From Church-Shaped Mission to Mission-Shaped Church

Though the missional calling of the church is acknowledged by all, often mission remains just a function among many other more pressing tasks in congregations. This paper tentatively explores the ecclesiological and theological re-visioning necessary for a move from “church-shaped” missions to a “mission-shaped” church. After identifying some clues to missional thinking from the work of Asian theologians, the essay argues that the classical term concursus Dei is far more effective than the more recent missio Dei for such a transformation into missional congregations. Developing the notion of concursus Dei as the continuous accompaniment of God in creation or the “God-movement” in judgment and grace, it then briefly turns to a consideration of the marks of leadership for such a mission-shaped church that is keeping in step with God’s already up-and-running movement in creation.