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The Missional Mom: Living with Purpose at Home & in the World
Do you see motherhood as a mission and divine calling? Today's Christian moms come from a full range of personal and professional contexts, whether they are homemakers, full-time workers in the marketplace, or somewhere in between. Yet many Christian mothers are living missional lives, using their gifts and abilities to further God's kingdom by engaging the world around them. They artfully, passionately, and sometimes messily juggle multiple callings and demonstrate in their modern-day contexts how they are emulating the woman of noble character in Proverbs 31. The Missional Mom will affirm Christian mothers who desire to not only to build their homes in a Christ-like way, but also engage the world with their skills, abilities, and interests. It won't minimize the importance of a woman's role in her home, but it will encourage her to not ignore the stirrings God has planted within her to extend her influence.
224 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2010
16 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
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August 3, 2011
I could not finish this book though I did skim through to the end to confirm my suspicion that the inaccuracies would continue (I read word for word about half the book).
Somehow, according to this book it is unChristian to be American. A church that played patriotic songs on the fourth of July was accused of sending an underlying message that to be Christian is to be American. I couldn't follow the logic there. The church didn't play patriotic music at every service and gathering, they played it as part of a 4th of July celebration. Wouldn't it be ok for the Church of England to play their national anthem on a national holiday without implying that all Christians should be British?
Scripture was sometimes quoted correctly in context and was informative but often it was taken out of context to support an idea that it was never meant to support. I dislike having to grab my bible every few minutes to make sure the scriptures quoted are being used correctly but that is what I had to do in this case.
There were several fairly ridiculous sections equating capitalism with greed. I am fine with the criticisms of consumerism and greed but democracy and capitalism give us the money and freedom that we use not only as a country but as individuals to spread Gods word and provide money, services and goods to those in our country and abroad. Socialist and communist countries don't do this. Lee's book could not have been published in many other countries.
There is more to dislike here. Most of her examples were of people who have lots of choices. Many are wealthy Naperville, Illinois residents who have the luxury of money, education and lots of free time. Many people do not have the economic status that allows them to join Bono in his charity endeavor or to devote time and money to trendy and celebrity lauded causes.
Not recommended.
Somehow, according to this book it is unChristian to be American. A church that played patriotic songs on the fourth of July was accused of sending an underlying message that to be Christian is to be American. I couldn't follow the logic there. The church didn't play patriotic music at every service and gathering, they played it as part of a 4th of July celebration. Wouldn't it be ok for the Church of England to play their national anthem on a national holiday without implying that all Christians should be British?
Scripture was sometimes quoted correctly in context and was informative but often it was taken out of context to support an idea that it was never meant to support. I dislike having to grab my bible every few minutes to make sure the scriptures quoted are being used correctly but that is what I had to do in this case.
There were several fairly ridiculous sections equating capitalism with greed. I am fine with the criticisms of consumerism and greed but democracy and capitalism give us the money and freedom that we use not only as a country but as individuals to spread Gods word and provide money, services and goods to those in our country and abroad. Socialist and communist countries don't do this. Lee's book could not have been published in many other countries.
There is more to dislike here. Most of her examples were of people who have lots of choices. Many are wealthy Naperville, Illinois residents who have the luxury of money, education and lots of free time. Many people do not have the economic status that allows them to join Bono in his charity endeavor or to devote time and money to trendy and celebrity lauded causes.
Not recommended.
July 7, 2011
Lee makes several important points, such as remembering that we are called to disciple the nations, not merely “evangelize.” That we should allow God to use us wherever we are with whatever gifts and resources we may have. She’s right on target with her understanding that our first calling is to be in relationship with God, and all missional action flows out of that relationship. She promotes adoption, volunteering, reaching out across cultural and economic boundaries, good stewardship, being content and grateful rather than materialistic, and other important Biblical principles.
However, when I visited her website and clicked on the “resources” tab, I found three sections entitled “Living Green,” “Living Justly,” and “Racial Reconciliation.” These causes make several appearances in her book.
What worries me is how innocent and scripturally grounded Helen Lee sounds in most of her book, which belies the radical resources she’s directing her readers towards. She makes several ignorant assumptions about poverty, justice, and economics - the same common ones that average Christians (even many conservatives) have been making, and they are lightly scattered through what otherwise would have been a completely satisfactory chapter.
For instance, she condemns consumerism as idolatry (so far so good), but then describes the myriad of choices in the cereal aisle as an example of how Americans are driven by consumerism (do we really NEED all these choices?). In her mind, capitalism appears to equal greed and materialism – a common but dangerous logical fallacy. Perhaps she doesn’t recognize that having all those choices is FAR better than living in a Communist country where you only have ONE choice – and have to stand in a bread line for hours to get it. In rightly opposing the idolatry of consumerism, she incorrectly condemns the choices provided by the free market, and undermines the very foundational freedoms which would allow the third-world nations she worries about to finally lift themselves out of grinding poverty.
She talks about how she was disturbed to hear the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” played along with “God Bless America” at a Fourth of July celebration because it implied that “being a Christian and an American were one and the same.” She defines “the American Dream” as “being good consumers and competitors”. She decries that the church has become “immersed in the culture…of materialism, autonomy, individualism, and competition,” as if all of these qualities were evil in and of themselves (not merely when they become a form of idolatry). Given the fact that Jim Wallis and others in the “social justice” movement make frequent appearances in her book, I’m not surprised at the erroneous scriptural parallels and conclusions she draws.
In an especially disturbing entry, she lists the phrases describing those whom Jesus says will be “blessed” in the Beatitudes: Poor in spirit, mourning, meek…etc. She then says, “This is not the kind of list that resembles the American Dream, which proclaims the right of every American to have ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’.”
The American Dream is FREEDOM, not materialism, and the inalienable rights mentioned in the Declaration of Independence are declared as things which only God can grant and take away (not the “almighty state”). Only someone ignorant of the history and origin behind those timeless words could equate them with the idolatry of consumerism, and essentially condemn them as unbiblical.
The problem is, the average American Christian is largely ignorant of both history and Biblical economics (as Lee appears to be), and so has very little armor to defend themselves against socialist arguments cloaked as calls to discipleship. Lee’s are so subtly woven that it makes me believe she’s not a socialist – merely a misled Christian mother who wants to be missional, looked for ways to serve, got sucked into Leftist arguments for making the world better, and is now encouraging other mothers to do the same. Her motives and the scriptural admonitions to be salt and light appear to be straight up, but the practical applications she turns to as the solution are downright dangerous.
This becomes even more clear when one visits "The Missional Mom" website for more information and resources. The “Living Green” section is full of links about saving the planet from global warming. Lee appears to be fully on board with the Leftist global warming movement, believing it to be “Biblical stewardship”. She provides links to Al Gore’s debunked propaganda film “An Inconvenient Truth,” the anti-capitalist short film “The Story of Stuff,” the now-radicalized environmentalist organization “World Wildlife Fund,” and dozens of other completely unbiblical resources.
Under the “Racial Reconciliation” tab, you can find books like “Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools” by radical leftist education writer Jonathan Kozol, and “Fire in the Heart: How White Activists Embrace Racial Justice” by Mark R. Warren, which is praised on Amazon by the radical left-wing activist Tim Wise, author of “White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son.” Michael Emerson’s book “Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America” is mentioned several times in “The Missional Mom”, but what is not mentioned are the ‘Big Government’ solutions Emerson pushes, encouraging liberal policies and blaming conservatives for standing in the way of “racial progress”.
It’s not difficult to see how Lee’s ideas have been shaped by such influences. An entire chapter in her book is dedicated to racial relations, and while most of it simply encourages families to build cross-cultural relationships, it is built on the underlying theme that most Americans (and whites, especially), are closet racists who just haven’t recognized it yet. Apparently the best way to solve this “problem” is to meet some quota of minorities in your relationships and churches, such as the pastor she praises for raising his church’s percentage of “ethnically diverse” attendees from 2 to 20 percent. If the percentage of minorities warming your pews were truly a direct measurement of how “racist” a church is, then Scandinavian and African tribal churches would be the most racist in the world. But they’re not – because one is not a direct reflection of the other (except in the minds of Leftists who thrive on stoking racial divisiveness, victim mentality and white guilt to garner votes and further the cause of redistribution).
The “Living Justly” tab provides resources which promote “social justice”, which, among Christians, has become the “spiritualized” term for forced wealth redistribution via the government. The redistribution angle is often very subtle, because many Christians don’t discern the socialist undertones to these so called “charitable” enterprises. They just erroneously equate them with Biblical charity.
In Lee’s book, she praises a mother who went to see Bono perform and raise awareness for AIDS in Africa, got involved in his “ONE” campaign against poverty and disease, and met an African woman who was receiving anti-viral medicine through a program that was funded by a foreign aid package that she had lobbied George W. Bush for. The woman is amazed at how her lobbying produced results and now she’s meeting someone she “helped.”
Warm and fuzzy story, until you step back a step and realize that she didn’t really “help” anyone with her OWN money, but with money that had been taken by force from someone under pain of going to jail. That’s not Biblical charity – that’s stealing, and the Bible is very clear about theft. Using the state as an instrument of plunder to launder the money for you doesn’t make it right. Stealing by majority vote doesn’t make it right. Stealing with “good intentions” for a “better world” doesn’t make it right. That’s the subtle deception that the Church desperately needs to recognize. God may have been calling this mother to help in the fight against AIDS, but with her OWN resources or those donated by volunteers – not someone else’s stolen property.
On her website, under the “Living Justly” tab, one of the links is for a children’s book by radical anti-semite and socialist Desmond Tutu. Other recommended books include those by PETA “Animal Liberation” activist Peter Singer, ”Emerging Church” theological revisionist Brian McLaren, and Shane Claiborne, whose book includes a foreword by self-described “Evangelical” Marxist Jim Wallis. Wallis himself is quoted on page 68, which is rather disturbing given his history of socialist radicalism.
I'm afraid the 90% of the book which appears Biblically sound cannot disguise the other poisonous 10%. Christians must be wary of the dangers of “social justice” theology and other erroneous distortions of Biblical stewardship and charity.
However, when I visited her website and clicked on the “resources” tab, I found three sections entitled “Living Green,” “Living Justly,” and “Racial Reconciliation.” These causes make several appearances in her book.
What worries me is how innocent and scripturally grounded Helen Lee sounds in most of her book, which belies the radical resources she’s directing her readers towards. She makes several ignorant assumptions about poverty, justice, and economics - the same common ones that average Christians (even many conservatives) have been making, and they are lightly scattered through what otherwise would have been a completely satisfactory chapter.
For instance, she condemns consumerism as idolatry (so far so good), but then describes the myriad of choices in the cereal aisle as an example of how Americans are driven by consumerism (do we really NEED all these choices?). In her mind, capitalism appears to equal greed and materialism – a common but dangerous logical fallacy. Perhaps she doesn’t recognize that having all those choices is FAR better than living in a Communist country where you only have ONE choice – and have to stand in a bread line for hours to get it. In rightly opposing the idolatry of consumerism, she incorrectly condemns the choices provided by the free market, and undermines the very foundational freedoms which would allow the third-world nations she worries about to finally lift themselves out of grinding poverty.
She talks about how she was disturbed to hear the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” played along with “God Bless America” at a Fourth of July celebration because it implied that “being a Christian and an American were one and the same.” She defines “the American Dream” as “being good consumers and competitors”. She decries that the church has become “immersed in the culture…of materialism, autonomy, individualism, and competition,” as if all of these qualities were evil in and of themselves (not merely when they become a form of idolatry). Given the fact that Jim Wallis and others in the “social justice” movement make frequent appearances in her book, I’m not surprised at the erroneous scriptural parallels and conclusions she draws.
In an especially disturbing entry, she lists the phrases describing those whom Jesus says will be “blessed” in the Beatitudes: Poor in spirit, mourning, meek…etc. She then says, “This is not the kind of list that resembles the American Dream, which proclaims the right of every American to have ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’.”
The American Dream is FREEDOM, not materialism, and the inalienable rights mentioned in the Declaration of Independence are declared as things which only God can grant and take away (not the “almighty state”). Only someone ignorant of the history and origin behind those timeless words could equate them with the idolatry of consumerism, and essentially condemn them as unbiblical.
The problem is, the average American Christian is largely ignorant of both history and Biblical economics (as Lee appears to be), and so has very little armor to defend themselves against socialist arguments cloaked as calls to discipleship. Lee’s are so subtly woven that it makes me believe she’s not a socialist – merely a misled Christian mother who wants to be missional, looked for ways to serve, got sucked into Leftist arguments for making the world better, and is now encouraging other mothers to do the same. Her motives and the scriptural admonitions to be salt and light appear to be straight up, but the practical applications she turns to as the solution are downright dangerous.
This becomes even more clear when one visits "The Missional Mom" website for more information and resources. The “Living Green” section is full of links about saving the planet from global warming. Lee appears to be fully on board with the Leftist global warming movement, believing it to be “Biblical stewardship”. She provides links to Al Gore’s debunked propaganda film “An Inconvenient Truth,” the anti-capitalist short film “The Story of Stuff,” the now-radicalized environmentalist organization “World Wildlife Fund,” and dozens of other completely unbiblical resources.
Under the “Racial Reconciliation” tab, you can find books like “Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools” by radical leftist education writer Jonathan Kozol, and “Fire in the Heart: How White Activists Embrace Racial Justice” by Mark R. Warren, which is praised on Amazon by the radical left-wing activist Tim Wise, author of “White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son.” Michael Emerson’s book “Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America” is mentioned several times in “The Missional Mom”, but what is not mentioned are the ‘Big Government’ solutions Emerson pushes, encouraging liberal policies and blaming conservatives for standing in the way of “racial progress”.
It’s not difficult to see how Lee’s ideas have been shaped by such influences. An entire chapter in her book is dedicated to racial relations, and while most of it simply encourages families to build cross-cultural relationships, it is built on the underlying theme that most Americans (and whites, especially), are closet racists who just haven’t recognized it yet. Apparently the best way to solve this “problem” is to meet some quota of minorities in your relationships and churches, such as the pastor she praises for raising his church’s percentage of “ethnically diverse” attendees from 2 to 20 percent. If the percentage of minorities warming your pews were truly a direct measurement of how “racist” a church is, then Scandinavian and African tribal churches would be the most racist in the world. But they’re not – because one is not a direct reflection of the other (except in the minds of Leftists who thrive on stoking racial divisiveness, victim mentality and white guilt to garner votes and further the cause of redistribution).
The “Living Justly” tab provides resources which promote “social justice”, which, among Christians, has become the “spiritualized” term for forced wealth redistribution via the government. The redistribution angle is often very subtle, because many Christians don’t discern the socialist undertones to these so called “charitable” enterprises. They just erroneously equate them with Biblical charity.
In Lee’s book, she praises a mother who went to see Bono perform and raise awareness for AIDS in Africa, got involved in his “ONE” campaign against poverty and disease, and met an African woman who was receiving anti-viral medicine through a program that was funded by a foreign aid package that she had lobbied George W. Bush for. The woman is amazed at how her lobbying produced results and now she’s meeting someone she “helped.”
Warm and fuzzy story, until you step back a step and realize that she didn’t really “help” anyone with her OWN money, but with money that had been taken by force from someone under pain of going to jail. That’s not Biblical charity – that’s stealing, and the Bible is very clear about theft. Using the state as an instrument of plunder to launder the money for you doesn’t make it right. Stealing by majority vote doesn’t make it right. Stealing with “good intentions” for a “better world” doesn’t make it right. That’s the subtle deception that the Church desperately needs to recognize. God may have been calling this mother to help in the fight against AIDS, but with her OWN resources or those donated by volunteers – not someone else’s stolen property.
On her website, under the “Living Justly” tab, one of the links is for a children’s book by radical anti-semite and socialist Desmond Tutu. Other recommended books include those by PETA “Animal Liberation” activist Peter Singer, ”Emerging Church” theological revisionist Brian McLaren, and Shane Claiborne, whose book includes a foreword by self-described “Evangelical” Marxist Jim Wallis. Wallis himself is quoted on page 68, which is rather disturbing given his history of socialist radicalism.
I'm afraid the 90% of the book which appears Biblically sound cannot disguise the other poisonous 10%. Christians must be wary of the dangers of “social justice” theology and other erroneous distortions of Biblical stewardship and charity.
Read
May 18, 2011"My mother was missional before anyone used the word, but I'm glad Helen Lee has described what mothers have done, are doing and will be doing with this word. This book is informed, laced together with timely and practical stories; the book is biblical and theological -- in other words, this book is a potent mixture that sketches radical, kingdom motherhood".- Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University
"Helen is exactly the kick in the pants I need as a mom. Just when I start to feel comfortable, settled, and dare I say stuck in my little life, Helen Lee comes along to remind me that I was created to be part of what God is doing in the world and I need to sit up and pay attention. By casting a vision of motherhood that includes little details of family life and the big picture of global injustice and suffering, Helen gives moms the encouragement we need to follow God wherever God might lead us". - Carla Barnhill, author of The Myth of the Perfect Mother, co-founder of themommyrevolution.com
"Helen Lee is not only a missional mom, she also is a clear and incisive writer. I'm not a mom, but as a Christian and a dad, I found myself marveling and motivated as I read this book. Now THIS is living!" - Marshall Shelley, editor Leadership Journal
"If you have ever felt your role as a mother is a forgotten one without purpose, this book is for you. The Missional Mom brims with practical examples of modern day heroes who are using their God-given roles as mothers to change the world. Helen Lee inspires all of us, whether or not we work outside the home, to think about how we can teach our children to become kingdom warriors and make a meaningful difference in the world. You will be inspired, challenged and energized to make your home a place of love and service to others. Don't underestimate the power of women, especially the power of a cadre of mothers, who manage their homes as missional outposts for kingdom work." -- Arloa Sutter, executive director, Breakthrough Urban Ministries
"I've known Helen for nearly two decades. I've always been impressed with her insights and reflections. She is a great learner, observer and writer. I'm glad she wrote a book for all of us to be inspired and moved to action! The Missional Mom is a book that challenges us (not just moms!) to embrace radical, counter-cultural followership especially within the environment of our homes. The wonder years of growing families shouldn't be seen as a time we check out of following God. This is the time we're in the thick of some of the most intense miraculous, spiritual activities (painful and joyful) of our lives both with God, our spouses, children and others. Helen stirs our imagination to go deeper into who we are called to be in our homes and beyond. She gently calls us out to be unafraid in pursuing purposeful living in practical ways." - Dave Gibbons, author of Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third Culture Church and XEALOTS: Defying the Gravity of Normality (release date in 2011)
"The Missional Mom is a treat for any mom who believes that God has called her to serve beyond the reaches of motherhood. Helen shows us how we can at once be wonderful, loving moms while also serving our wonderful, loving God using the vast and divergent passions and gifts He's given us."-- Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira, author of Mama's Got a Fake I.D. and co-founder of The Mommy Revolution blog
"We are both convinced that in order to unleash the world transforming power of missional Christianity we are going to need to learn a whole lot more from women. As Helen states, "Women have been the secret weapon in the church since the beginning of its existence, contributing significantly to the progress the church has made in the world." This is an undisputed fact! We look forward to a time when men and women are released to be all they can be in God for the sake of his Kingdom. Helen's book is a wonderful gift to all of us." --Alan and Debra Hirsch, authors of Untamed - Reactivating a Missional Form of Discipleship.
"It is easy to understand why moms might lose sight of the purpose and meaning for their lives when life is going by at such a frightening speed. This is a book that reminds women of the adventure of missional living (amidst the daily grind) that God is calling all of us to". - Michael Wallenmeyer, Missional in Suburbia
"Helen Lee has presented moms and families with a great gift in The Missional Mom. It is a great resource to help women understand and implement a missional life." - Ed Stetzer, coauthor of Transformational Church
"There is no sphere of human life which cannot find its true end in God's Mission. Helen Lee, in engaging yet powerful prose, helps us see what this might mean for mothers. Under her careful guidance, we see how the rhythms and struggles of being a mom become subsumed by God's sovereign purposes for the redemption of the world. I encourage us all who have families (not just moms!) to read this book!" - David Fitch, Reclaimingthemission.com, B R Lindner Chair Evangelical Theology Northern Seminary
"Helen is exactly the kick in the pants I need as a mom. Just when I start to feel comfortable, settled, and dare I say stuck in my little life, Helen Lee comes along to remind me that I was created to be part of what God is doing in the world and I need to sit up and pay attention. By casting a vision of motherhood that includes little details of family life and the big picture of global injustice and suffering, Helen gives moms the encouragement we need to follow God wherever God might lead us". - Carla Barnhill, author of The Myth of the Perfect Mother, co-founder of themommyrevolution.com
"Helen Lee is not only a missional mom, she also is a clear and incisive writer. I'm not a mom, but as a Christian and a dad, I found myself marveling and motivated as I read this book. Now THIS is living!" - Marshall Shelley, editor Leadership Journal
"If you have ever felt your role as a mother is a forgotten one without purpose, this book is for you. The Missional Mom brims with practical examples of modern day heroes who are using their God-given roles as mothers to change the world. Helen Lee inspires all of us, whether or not we work outside the home, to think about how we can teach our children to become kingdom warriors and make a meaningful difference in the world. You will be inspired, challenged and energized to make your home a place of love and service to others. Don't underestimate the power of women, especially the power of a cadre of mothers, who manage their homes as missional outposts for kingdom work." -- Arloa Sutter, executive director, Breakthrough Urban Ministries
"I've known Helen for nearly two decades. I've always been impressed with her insights and reflections. She is a great learner, observer and writer. I'm glad she wrote a book for all of us to be inspired and moved to action! The Missional Mom is a book that challenges us (not just moms!) to embrace radical, counter-cultural followership especially within the environment of our homes. The wonder years of growing families shouldn't be seen as a time we check out of following God. This is the time we're in the thick of some of the most intense miraculous, spiritual activities (painful and joyful) of our lives both with God, our spouses, children and others. Helen stirs our imagination to go deeper into who we are called to be in our homes and beyond. She gently calls us out to be unafraid in pursuing purposeful living in practical ways." - Dave Gibbons, author of Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third Culture Church and XEALOTS: Defying the Gravity of Normality (release date in 2011)
"The Missional Mom is a treat for any mom who believes that God has called her to serve beyond the reaches of motherhood. Helen shows us how we can at once be wonderful, loving moms while also serving our wonderful, loving God using the vast and divergent passions and gifts He's given us."-- Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira, author of Mama's Got a Fake I.D. and co-founder of The Mommy Revolution blog
"We are both convinced that in order to unleash the world transforming power of missional Christianity we are going to need to learn a whole lot more from women. As Helen states, "Women have been the secret weapon in the church since the beginning of its existence, contributing significantly to the progress the church has made in the world." This is an undisputed fact! We look forward to a time when men and women are released to be all they can be in God for the sake of his Kingdom. Helen's book is a wonderful gift to all of us." --Alan and Debra Hirsch, authors of Untamed - Reactivating a Missional Form of Discipleship.
"It is easy to understand why moms might lose sight of the purpose and meaning for their lives when life is going by at such a frightening speed. This is a book that reminds women of the adventure of missional living (amidst the daily grind) that God is calling all of us to". - Michael Wallenmeyer, Missional in Suburbia
"Helen Lee has presented moms and families with a great gift in The Missional Mom. It is a great resource to help women understand and implement a missional life." - Ed Stetzer, coauthor of Transformational Church
"There is no sphere of human life which cannot find its true end in God's Mission. Helen Lee, in engaging yet powerful prose, helps us see what this might mean for mothers. Under her careful guidance, we see how the rhythms and struggles of being a mom become subsumed by God's sovereign purposes for the redemption of the world. I encourage us all who have families (not just moms!) to read this book!" - David Fitch, Reclaimingthemission.com, B R Lindner Chair Evangelical Theology Northern Seminary
April 19, 2014
This book has some good things to offer, but also has quite a bit working against it.
A main emphasis is on the fact that women don't lose their interests, personality, or gifts when they become mothers. This might seem common sense, but in my experience it is a needed message to young Christian mothers in our culture and flies against much "role" based teaching and many societal pressures, at least within evangelicalism.
I love that she tries to relieve Christian women of the guilt they often carry around for engaging in work or ministry that doesn't involve their kids and/or feeling tied down by them. She aims to show instead, how our unique passions and gifts were given to us by God and should be used to launch us into activity and ministry for his glory and the benefit of others (including, but not exclusive to our families).
That being said, the book is not very well-written, and felt pedantic (which is maybe why it took me two years to finish it?) She shares lots of anecdotes and examples from her life and the lives of specific mothers she knows and at times it comes across as if everyone who embraces the buzzword "missional" has a lot to teach the rest of us, though she does state that it should and will look different for different people.
So while I appreciated the main idea of mothers using their gifts and living purposeful lives with eyes to the big picture of God's overarching redemptive plan, I think (and hope) there are better books to read on this theme.
A main emphasis is on the fact that women don't lose their interests, personality, or gifts when they become mothers. This might seem common sense, but in my experience it is a needed message to young Christian mothers in our culture and flies against much "role" based teaching and many societal pressures, at least within evangelicalism.
I love that she tries to relieve Christian women of the guilt they often carry around for engaging in work or ministry that doesn't involve their kids and/or feeling tied down by them. She aims to show instead, how our unique passions and gifts were given to us by God and should be used to launch us into activity and ministry for his glory and the benefit of others (including, but not exclusive to our families).
That being said, the book is not very well-written, and felt pedantic (which is maybe why it took me two years to finish it?) She shares lots of anecdotes and examples from her life and the lives of specific mothers she knows and at times it comes across as if everyone who embraces the buzzword "missional" has a lot to teach the rest of us, though she does state that it should and will look different for different people.
So while I appreciated the main idea of mothers using their gifts and living purposeful lives with eyes to the big picture of God's overarching redemptive plan, I think (and hope) there are better books to read on this theme.
April 25, 2013
Wow, Helen Lee challenges every woman--mom or not--to consider her life of discipleship and to respond with dynamic action to God's call on her life. Giving permission to moms to clear the hurdles and remove the roadblocks that can so easily keep them from serving in God's Kingdom, she reminds us that even the small things are important. But she also points to stories of bold and courageous women who made huge strides and did amazing things. Helen also urges moms to bring missional living into their family life, practice and identity, urging parents to help their children learn how to live a life of service to others at any and every stage. I especially like how she encourages us to lift up one another when we see someone serving missionally--whether a mom or not--so our churches can be places of nurture and encouragement of the missional life. This is a terrific book for any person who takes their Christian faith seriously. Love it.
February 17, 2011
Missional Mom is an amazing book filled with examples and ideas about how moms can make their worlds "missional." The idea of missional is that no matter where you are, what you are doing, God placed you there on purpose and for a purpose. Helen Lee delves deep into the subject, sighting numerous examples of moms who chose to go from mundane to missional.
I was so encouraged by this book. I meet so many moms who are living ordinary lives, are wonderful people, but don't feel like they are good enough, or smart enough, or at the right place or time in their lives to make a difference for God's kingdom. Helen Lee debunks that myth, pointing out that God is already at work, and it is up to us to decide if we want to join in his work or not.
I highly recommend this book to not only moms, but anyone who wants to turn their ordinary life into a missional one.
I was so encouraged by this book. I meet so many moms who are living ordinary lives, are wonderful people, but don't feel like they are good enough, or smart enough, or at the right place or time in their lives to make a difference for God's kingdom. Helen Lee debunks that myth, pointing out that God is already at work, and it is up to us to decide if we want to join in his work or not.
I highly recommend this book to not only moms, but anyone who wants to turn their ordinary life into a missional one.
March 28, 2011
This book was full of inspirational stories of moms living on purpose and with passion. It challenges every mom to find her own mission and live it out--however big or small it may be. I must admit that at times I became overwhelmed with the size and scale of some of the missions featured, and wanted to hear more "every day" stories instead of just the extraordinary ones. But, it ends with a good reminder to start where you are and to realize what season of life you are in. As a mom of two little ones, I'm not exactly in a place to be flying half-way around the world or lobbying in front of congress...yet.
March 20, 2014
DON'T READ THIS BOOK. There are some good points about following passions to serve God and teaching our kids how to serve others but this author is clearly more influenced by Leftists than she is by the Bible, specifically or Christianity in general. There's a lot of Leftist propaganda in this book. I'm frightened by how much the religion of Leftism has infiltrated the church in America. I'm grateful I didn't spend my own money to purchase this.
July 30, 2012
This was the most inspiring parenting book that I have read. Challenges our comfy lifestyle and encourages you to look beyond your own family unit and follow the example of Jesus by helping others.
July 9, 2017
Some good encouragement, but I felt like the book was a collection of quotes from other authors strung together. Very choppy writing that was distracting. Some inspiring stories of moms making a difference.
March 2, 2017
Essential reading. A primer in missional living, and definitely not just for moms.
November 9, 2018
This book put into words much of our parenting/missional philosophy and inspired me to stay the course! Would definitely recommend.
July 4, 2016
This book was not bad. I would say a solid 3.5 stars because it was sort of almost there but at the same time left me feeling a little like it was lacking... something.
I very much like and appreciate the premise of the book and I love the different examples given throughout. I agree with Helen Lee on most everything she has written, though I'm not surprised to see in other reviews that the usual suspects have come out of the woodwork to decry some of what she says in passing as though it is the hidden agenda of her book - give me a break. BUT that's enough about that sort of ignorance.
I think that what I'd say is lacking is really a feeling of what to do going forward. There are many books along these lines in Christian culture, and all are equally inspiring, but at the same time I get the feeling that even Lee is floundering a little at the end, as her way to be missional is by homeschooling her kids and writing this book. I'm not by ANY means trying to devalue either of those things - I just have to admit that upon reading those words, they felt a little bland compared to the things that many of the other examples she gave throughout the book have been doing.
Or perhaps it is my own inadequacy talking - I, too, homeschool my kids, and I honestly struggle with the fact that there is not more I can do, that I feel like this is a very small goal. So I could be projecting those feelings into the book, wishing that there was a big answer at the end of it with how *I* am going to be able to do more things, bigger things, better things, when in reality I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that those issues are my own and that I have to find those answers by myself.
Anyway, overall, it was an inspiring read. I liked the different stories, I agreed with the different ways that she described a missional mom. Not everyone has the same pet projects - not everyone has the same triggers that light a fire in their soul or the same issue that hits them in the gut. I love that this fact is recognized, as well as bringing to light some serious issues within the Christian community that continue to be avoided and ignored.
I very much like and appreciate the premise of the book and I love the different examples given throughout. I agree with Helen Lee on most everything she has written, though I'm not surprised to see in other reviews that the usual suspects have come out of the woodwork to decry some of what she says in passing as though it is the hidden agenda of her book - give me a break. BUT that's enough about that sort of ignorance.
I think that what I'd say is lacking is really a feeling of what to do going forward. There are many books along these lines in Christian culture, and all are equally inspiring, but at the same time I get the feeling that even Lee is floundering a little at the end, as her way to be missional is by homeschooling her kids and writing this book. I'm not by ANY means trying to devalue either of those things - I just have to admit that upon reading those words, they felt a little bland compared to the things that many of the other examples she gave throughout the book have been doing.
Or perhaps it is my own inadequacy talking - I, too, homeschool my kids, and I honestly struggle with the fact that there is not more I can do, that I feel like this is a very small goal. So I could be projecting those feelings into the book, wishing that there was a big answer at the end of it with how *I* am going to be able to do more things, bigger things, better things, when in reality I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that those issues are my own and that I have to find those answers by myself.
Anyway, overall, it was an inspiring read. I liked the different stories, I agreed with the different ways that she described a missional mom. Not everyone has the same pet projects - not everyone has the same triggers that light a fire in their soul or the same issue that hits them in the gut. I love that this fact is recognized, as well as bringing to light some serious issues within the Christian community that continue to be avoided and ignored.
June 19, 2011
The Missional Mom
Living with Purpose at Home & in the World
Helen Lee
Being a missional mom means looking beyond the scope of your own home. We need to realize that the culture around us influences so profoundly that we often fall in contrast to God’s plan. One way to stand out is to live sacrificially, to have eyes like Jesus and see the realities of the world around us. Focusing on those in need, those less fortunate than us and those in third world countries is the crux of being missional.
By being a missional mom you can influence and model for you to raise a missional family. Helen Lee says “God’s calling is for all Christ Followers: Go and love and serve others. Go and make disciples. Go and be missional. Whatever you do, go out into the world and make a difference.”
I felt the message of the book was great. We do need to go out into the world and make disciples for Christ. We can all engage in the world by spending time reading the newspaper or watching the news to see what is going on in the world. We can pray for those things. We can probe deeper into an area that God may be calling us to. And we can participate in concrete actions by taking steps of faith.
I believe that this lesson is very seasonal .I think that a mom with very young children, with many children, who homeschools and manages a farm… won’t be in this season for many years. To some degree she can still be missional. Pray for those who are hurting around the world, sponsor a child through world vision; help out at church with missions efforts. I think there should have been more emphasis on the seasons, as it wasn’t really mentioned until late in Chapter 11. Being an overwhelmed mom and reading this book would make me feel more overwhelmed.
I recommend this book for Moms who are in a season where they can seriously consider being missional. I strongly feel that those who are in the younger years are in their mission field by raising their children.
I received a free copy of the Missional Mom from Moody to review it.
Living with Purpose at Home & in the World
Helen Lee
Being a missional mom means looking beyond the scope of your own home. We need to realize that the culture around us influences so profoundly that we often fall in contrast to God’s plan. One way to stand out is to live sacrificially, to have eyes like Jesus and see the realities of the world around us. Focusing on those in need, those less fortunate than us and those in third world countries is the crux of being missional.
By being a missional mom you can influence and model for you to raise a missional family. Helen Lee says “God’s calling is for all Christ Followers: Go and love and serve others. Go and make disciples. Go and be missional. Whatever you do, go out into the world and make a difference.”
I felt the message of the book was great. We do need to go out into the world and make disciples for Christ. We can all engage in the world by spending time reading the newspaper or watching the news to see what is going on in the world. We can pray for those things. We can probe deeper into an area that God may be calling us to. And we can participate in concrete actions by taking steps of faith.
I believe that this lesson is very seasonal .I think that a mom with very young children, with many children, who homeschools and manages a farm… won’t be in this season for many years. To some degree she can still be missional. Pray for those who are hurting around the world, sponsor a child through world vision; help out at church with missions efforts. I think there should have been more emphasis on the seasons, as it wasn’t really mentioned until late in Chapter 11. Being an overwhelmed mom and reading this book would make me feel more overwhelmed.
I recommend this book for Moms who are in a season where they can seriously consider being missional. I strongly feel that those who are in the younger years are in their mission field by raising their children.
I received a free copy of the Missional Mom from Moody to review it.
January 26, 2012
This book deserves more than three stars, but somewhere in the midst of it, I lost any mimesis I could have held. I won't say I lost interest in it, because the rational part of me still wanted to read it, but I guess the other part of me--not irrationally--realized that now is not this book's moment for me. I would like it to have been an easier read... that is, parts of it were very easy because as much as it is about real women in the real world, parts of it were their stories. That was interesting, and when it came down to it, that was what kept me reading, I think.
But it deserves more stars because it has me still thinking, still looking at the world a little bit differently... it's just that I'm still at a little bit of a loss for how to go about finding my purpose, and being sure about it, and how to achieve a point in my life--and my family's life--to begin to work on it.
I mean, about halfway through this book, I became more strongly aware of my desire to homeschool my children, but financially, it's still such an improbability that I've begun to wonder if maybe that's not what would be best for them. Fortunately, I have my man around to point out the difficulties that would be involved when all I can see is how great it would be to spend all day with the kids I love most. And if my mission is to reach out to children--not just my own--then I would have greater opportunities of that in a public school setting, rather than to my own children, in my own home.
And so. At this point I'm wondering if there's some way I can meet a member of the IOOF, and be sponsored for membership, or if there's something specific I can do to get more people to come to our church (because we're soon to lose about half of our membership when one of the families moves away) and I just imagine that finding God's purpose for me will happen, even if all it comes down to is me getting the chance to get back into writing and push my thoughts into the world that way.
But it deserves more stars because it has me still thinking, still looking at the world a little bit differently... it's just that I'm still at a little bit of a loss for how to go about finding my purpose, and being sure about it, and how to achieve a point in my life--and my family's life--to begin to work on it.
I mean, about halfway through this book, I became more strongly aware of my desire to homeschool my children, but financially, it's still such an improbability that I've begun to wonder if maybe that's not what would be best for them. Fortunately, I have my man around to point out the difficulties that would be involved when all I can see is how great it would be to spend all day with the kids I love most. And if my mission is to reach out to children--not just my own--then I would have greater opportunities of that in a public school setting, rather than to my own children, in my own home.
And so. At this point I'm wondering if there's some way I can meet a member of the IOOF, and be sponsored for membership, or if there's something specific I can do to get more people to come to our church (because we're soon to lose about half of our membership when one of the families moves away) and I just imagine that finding God's purpose for me will happen, even if all it comes down to is me getting the chance to get back into writing and push my thoughts into the world that way.
February 10, 2016
I may not be a mom yet, but I wanted to read this before I (hopefully) became one because my friends warn me that there is not much time for reading once you have babies. This was a great read. It was easy to read (probably one of the quickest books I've gotten through since last year that wasn't a young adult book) and gave a lot of fodder for thought and discussion. Hearing the range and variations of stories from other missional moms was inspiring and challenging without making it easy to put them at arm's length. I love that Lee didn't focus on whether or not the moms mentioned in the book were stay-at-home moms or moms that worked outside of the home, emphasizing that all moms can become missional moms in whatever context they're in - one is not more or less holy than the other. I also liked how the book was structured, focusing on a different dimension of what characteristics a missional mom might have and how you can develop that characteristic yourself. I did find it interesting that Lee made a LOT of references to a lot of other people and books. I think in the long run it expands her integrity (i.e. giving credit for ideas where credit is due) but can be mistaken for decreasing her credibility (i.e. she doesn't have ideas of her own), but I don't think we should necessarily be re-inventing the wheel, and I think the point of the book is not to create a whole new idea, but instead to go deeper with the idea of a missional person/community by exploring what a missional mom would look like as a specific lens. I think it can be easy to assume that moms are very limited in their capacity to be missional, and that this book is great for combating that assumption to move God's mission forward in building His kingdom. I'm looking forward to having discussions with my husband around some of these ideas, and I would highly recommend this to anyone who hopes to be a mom or currently is one.
April 5, 2011
The Missional Mom by Helen Lee is a new way of looking at motherhood and faith in the emergent faith of the 21st century. Lee has interviewed several mothers who have taken steps to live out their faith in very real ways, by moving into disadvantaged communities and making it their home, by traveling to other countries to minister to the needs of the poor, by adopting children from other countries to make their homes more open and welcoming, by opening their homes to strangers in need of hospitality, and many other ways. Each woman has listened to God's love in their hearts and are changing the world around them, as well as how their children view Christianity. Lee lays out the reasoning and Scripture to support these occasionally radical actions in a way that will inspire readers to stretch their own resources and hearts to meet the needs of their own community. Lee's writing is very conversational and friendly, but you can sense her excitement and devotion to the cause. She wants to win readers over to this way of thinking, because mothers often have far more influence than they perceive. She offers realistic advice for readers to implement their own change, but her primary encouragement is to listen to the nudges from the Lord to see if He may be speaking to you, especially after reading this book. This quote from Lee sums up the book well: Comfort is a spiritual gift God gives us, one with the missional purpose that we are to share it with others. Lee wants to help mom find their place in God's plan and to realize that that place just may be far bigger than they could ever imagine. It's a book filled with hope and inspiration.
February 22, 2013
I agreed with many (not all) of the ideas in this book, but the presentation had a negative effect on me. The book was heavy on buzzwords and light on Scriptural support. (I should have been warned off by "missional" in the title -- that word itself is a turnoff to me, even though I believe in most of the ideas it represents, as it's too vaguely defined and is overused in trendy Christian circles.)
Additionally, the stories of women living "missionally," meant to be inspiring, made me feel more like an unpopular kid observing a clique I'd never fit into. Most of the examples were of women who have resources and connections that I don't, and the fact that they're mothers was largely irrelevant to their stories. (One woman took a trip to a third-world nation and introduced a burn victim to her husband, a doctor; another started a program that took off when her pastor husband promoted it to his congregation. I can admire the work of both of these women, but I don't really believe that my own "missional" efforts would bring similar results.)
I acknowledge that my issues with this book are largely a result of my own attitude and prejudices, but I do believe it would have been better if it had focused more on making a Scriptural case for moms to be more "missional" and less on praising the specific moms the author interviewed. With an argument from Scripture, I would have been better able to figure out how to apply the principles to my own life.
Additionally, the stories of women living "missionally," meant to be inspiring, made me feel more like an unpopular kid observing a clique I'd never fit into. Most of the examples were of women who have resources and connections that I don't, and the fact that they're mothers was largely irrelevant to their stories. (One woman took a trip to a third-world nation and introduced a burn victim to her husband, a doctor; another started a program that took off when her pastor husband promoted it to his congregation. I can admire the work of both of these women, but I don't really believe that my own "missional" efforts would bring similar results.)
I acknowledge that my issues with this book are largely a result of my own attitude and prejudices, but I do believe it would have been better if it had focused more on making a Scriptural case for moms to be more "missional" and less on praising the specific moms the author interviewed. With an argument from Scripture, I would have been better able to figure out how to apply the principles to my own life.
November 16, 2014
This book was written to encourage moms in the US to understand their purpose to serve God in how they live their lives not just in how they raise their children, but by living out the gospel and guiding them to how to live it out as well.
Throughout the book, Helen Lee gives stories of women who decided to live in a third-way culture in order to live out God's mission. I really enjoyed learning how a lot of families were learning to give up what society says is appropriate for living in a comfortable way and instead choose to live in low-income communities in order to help and get to know the people there as well as having some live with them in order to show them Christ's love. By doing this, their children are learning how to live out what Jesus' and his disciples taught.
Throughout the book, Helen Lee gives stories of women who decided to live in a third-way culture in order to live out God's mission. I really enjoyed learning how a lot of families were learning to give up what society says is appropriate for living in a comfortable way and instead choose to live in low-income communities in order to help and get to know the people there as well as having some live with them in order to show them Christ's love. By doing this, their children are learning how to live out what Jesus' and his disciples taught.
May 23, 2014
This book provides examples of moms, who through example, are making their families and acquaintances aware of the need to love and help others in the name of Jesus Christ. You read of moms that have gone to the extreme by moving their families to Rwanda and moms that act in place through community renewal and choosing globally aware home school curriculum. My favorite quotes from the book: "Nothing we seek to 'do' for God is as important as our actual relationship with God." and "As you seek to be missional, you may come across limits of time, energy, and resources, especially because your life as a mother necessarily entails caring for others in addition to yourself. Accept those limits, with the knowledge that your most fruitful years of ministry may come later."
March 17, 2012
Helen Lee's "Missional Mom" was a sound exposition of the recent resurgence of taking Jesus at his word and seeing compassion and mercy as integral to the gospel message, by calling it "missional" making it hip and trendy. Perhaps a needed publication for a different demographic and market, but nothing particularly new that Alan Hirsch, Shane Claibourne et al have not already been speaking and writing about for years now. The missional message re-packaged for thirty-something mothers in middle America .... A little ironic given the books anti-consumerist message!!
November 30, 2013
I liked how the book started out challenging us as moms to live counter culturally and to find our unique God-given mission. Through the middle of the book though the focus seemed to be too much on having to do 'big' things for God to be useful to God instead of a focus on serving On where you are and being more concerned about knowing God than doing things for God. I did like the ending, and feel like she eventually got there, but just couldn't relate to the while middle of the book. There was very little Scriptural support for her ideas.
July 19, 2011
Overall I was not impressed with this book. After reading it I could not really tell you what a missional mom is. The book was more examples and stories than ideas and implementation. That being said the book still did have an impact on me. I found myself thinking more purposefully about the way I view people who are different from me. But does that make me missional? If so, I think the word missional has little to no meaning.
August 2, 2011
I LOVED the intro, but after that...
Ultimately this just didn't meet my expectations. I was really hoping for a Bible study. It wasn't. And the chapters dragged. I felt like it was really an article - each chapter was a bullet point that only needed a few paragraphs - point would have been made. Plus, in my case, a lot of this was preaching to the choir, and nothing felt new/inspiring.
Do I just have a bad attitude?
Ultimately this just didn't meet my expectations. I was really hoping for a Bible study. It wasn't. And the chapters dragged. I felt like it was really an article - each chapter was a bullet point that only needed a few paragraphs - point would have been made. Plus, in my case, a lot of this was preaching to the choir, and nothing felt new/inspiring.
Do I just have a bad attitude?
October 25, 2012
I liked the premises of the book but was disappointed by some of the points the author made. She wants to be counter-cultural about motherhood but right away in the intro raise questions that are exactly what the culture wants us to think: i.e: discontentment, identity crisis, and joyless ness. There were good points to glean such as volunteer work, adoption, encouragement to become involved with those in need. The political points seemed out of place and unnecessary.
July 25, 2013
Lee begins her book with addressing motherhood challenges that seem to be ignored or looked down on in many other Christian parenting books. Her response to these challenges is both encouraging and challenging. I appreciated the picture Lee paints of motherhood--not as a How-to manual but as a way to view this stage of life through the lens of our calling to be children of God, lights in a dark world, and of course, mothers.
May 24, 2014
This book was great. It didn't really tell me anything new because I'm already on board the missional community train, but it was so wonderful to have those ideas reinforced for me in the context of motherhood. I think it would be great for any person (not just mothers) to read, so you can think about ways to be more missional in your life everyday.
November 14, 2011
there are a few books that you come across that change your life. for me personally, this is one of them. it came at a time that i needed it the most. inspirational, convicting, and a kick in the rear, all rolled into one.
March 1, 2012
I didn't really disagree with anything I read, but I thought that the ideas were nothing new if you are up to date on books about living on mission as a Christian. There were a couple of good stories about moms living with purpose, but other than that nothing to write home about.
August 19, 2012
The stories she tells, the women she introduces, and the truly inspired notion that our highest calling is not motherhood after all, but being with God, capture my heart in a way that tells me: this is possible. And this is life to the full.
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