Missioholism comes from two words: missio (Latin for “mission” or “sending”) and holism (meaning “whole” or “complete”).
It’s a word we created to describe a whole-life approach to discipleship—one that is shaped by the gospel, rooted in the kingdom of God, and engaged with the culture around us.
We live in a world that is fast-paced, fractured, and filled with competing worldviews. Many Christians feel spiritually dry, culturally confused, or missionally burnt out. Churches struggle to connect Sunday faith with Monday life. Leaders feel the weight of it all.
Missioholism offers a better way.
It is Apollos Watered’s framework for spiritual and missional health—a vision for helping the people of God flourish in the mission of God, wherever He places them. It helps leaders form disciples who are deeply rooted in truth, emotionally whole, and actively engaged in the world—not just attending church, but becoming the church in every sphere of life.
The Four Pillars of Missioholism
Missioholism is built on four interconnected pillars that hold together our theology and practice:
1. Gospel
The good news of Jesus Christ as the foundation for all of life.
Not just a ticket to heaven, but a transformative power that renews everything.
2. Kingdom
God’s reign breaking into the world through Jesus.
This includes:
- God-Encounter – Knowing and being shaped by the living God
- The Story of God – Living within the biblical narrative
- Mere Christianity – Unity around the core truths of the faith
3. Church
A new creation community formed and sent by God.
This includes:
- New Creation Community – Living out God’s renewing work together
- Spiritual Formation – Growing into the likeness of Christ
- Missional Engagement – Joining God’s work locally and globally
4. Culture
The arena where faith lives, struggles, and speaks.
This includes:
- The Unseen Realm – Acknowledging the spiritual realities shaping the world
- The Cultural Stage – Understanding cultural patterns and idols
Public Theology – Bearing faithful witness in the public square
Why It Matters
Missioholism helps Christians live faithfully in a pluralistic culture—a world full of alternate stories and pressures. It doesn’t retreat from culture or compromise with it. Instead, it forms people who are spiritually resilient, culturally discerning, and missionally courageous.
In a time when discipleship is often shallow and fragmented, missioholism brings a unified vision—one that integrates theology, mission, spiritual formation, and everyday life.
How Did Missioholism Come to Be?
Missioholism wasn’t born in an ivory tower—it was born in the trenches of dying churches. It came out of deep pastoral frustration and spiritual desperation, as leaders watched congregations shrink, ministries stall, and discipleship lose its depth. Churches—especially in blighted, under-resourced communities—were withering without the networks, resources, or vision to thrive in a pluralistic, post-Christian world.
Many pastors realized they were using ministry methods designed for another era. The approaches they inherited were built for a time when Christianity held cultural credibility—when the gospel was assumed, and churches could rely on shared moral values and biblical literacy. But those assumptions no longer hold. In today’s world, tweaks aren’t enough—we need a new framework.
Formed Through Global & Missionary Insight
Missioholism began when a pastor wrestling with these challenges started asking a different set of questions. Drawing from Scripture and the wisdom of missionaries, who had long lived the gospel in cross-cultural, high-resistance settings, the realization came: we must start thinking like missionaries—right here, at home. God’s mission doesn’t wait for ideal conditions.
Theological Roots
Missioholism is deeply shaped by:
- The Bible – God’s authoritative Word as the foundation
- Church History – Listening to the wisdom of those who came before us
- Missiology – Learning from the global church and the mission of God
- Spiritual Formation – Understanding how people grow, change, and connect with God
- The Reformed Missional Neo-Calvinist Tradition – Especially its emphasis on Christ’s lordship over all of life, cultural engagement, and hope in the new creation.
Missioholism brings these streams together to create a thoughtful, practical, and Spirit-empowered framework for being the church in the world today.
