Balance Between "Missional and "Attractional Church?

The "Balance" between "Missional" & "Attractional" church has been the big conversation for a few years now.

Two Observations.

1. This statement assumes living "Missional" is, somehow, an extreme to be avoided. It's some how not "Balanced" to be "too Missional". Are you kidding me? How can anyone be too missional? What does "too missional" look like? What exactly do they mean by balanced "mission"?'

2. Those talking about the "Balance" are very deeply steeped in, and working within, a highly "attractional" Church model. They are immersed in a method of churching that, frankly, needs people to show up, and give significant doses of cash to support this church and it's style of doing things, or, or that model fails.

I'm not being negative. However, I just noticed this lately; that those talking about the "balance" between missional & attractional are in highly attractional, and costly, ministry styles.

Can one be too missional? What does that mean? Explain that to me. I think it's meaningless rhetoric, and frankly they are embarrassed to say much about it, other than, "Balance is needed".

Would we tell a missionary not to leave his comfortable church in Canada, and don't go to that village where there is poverty and unreached people? Stay here in your church! Work from this base! Certainly not! We release missionaries, to new places, and to develop structures that work for the people they minister too. Yet we are afraid to release members to do the same thing here? Stay within this structure and work from here. Do it the same way as us! Why? I am not advocating everyone leave their attractional churches for "cafe" church. I'm leading a new attractional church plant now.

But what do we mean by too missional, and "Balance"? We have not had nearly enough "imbalance" when it comes to missional living posture. I think it's both/and - any kind and every kind of church and movement, in every kind of location, size, and place, is not only needed - but required. I say, bless them all. But do release people to serve, everywhere, every way. Let them make mistakes, and big mistakes in the process, without crushing criticism. Just get out with people and serve

I'm puzzled at why we are afraid to release members to go on "mission" for themselves. Was this not the reason, the stated purpose, the goal of all of this teaching, training, and programs we do? To get people serving? Or have we only been training them to serve our purposes, and recruiting them to our goals, and our visions? Has the truth come out, that we are really not into helping, training, and then releasing, people to do their ministry at all- we do it to recruit them to OUR ministry? (I've been in ministry and church planting long enough, at enough meetings, to admit this sadly is true. We need them to do what we set out to do! I believe this is the root of the fear over the call for "Balance" from top down leadership model people)
Because, frankly, if too many got released, our way, my current way of doing church growth would, well, fall apart.

I hope my new church falls apart, as more and more members fall into serving as missionaries in the world, and this community, all over the place.

I release you!