What exactly does it mean to live missionally? Does it mean moving into a disadvantaged neighborhood to work for renewal? Does it mean living in the same zip code as the people we are trying to reach so we can truly be a missional community? Does it mean deepening already existing relationships with co-workers? Does it mean deliberately changing my patterns of life to bring me into contact with non-Christians "on their turf"?

Tim Keller helps to answer this question by observing that the standard pattern of evangelism in the New Testament centered around the oikos (Greek for household). But the word household in New Testament times was much broader than we tend to think of it.

"In the Bible, evangelism does not happen primarily through programs ... it happens naturally through one's oikos, or household.... A household was not just your family, but ... a fairly tight-knit, close set of colleagues, kin, friends, neighbors. It was understood that when you became a Christian, you had been called to be a steward, evangelistically speaking, of your oikos" (Tim Keller, "Evangelism and the Steward Leader" audio).

In our day, Keller suggests, the biblical term oikos applies to at least five relationship networks:

• your kinship network (family and relatives)
• your neighborhood (those who live near you geographically)
• your colleagues (co-workers or co-students)
• your affinity network (people with a shared special interest)
• your friends (those from the other 4 networks with whom you develop a  close relationship) 

The relative strength or weakness of these five networks varies based on your context. But what it means to live missionally is to have authentic friendships with people in these networks. If Jesus is truly important to you, and if you have real friendships with people, then Jesus is going to come up sooner or later in the natural course of sharing life. Those in your oikos will get to know Jesus as they get to know you.

So, is missional living primarily about your neighborhood, your co-workers, your hunting buddies, or your non-Christian family members? The answer is: Yes.

Taken from Bob Thune's blog at www.CDOmaha.com, October 30, 2009.