Al vs Ary

By Easter I plan to have my book on movements finished and ready to print. That's why you haven't heard much from me lately. I've had "book fever." I need some input on terminology. I'd like to go with the concept of the people of God as a "missionary movement." Some wise counsellors are saying that phrase will confuse people. But I'm not happy with the term "missional movement" as an alternative.

So here's two paragraphs from the introduction.

Our English words “mission,” “missionary,” and “missional” come from the Latin missio, meaning “to send.” Missio is the equivalent of the New Testament Greek word apostolos, also meaning “to send.” Jesus told His disciples, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Then He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:21b-22). The Church as a missionary or missional movement is called to carry on the ministry of Jesus in the power of the Spirit. “The mission of God flows directly through every believer and every community of faith that adheres to Jesus.” The Church, in its very essence, is a missionary or apostolic movement with a mandate to take the good news of Jesus to world.

Today there appears to be some confusion over the terms “missionary” and “missional” when used as descriptors of the church. The words are identical in meaning. They refer to being sent by God into world. Unfortunately when we hear the word “missionary” we tend to think of cross-cultural or overseas mission. When we hear the word “missional” the focus tends to be on mission in a first-world postmodern context. The mission of God knows no such cultural or geographic boundaries. There is only one missionary=missional mandate. There is only one missionary=missional church. Jesus founded one missionary=missional movement.

Over to you. . .