Tim Keller weighs in on the concept of being a missional church. In this article, he establishes the need for a missional church and then lists 5 elements of a missional church. This is a healthy article even though it is written from the vantage point of a Western perspective as illustrated in his point about the shift (in the West) from Christendom to post-Christendom. He points out that

"...in the West for nearly 1,000 years, the relationship of (Anglo-European) Christian churches to the broader culture was a relationship known as "Christendom." The institutions of society "Christianized" people, and stigmatized non-Christian belief and behavior. Though people were "Christianized" by the culture, they were not regenerated or converted with the Gospel. The church's job was then to challenge persons into a vital, living relation with Christ.

There were great advantages and yet great disadvantages to 'Christendom.'" [ Read More ]