There's lots of conversation about creating "missional communities" in Virginia. Lots of this is about moving the "mission" mindset and sphere of a congregation or disciple from "public space" to "social space." There is no one better than Mike Breen of www.weare3dm.com to explain and explore what a missional community is. Here's the first of 22 posts in his blog on the topic ... JC

January 12, 2011

One of the things that we're constantly trying to do is give different handles, lenses and angles for people to see and understand Missional Communities. (If you're unfamiliar with MCs and you'd like a quick look at what they are, check out this Wikipedia article).

Over the next 3-4 months, I'm going to do a series of posts that really get into Missional Communities. We'll have stories of how people are using them in the United States. We'll take some time to answer questions that people have been asking on this blog for the past month or two. We'll give a few ideas of how to start different kinds of Missional Communities. (For instance, what are some ways to start them in government housing projects in the city, in suburbia, for teenagers, for artists, etc). I want to spark your imagination for all that Missional Communities can do when the Spirit is at work. It's certainly not meant to be exhaustive, more just throwing various ideas, handles, interviews and stories out there. Hopefully some of it really connects with you or might be language that could help the community you are in.

Our first post is actually quite simple. It's short and to the point.

My very good friend, Keld Dahlmann, is the senior pastor of Aarhus Valgmenighed in Aarhus, Denmark. Brilliant leader and thinker and has been wonderfully successful in pioneering new missional models in Denmark. He has spent a lot of time thinking about what it means to create a spiritual oikos (in Greek, oikos means "household," so what the NT is referring to with churches were households on mission together). Obviously, Missional Community is simply a spiritual household on mission together. That's it.

(click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VT4VQ-qhW8 for this amazing Coke commercial about extended family)

Create an extended family on mission, then invite people into family life.

Keld has come up with 6 simple, but very accessible principles for creating an oikos.

Here is what they are:

1. Shared vision (What do we exist for? In other words, in what way is this community going to bring heaven to earth?)

2. Shared resources

3. Extended family (= more than a nuclear family, we'd say a minimum of 15-20 people, max of 50)

4. Mom/Dad (leaders in "fathering" mode)

5. Prayer

6. Common meal

*One of the things God has been speaking to me a lot about lately is the desperate need to create these extended families that really are experiencing radical community together. I think these principles are an excellent lens to use and give people when evaluating/creating the community you're a part of.