In Part 1 of this series we looked at the first two elements of a movement of missional communities (MMC) or house churches. Let's look at a few more universal elements:

3. Intentional Planting of new Missional Communities
MMCs are not sparked by people who are aiming only to do needed community projects, start Bible studies, evangelize and/or disciple. MMCs happen when groups plant new groups. To spark an MMC, someone must design a strategy that will get missional communities to plant new missional communities. To spark a MMC, someone must implement that strategy.

4. Scriptural Authority
MMCs are not sparked by people who have several sources of authority. MMCs are sparked by people who consider the Bible the one and only authority regarding what to believe and how to live. The Bible must become the guiding source for belief, church polity, and life itself. Bible teaching is usually based on questions which arise from the text itself. New believers hold each other accountable to live under the Bible’s authority. In MMCs, two measures of success are used:

1) obedience of new believers, missional communities, and leaders to the Bible; and
2) degree of reproduction.

5. Local Leadership
MMCs are not sparked by people who believe that only mature outsiders can start and lead new missional communities. MMCs are sparked by people who raise up local people to start and lead new missional communities. Rather than doing all the work themselves, they coach people in doing the ministry as soon as possible.

6. Lay Leadership
MMCs are not sparked by people who believe that only professionally trained people can start and lead new missional communities. MMCs are sparked by people who raise up groups of unpaid lay people to lead and start new missional communities. These leaders are bi-vocational.

Role of Paid Clergy: As an MMC unfolds, the need for paid clergy often emerges. However, the people on the growing edge of the MMC continue to be bi-vocational believers. This ensures the largest possible pool of potential leaders and church planters.

[ Review Part 1 ]