Missional capital: A unifying framework for strengthening local church mission

A biblical vision of the mission of the local church includes outreach to the local community and participation in mission further afield. However, some churches, confronted by the challenges of local mission, separate their local efforts from their engagement with distant mission and thereby impoverish their efforts in both arenas. Churches can benefit greatly by learning from the global church and missionary efforts around the world. A social capital perspective demonstrates the power of deep mutual relationships with intercultural immigrants and missionaries to strengthen a local church’s mission participation. Missional capital, as a framework for a local church’s mission, develops social capital’s concepts of bonds, bridges and shared understanding. It encompasses strong but inclusive relational bonds between members which are complemented by a rich network of relationships outside the church, both locally and at a distance. These act as bridges between the church and those outside it. Together, church members at home and far away, develop a shared understanding of what mission involves. Through using the concept of missional capital local churches can strengthen their capacity to engage in mission locally and globally.