From a Maintenance Church to a Missional Church

This essay explores the characteristics of each model and the strategies to promote this transformative change.

The transition from a maintenance church to a missional church is a challenge that many faith communities face.

Characteristics of the Models

Below, a table summarizes the fundamental characteristics of a maintenance church in contrast to a missional church:

Aspect	Maintenance Church	Missional Church
Temporal Focus	Focused on the past	Light of the past acts in the present and future
Ministry	Around the temple	As a result of the mission
Preaching	Psychological and shallow Bible study	Biblical and engaging
Liturgy	Reflection of the institution	Reflection of the mission
Participation	Each Christian a member	Each Christian a missionary
Leadership	Managerial and bureaucratic	Missional and relational
Role of the Pastor	Chief, central figure	Servant of the congregation and community
Vision of the Church	Isolated event	Movement in mission
Tradition	Traditionalism and resistance to change	Adaptable and promoting movement
Objective	Form members	Form disciples who make disciples of Jesus
Creativity	Little emphasis	Emphasizes ministerial creativity
External Focus	Turned inward	Turned towards the world
Power Structures	Abusive hierarchical processes	Complementary processes
Role of the People	Pastor-centric – priesthood of one minister	People of God – all are ministers
Decision Making	Top-down	Bottom-up

Conclusion

The transition from a maintenance church to a missional church requires a genuine commitment to changing our vision of the role of each Christian and the community. This change does not happen immediately, but it is a path that can be walked with faith and dedication. The willingness to adopt new approaches and engage with the outside world is essential for this transformation.

References for Further Study

• Steve Timmis and Tim Chester."Total Church: Rethinking Radical Approaches to Our Presentation of the Gospel in the Community". This book provides practical insights on how churches can become more missional.

• Christopher J.H. Wright. "The Mission of the Church: A Theology of Mission". This text offers a solid theological foundation on the mission of the church.

• Rick Warren."Transforming Churches: How to Take Your Church to a New Level of Ministry". Warren provides practical insights on how to transform church culture.