--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A missional church is a church that must…" description: "\"A missional church is a church that must live the dialectic. It must stay in the journey.\" — Alan Hirsch" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1f/alan-hirsch-8667_church_a-missional-church-is-a-church-that-must_2248789.png" --- # A missional church is a church that must live the… ![“A missional church is a church that must live the dialectic. It must stay in the journey.” quote by Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1f/alan-hirsch-8667_church_a-missional-church-is-a-church-that-must_2248789.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1f/alan-hirsch-8667_church_a-missional-church-is-a-church-that-must_2248789.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1f/alan-hirsch-8667_church_a-missional-church-is-a-church-that-must_2248789.png) > “A missional church is a church that must live the dialectic. It must stay in the journey.” [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A church must continually engage the tension between mission and community, staying dynamic in its journey. **In simple terms:** Church must balance mission and community. Key Takeaway Embrace ongoing tension for growth. Themes mission community growth Mood thoughtful inspirational Type theological practical When to use this quote - church leadership - faith communities - mission planning Key Concepts dialectic spiritual development Questions to Reflect On - How can a church stay mission‑focused yet community‑centered? - What practices sustain this tension? A Different Perspective Tension can cause conflict if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Dialectic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialectic/) [Dialectics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialectics/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Missional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missional/) [Missional church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missional-church/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“So a working definition of missional church is a community of God's people that defines itself, and organizes its life around, its real purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/so-a-working-definition-of-missional-church-is-a-community-of-god-s/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [In missional churches, the baby birds have been pushed out of the nest and are learning to fly for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/in-missional-churches-the-baby-birds-have-been-pushed-out-of-the-nest/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [The missional church is not a new trend or the latest new technique for reaching postmodern people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/the-missional-church-is-not-a-new-trend-or-the-latest-new-technique/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [“Being more missional might actually mean doing fewer things. There is a Latin American proverb that says, “If you don’t know where you’re coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-frost/being-more-missional-might-actually-mean-doing-fewer-things-there-is/) [Michael Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-frost/) > [Being Missional means actually doing mission right where you are. Missional means adopting the posture of a missionary, learning and adapting to the culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-stetzer/being-missional-means-actually-doing-mission-right-where-you-are/) [Ed Stetzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-stetzer/) > [“important to note that the missional church combines the concern for community development normally characterized by the liberal churches and the desire for personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-frost/important-to-note-that-the-missional-church-combines-the-concern-for/) [Michael Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-frost/) > [“a missional church is simply any church that organizes itself around the mission of God in this world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-frost/a-missional-church-is-simply-any-church-that-organizes-itself-around/) [Michael Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-frost/) > [“The missional church will take context seriously, but will also work on recovering the biblical narrative with its richness and potency for today’s world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-frost/the-missional-church-will-take-context-seriously-but-will-also-work/) [Michael Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-frost/) > [The Missional church always thinks of the long haul rather than the quick fix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-frost/the-missional-church-always-thinks-of-the-long-haul-rather-than-the/) [Michael Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-frost/) > [“It will place a high value on communal life, more open leadership structures, and the contribution of all the people of God. It will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-frost/it-will-place-a-high-value-on-communal-life-more-open-leadership/) [Michael Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-frost/) > [Because we believe that somewhere in the nest of paradigms contained in the phrase "missional church" lies nothing less that the future viability of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/because-we-believe-that-somewhere-in-the-nest-of-paradigms-contained/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [The dialectic between change and continuity is a painful but deeply instructive one, in personal life as in the life of a people.To "see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-dialectic-between-change-and-continuity-is-a-painful-but-deeply/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [Rhetoric completes the tools of learning. Dialectic zeros in on the logic of things, of particular systems of thought or subjects. Rhetoric takes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/rhetoric-completes-the-tools-of-learning-dialectic-zeros-in-on-the/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [I always cringe when a male friend of mine, who's very fixated on women, puts "compatibility" at the top of his list of attributes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/i-always-cringe-when-a-male-friend-of-mine-who-s-very-fixated-on/) [James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/) > [It was not by dialectic that it pleased God to save His people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose/it-was-not-by-dialectic-that-it-pleased-god-to-save-his-people/) [Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose/) ## More by Alan Hirsch > [If we are going to make the change from community to communitas, and not just end up with an unsustainable adrenaline-junkie culture, we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/if-we-are-going-to-make-the-change-from-community-to-communitas-and/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Because we believe that somewhere in the nest of paradigms contained in the phrase "missional church" lies nothing less that the future viability of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/because-we-believe-that-somewhere-in-the-nest-of-paradigms-contained/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [A retreatist spirituality is not a spirituality that can, or will, transform the world in Jesus's name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/a-retreatist-spirituality-is-not-a-spirituality-that-can-or-will/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Go among the people. Don't assume you know what church looks like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/go-among-the-people-don-t-assume-you-know-what-church-looks-like/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [“I have come to believe that the major threat to the viability of our faith is that of consumerism. This”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/i-have-come-to-believe-that-the-major-threat-to-the-viability-of-our/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Christianity is an adventure of the spirit or it is not Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/christianity-is-an-adventure-of-the-spirit-or-it-is-not-christianity/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [The fact is that if Jesus's future kingdom is secure, those who trust in its coming will enact it now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/the-fact-is-that-if-jesus-s-future-kingdom-is-secure-those-who-trust/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Those of us with too much invested in the way things are will never embrace the revolutionary cause required for wholesale change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/those-of-us-with-too-much-invested-in-the-way-things-are-will-never/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [“All apostolic ministry in some sense involves this return to the founding message as well as purpose. The missional task that follows is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/all-apostolic-ministry-in-some-sense-involves-this-return-to-the/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Every Christian is a sent one. There is no such thing as an unsent Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/every-christian-is-a-sent-one-there-is-no-such-thing-as-an-unsent/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Heroes are important not only because they symbolize what we believe to be important, but because they also convey universal truths about personal self-discovery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/heroes-are-important-not-only-because-they-symbolize-what-we-believe/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [There's no such thing as an unsent Christian. You have already been SENT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/there-s-no-such-thing-as-an-unsent-christian-you-have-already-been/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [It's not so much that the church has a mission, it's that the mission of God has a church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/it-s-not-so-much-that-the-church-has-a-mission-it-s-that-the-mission/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [Being the church that Jesus intended means that we must participate in God’s eternal purposes for his world. Renewal means more than reinventing ourselves;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/being-the-church-that-jesus-intended-means-that-we-must-participate/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) > [“How did we ever get to believe that faithfulness involved simply retaining past forms and thinking? With the Creator God as our Father, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/how-did-we-ever-get-to-believe-that-faithfulness-involved-simply/) [Alan Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) [Explore all 79 Alan Hirsch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-hirsch/) ## More Church quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Turn over the pages of history and read the damning record of the church's opposition to every advance in every field of science. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/turn-over-the-pages-of-history-and-read-the-damning-record-of-the/) [Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [The minute you walk outside of your church on Sunday you're in mission territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/the-minute-you-walk-outside-of-your-church-on-sunday-you-re-in/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) [Browse all 9,430 Church quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A missional church is a church that must live the dialectic. 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