WHAT IS MISSIONAL COMMUNITY?
For so many, the church is viewed as an event, on aday, in a building. Our church is not defined by a building or programs, but strives to “be the church” according to scripture. In the Bible, the early church loved each other so much that they didn’t meet once or twice a week, but fully engrossed their lives together. In fact, Jesus threw his life into the lives of the people around him to grow a relationship, and through that could teach, train, correct, and rebuke the disciples, to mold them into the foundation of his church. God has called us to do the same, to invest and share our lives with others.
1 Thessalonians 2:8
We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
Our church has three distinct focuses: Gospel, Community, and Mission. It is our goal as a church to be a people that are living out the gospel through a community that is on mission. The traditional American church has turned in to an event that people attend to consume. Jesus has called us to the opposite, to be the church on mission together to serve others.
Missional Communities
Missional communities are united through Christian community, around a common service and witness to a particular neighborhood or network of relationships. Every missional community will look different because they will be made up of different people who have different passions, interests, and schedules.
But, each missional community will share the following elements:
- Family: We grow together in a Christ-centered community.
- Learner: We grow in our knowledge and understanding of the gospel, and how that impacts our life and others.
- Serve: We live a life focused on serving others within our missional community, city, and world.
- Accountability: We use the Bible to hold each other accountable in our relationship with Christ, and our responsibility as a disciple of Christ.
What does a typical missional community look like?
- Share meal together
- Socializing, fun
- Testimony
- Prayer
- Discussion centered on Scriptures
- Service
