All Missional is Local

One of the problems with certain segments of the Missional conversation is the way that it approaches the global mission of the church. The Missional emphasis is a healthy one over all. Believers and churches today need to be reminded of their role in obeying the last command of Christ. We need to relearn how to be a positive and active influence on the culture and people around us. We need to bridge the cultural gap that exists between the Christian ghetto and the culture around us. The problem arises when churches place the focus of their efforts exclusively half a world away at the expense of the next block over.


You see, 90 percent of the Great Commission is local. As you go, make disciples. A community of believers is responsible to “be Christ” to the people around them where they are. Once that task is done or being done, the witness is spread further as the community multiplies and spreads.

The other 10 percent of the task, the long distance growth, the “ends of the Earth,” is ALSO largely local. Certain called out ones take their lives and transplant themselves into new places, other cultures and endeavor to spark communities in their new setting. When done right, local community is born in the new culture and transforms the culture from within.

This should not be misunderstood. The heart of God beats for the world—for the nations—and His peoples’ should as well. However, there is a difference between having a global vision and committing to a strategy where the global expansion of the witness is done from afar. Unfortunately it is far easier to engage the job part time and in a format that feels like a vacation. It is easier to be “Christ-like” in a place where you only are for a few days.

The real global challenge lies in being real 24/7/365 in front of people who are your neighbors. All Missional is Local.