missional church or on missional church planting. Am I wrong or do pastors of established churches more quickly dismiss or criticize missional concepts than do church planters? In some of my exchanges with pastor friends it seems that we are often speaking a different language. They appear to be concerned about ideas or practices associated with being missional that I haven't seen nor would embrace although the concepts might be found in a book if you have time to do enough research.

I have heard ad nauseum that missional churches advocate or lead to a social gospel. I scratch my bald head and ask myself what they are talking about. Perhaps it is true that when you are surrounded by in your face need – poverty, crime, addictions – and you are convinced that the gospel addresses all areas of life, that you engage your context with the gospel differently. We're not social activists. We want the claims of King Jesus to be made known. And to do that you need to have contact with sinners. Many churches will simply start another program catering to church members and ask members to invite their friends and neighbors rather than minister outside the church building in the community where they can be salt and light.

The other night our church served about 70 people at a homeless outreach  The meal is prepared by a church family and paid for by the church. One of the men serving with us was among those being fed a few months ago. He is now off the streets, working, attending services regularly, and planning to be baptized on October 31. There was also a couple new to our church serving for the first time. Afterwards the wife gave a testimony how she and her husband never had the opportunity to do this in their former Midwestern suburban church. A homeless man who this couple met at the homeless outreach attended our worship service Sunday and shared a meal with this couple during our fellowship meal. That is one face of missional for us in the city. Look at the photo – these are faces of what it means to be missional. To give you a better idea of what takes place at these outreaches read this post from John Leone,  elder of Mercy Ministries at Grace Church, of a message he preached at an earlier outreach.