missional community

so lately i've been wrestling so much with what's the purpose of the church and of a small group and of a saturday night service. what's biblical and what are my expectations? and where do those two things align and where do they not? because of my confusion i thought i would look to someone else for some help ... coram deo church that i went to in omaha gave me some insight that i thought i would share. i found some of it super interesting because it shows that if my expectations are wrong then of course i will be frustrated or disappointed or confused.

it's still far from being applied to my daily life, but here's their thoughts on missional communities ....

what is an MC (missional community)?

it's not a bible study

it's not a fellowship group

it's not a support group

it's not an activist group

it has elements of all of the above, but it's not just one of these

a MC is a group of people seeking to live in light of the gospel; experiencing and expressing the gospel; pursuing God together; believers and nonbelievers

what are we trying to accomplish in MC?

create a context for gospel formation, ministry, and mission

they used the illustration of a plant and how we can't make it grow but we can try to put it in an environment to encourage growth. it's the same with a person ... God is the only one that can make a person spiritually grow, but the MC can help shape the environment to be a place where growth can more easily occur

what kills MC?

1. wrong expectations

2. passivity ... not taking responsibility for your role in MC ... serve, love, contribute

3. pride ... judging people, defending self, thinking i have it all figured out

what gives a MC life?

taking responsibility for others in the group

transitioning from functional to formative

7 indicators of a healthy MC ....

LISTENING
• Lots of people can talk, not many are skilled at listening. If people are listening well, the following indicators will come much more naturally.
• Do you find yourself easily distracted, thinking about other things, or pondering what you are going to say next?

SPIRITUAL INQUIRY
• Put simply, this is following up, digging in, and inquiring into how people are doing spiritually.
• Does the way that you respond to people draw them out and encourage deeper conversation?

ENCOURAGEMENT
• If you see that someone handled a situation in a spiritually mature way, make note of that by encouraging him or her. If you see that someone is taking a step of faith in a new area of their life, encourage them with words of affirmation.
• Do people feel encouraged by you during a Missional Community discussion?

PRAYER
• One of the ways to model the Gospel to Christians and non-Christians is by revealing your dependence upon God and the unique relationship you have with God as your heavenly dad.
• Do you stop in the middle of your MC discussion to pray for what is being shared?

CHALLENGE/REBUKE
• Speaking truth in love while confronting others with a spirit of humility, calling them to turn from sin and trust in the finished work of Christ.
• Is your Missional Community tolerating unrepentant sin?

STUDY SCRIPTURE
• 2 Tim. 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
• Do you talk about the Bible naturally in the context of conversation?

GOSPELIZE
• Helping each other apply the good news of Jesus and the work that was accomplished on the cross. The Gospel is for Christians and non-Christians alike and is a message that you will never outgrow or mature out of.
• When someone asks for insight or counsel, do you respond with good advice or good news?