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Many theologians, pastors included, are deeply aware that the church is challenged in many ways. It often looks like we have lost the script for being church. And sociologically it may very well be a dead-end road. Theologically, many agree that before that dead-end, there is a fork in the road. A choice to continue as is or go back to the original plan: ‘Go, make disciples of all the nations …’ (Mt 28:20). This article explores some of the reasons why, should we not see the choice of this fork, we may end up at the dead-end. And should we see the fork in good time and make the right choices, what would that imply? Or differently said: how did we lose the plan and what was the plan all about? The article refers to literature whose authors attempted to show the original plan and suggested transformational processes to get back what we have lost. A central departure point is a remark by Bonhoeffer that ‘Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ’ (see p 2 below). The article also focuses on what is meant by disciple-making1– accepting that churches in the reformational tradition would certainly, at the fork, choose the road leading to ‘Go, make disciples …’.ContributionIn this article, the departure point is a practical theological one. The Biblical Sciences are presumed and so is Mission Studies. The importance of the Biblical Sciences, Systematic Theology and Congregational Studies is easy to recognise.

The concept ‘missional’ is well established within the so-called missional conversation. It is however often ‘questioned’ by scholars and pastors for different reasons. Sometimes it is almost dissected from the rest of theology, especially systematic theology. Recent developments in this field are given an account of in this article. The main purpose of the article is not to argue a case for the concept again. The purpose is to focus on whether theology and ministry in any way understand the radical implications if and when we are missional in being and doing. My assumption within the field of research on rediscovering discipleship in the development of missional congregations is that none of us have thought through how radical missionality is, especially over and against a ‘volkskirchliche’ understanding and practice of church. The article will also touch on some radical changes in philosophy of ministry and doing ministry within a missional paradigm. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article focuses mainly on Practical Theology and specifically Congregational Development (‘Missionarische Gemeindeaufbau’). This field stands in a direct relationship with Missiology. The article contributes to a growing understanding of the radical nature of missional thinking and practice in congregational life and ministry.

There is much literature concerning small church groups. We are swamped with articles and blogs about what to do to make your small group succeed. Many of these are purely pragmatic, with a smattering of theology or ecclesiology. I believe it is time to take a fresh practical theological look at their place in congregational life and their ecclesiological role. One aim of the missional concept is that congregations transform the communities in the contemporary worlds in which they exist. Whilst many churches now have a dual structure of small satellite groups attached around the main larger worship meeting variously known as cell groups, life groups, etc., it would appear from research that they are not using this dual combination effectively from a missional perspective and thus are not being as effective as they could be in fulfilling the missio Dei. This article attempts to learn how this may be improved using an interdisciplinary practical theology approach combining what may be learnt about this dual structure from the sociology of groups, church history, ecclesiology, and contemporary contextual studies. It concludes by making appropriate recommendations.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article suggests how their effectiveness may be significantly improved using an intra/interdisciplinary practical theology approach combining what may be learnt about this dual structure from the sociology of groups, church history, perception theory in the area of ecclesial paradigms, missional and Trinitarian ecclesiology, and contemporary contextual studies. It concludes by making appropriate recommendations.Keywords: Dual group structures; contemporary developments;actional analysis; improving missional effectiveness; contextual importance