Strategic Missional Principles: Reproduc*

One of the most important principles in the scientific method is Reproducibility. Basically it means that any experiment should be done in such a way that it can be replicated by others with similar results. It is also something that should be on the mind of people engaged in Missional or cross cultural endeavors. What good is it for anyone to have some well funded and equipped “expert” come on the scene and start a church or movement that could never have happened on its own and could never be repeated by anyone else in the culture? Everything the Missional Christian does should be things that anyone in the culture could do easily and naturally—with supernatural help for the results, of course.

Reproducibility, however, does not go far enough. Churches are very much living things, and one of the defining characteristics of life is reproduction. Living things are Reproductive. Church should be no different. For some reason, traditional church is almost sterile. Of course churches continue to be planted, but that tends to be the exception not the norm. Missional efforts should produce church that is naturally reproductive—not just growing in size, but actually reproducing itself in terms of more churches being planted.

So, Reproducibility and Reproductive. If your strategy has any elements that are not—drop those elements.