Metaphors for Missional Community

Joe Thorn has posted on his metaphors for missional community. Using a Circle, Inverted Triangle, and a Square, he describes the three areas of church ministry as:

  • The Table – domestic ministry
  • The Pulpit -liturgic ministry
  • The Square – civic ministry (HT:SM)

Kevin Rush has formulated a similar paradigm using the metaphors of Towel, Table, & Text:

  • The Table
  • The Text
  • The Towel

I use the metaphor of a house with it’s respective entrances to designate pathways in and out of the community of faith:

  • Side Door – gospel motivated relationships
  • Front Door -gospel messages from the pulpit
  • Front Yard -gospel activity in the city