--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To reach this growing post-Christendom…" description: "\"“To reach this growing post-Christendom society in the West will obviously take more than what we ordinarily call an evangelistic church; it will take ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/timothy-keller-240_christian-faith_to-reach-this-growing-post-christendom-s_2672329.jpg" --- # To reach this growing post-Christendom society in the West… ![“To reach this growing post-Christendom society in the West will obviously take more than what we ordinarily call an evangelistic church; it will take a missional church. This church’s worship is missional in that it makes sense to nonbelievers in that culture, even while it challenges and shapes…” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/timothy-keller-240_christian-faith_to-reach-this-growing-post-christendom-s_2672329.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/timothy-keller-240_christian-faith_to-reach-this-growing-post-christendom-s_2672329.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/timothy-keller-240_christian-faith_to-reach-this-growing-post-christendom-s_2672329.jpg) > ““To reach this growing post-Christendom society in the West will obviously take more than what we ordinarily call an evangelistic church; it will take a missional church. This church’s worship is missional in that it makes sense to nonbelievers in that culture, even while it challenges and shapes Christians with the gospel.2 Its people are missional in that they are so outwardly focused, so involved in addressing the needs of the local community, that the church is well-known for its compassion. The members of a missional church also know how to contextualize the gospel, carefully challenging yet also appealing to the baseline cultural narratives of the society around them.3 Finally, because of the attractiveness of its people’s character and lives, a missional church will always have some outsiders who are drawn into its community to incubate and explore the Christian faith in its midst.”” [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## 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 be outward‑focused, culturally aware, and compassionate to engage a post‑Christendom West, blending gospel truth with contextual relevance. **In simple terms:** Church should act outwardly, culturally aware, compassionate. Key Takeaway Be outward‑focused and culturally sensitive. Themes missional community culture compassion contextualization Mood hopeful reflective Type theological practical inspirational When to use this quote - urban neighborhoods - college campuses - online ministries - social service projects Key Concepts missional church evangelism cultural relevance Questions to Reflect On - How can a church stay faithful while adapting culturally? - What practices foster genuine compassion? A Different Perspective Balancing cultural relevance with doctrinal fidelity can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-faith/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Missional church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missional-church/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“You will never have a missional church without missional people who engage the lives of others where they live, where they work and where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-ford/you-will-never-have-a-missional-church-without-missional-people-who/) [Lance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-ford/) > [“God’s church is a missional church, a community that is sent and given away for God’s purposes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-halter/god-s-church-is-a-missional-church-a-community-that-is-sent-and-given/) [Hugh Halter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-halter/) > [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/) > [ Mission \[is\] understood as being derived from the very nature of God. It \[is\] thus put in the context of the Trinity, not of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bosch/mission-is-understood-as-being-derived-from-the-very-nature-of-god-it/) [David Bosch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bosch/) > [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/) > [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/) > [A missional church is a church that must live the dialectic. It must stay in the journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-hirsch/a-missional-church-is-a-church-that-must-live-the-dialectic-it-must/) [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/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/go-therefore-and-make-disciples-of-all-the-nations/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“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/) ## More by Timothy Keller > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The more you rejoice in your own forgiveness, the quicker you will be to forgive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-more-you-rejoice-in-your-own-forgiveness-the-quicker-you-will-be/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Evangelism will come organically in friendship if we don’t let our pride, fears, and pessimism cause us to hide our faith and heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/evangelism-will-come-organically-in-friendship-if-we-don-t-let-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“The coming of the messianic King occurs in two stages. At his first coming, he saved us from the penalty of sin and gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-coming-of-the-messianic-king-occurs-in-two-stages-at-his-first/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [ “24 A few pages later, Delbanco writes the following: \[Alexis de\] Tocqueville’s detection of a “strange melancholy in the midst of abundance” has a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the-following-alexis-de/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“To stay away from Christianity because part of the Bible's teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God he wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-stay-away-from-christianity-because-part-of-the-bible-s-teaching/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-the-preaching-of-our-ministers-and-the-practice-of-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“of temple, presence, and sacrifice; of covenant and faithfulness; of kingdom and victory. When we seek to communicate the gospel to a particular culture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/of-temple-presence-and-sacrifice-of-covenant-and-faithfulness-of/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Finally, you are ready to launch your church. Begin by developing action steps and goals that can be used as benchmarks to track your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/finally-you-are-ready-to-launch-your-church-begin-by-developing/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If you are a child of God, you don’t lose your status if you have a bad week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-a-child-of-god-you-don-t-lose-your-status-if-you-have-a/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [God's salvation does not come in response to a changed life. A changed life comes in response to the salvation, offered as a free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/god-s-salvation-does-not-come-in-response-to-a-changed-life-a-changed/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-anything-in-life-is-an-absolute-requirement-for-your-happiness/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Suffering is the stripping of our hope in finite things, therefore we do not put our ultimate hope in anything finite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/suffering-is-the-stripping-of-our-hope-in-finite-things-therefore-we/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Christ will do everything for you or nothing. He's either all of your righteousness or none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/christ-will-do-everything-for-you-or-nothing-he-s-either-all-of-your/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If we give God things in hope that they'll earn us blessings, we're really not doing anything for him. It's for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-we-give-god-things-in-hope-that-they-ll-earn-us-blessings-we-re/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) [Explore all 843 Timothy Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## More Christian faith quotes > [All of my children are ideologically and politically in sync with me, they all have authentic Christian faith. It's something I'm very grateful for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/all-of-my-children-are-ideologically-and-politically-in-sync-with-me/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [What until recently seemed to be only the apocalyptic fantasies of the Christian faith has today entered the sphere of the soberest scientific calculations;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/what-until-recently-seemed-to-be-only-the-apocalyptic-fantasies-of/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [It's essential that we learn how to defend the Bible and the Christian faith for our sake and our children's. If we don't, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-ham/it-s-essential-that-we-learn-how-to-defend-the-bible-and-the/) [Ken Ham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-ham/) > [It's time for us to rise up, get out of the rut and routine, and begin to take our Christian faith seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/it-s-time-for-us-to-rise-up-get-out-of-the-rut-and-routine-and-begin/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Our Christian faith is actually very subversive of the conventional notion of success - the notion that what invests a person with worth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/our-christian-faith-is-actually-very-subversive-of-the-conventional/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the crowning proof of Christianity. If the resurrection did not take place, then Christianity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-m-morris/the-bodily-resurrection-of-jesus-christ-from-the-dead-is-the-crowning/) [Henry M. Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-m-morris/) > [And your Highnesses, as Catholic Christians and Princes, devoted to the holy Christian faith and the propagation thereof - and enemies of the sect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-columbus/and-your-highnesses-as-catholic-christians-and-princes-devoted-to-the/) [Christopher Columbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-columbus/) > [All the stories of the Bible that I know came to me first from my grandfather's lips... He would see stories in everything. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/all-the-stories-of-the-bible-that-i-know-came-to-me-first-from-my/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [My Christian faith is my backbone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-grylls/my-christian-faith-is-my-backbone/) [Bear Grylls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-grylls/) > [All Gaza's temples are torn down and burned and the city is cleansed of every belief but the Christian faith. The most stubborn opponents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsay-macmullen/all-gaza-s-temples-are-torn-down-and-burned-and-the-city-is-cleansed/) [Ramsay MacMullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsay-macmullen/) > [“I find it strangely comforting that walking the path of Christian faith means being confronted moment by moment with what is counterintuitive and ultimately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-enns/i-find-it-strangely-comforting-that-walking-the-path-of-christian/) [Peter Enns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-enns/) > [“Once we understand that the activity in the spirit realm is more real than what we experience in this world, wonders like this will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-duval/once-we-understand-that-the-activity-in-the-spirit-realm-is-more-real/) Daniel Duval > [“LEAD PEOPLE TO COMMITMENT We have seen that nonbelievers in worship actually “close with Christ” in two basic ways: some may come to Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/lead-people-to-commitment-we-have-seen-that-nonbelievers-in-worship/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [I was born into a Christian household, in a parsonage in fact, so I grew up in sort of a missionary atmosphere but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/i-was-born-into-a-christian-household-in-a-parsonage-in-fact-so-i/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [Our society is illuminated by the spiritual insights of the Hebrew prophets. America and Israel have a common love of human freedom and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/our-society-is-illuminated-by-the-spiritual-insights-of-the-hebrew/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) [Browse all 422 Christian faith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-faith/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To reach this growing post-Christendom society in the West will obviously take more than what we ordinarily call an evangelistic church; it will take a missional church. This church’s worship is missional in that it makes sense to nonbelievers in that culture, even while it challenges and shapes Christians with the gospel.2 Its people are missional in that they are so outwardly focused, so involved in addressing the needs of the local community, that the church is well-known for its compassion. The members of a missional church also know how to contextualize the gospel, carefully challenging yet also appealing to the baseline cultural narratives of the society around them.3 Finally, because of the attractiveness of its people’s character and lives, a missional church will always have some outsiders who are drawn into its community to incubate and explore the Christian faith in its midst.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Timothy Keller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-reach-this-growing-post-christendom-society-in-the-west-will/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Christian faith" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-reach-this-growing-post-christendom-society-in-the-west-will/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/timothy-keller-240_christian-faith_to-reach-this-growing-post-christendom-s_2672329.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/timothy-keller-240_christian-faith_to-reach-this-growing-post-christendom-s_2672329.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/timothy-keller-240_christian-faith_to-reach-this-growing-post-christendom-s_2672329.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To reach this growing post-Christendom society in the West will obviously take more than what we ordinarily…” — Timothy Keller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Timothy Keller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“To reach this growing post-Christendom society...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-reach-this-growing-post-christendom-society-in-the-west-will/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/to-reach-this-growing-post-christendom-society-in-the-west-will/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```