Already-mission: Expanding congregational mission

Abstract

The concept of already-mission is developed as a corrective to current missional literature on congregational development. Remnants of the extractional approach to congregational development are critiqued. These problematic assumptions include viewing congregational leaders as mission brokers and parishioners as missional blank slates. The already-mission approach is presented as an alternative to colonial habits in congregational mission strategy. Already-mission is described using categories of values, vision, mission, and covenant. Interview questions, tested with parishioners and seminary students, are developed. Partnership practices and examples are explored, and congregational readiness factors in relation to the already-mission model are discussed.