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Missional Communities: Vision and Details
Sunday Sept 25 we launched two Missional Communities. We talked for a bit about the details of how we’re gathering and the vision for each MC. Below you’ll find links to both the audio and a PDF of the handouts referred to (Not very well-designed yet!).
Missional Community Vision/Details Handouts (PDF)
Other helpful info to check out regarding Christ Church’s Missional Communities:
- BLOG POST: What might a typical MC gathering look like?
- AUDIO: Why We Do Church As A Network of Missional Communities
Ben’s sermon from Sept 11 on Matthew 16:13-19 and 28:16-20 – we discussed why we are structuring our church this way. - AUDIO: Tearing Down Strongholds
Paul Maconochie spoke to us on Sept 18 from 2 Cor 10:1-6 about what it looks like to join God in his work by “tearing down strongholds” in our minds that prevent us from entering into the things of God. - AUDIO: Embracing Your Missionary Identity
Ben’s sermon from our MC launch on Sept 25 from Isaiah 61 and Luke 4:14-21.
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State of the Church Address
Or something like that! Basically it’s just that after a profoundly helpful weekend of input, coaching, prayer and planning, I wanted to communicate with all of you in a bit more detail about the exciting things we’re moving into at Christ Church.
The first thing I’d encourage you to do is make sure you listen to the sermon audio from the past two weekends at Christ Church. Both talks give some important foundations that will help you understand what we are up to.
Sept 11: I talked about why we are structuring ourselves as a network of MCs:
WHY WE DO CHURCH AS MISSIONAL COMMUNITIESSept 18: Paul Maconochie spoke to us about what it looks like to join God in his work by “tearing down strongholds” in our minds that prevent us from entering into the things of God. It was a powerful time of being called to a “normal Christian life,” laying down our lives for the last, the lost, and the least. We heard many wonderful examples of ordinary people taking hold of discipleship and mission, and how it is beginning to change a city. I was inspired to believe that we could see something similar happen in Fort Wayne:
TEARING DOWN STRONGHOLDSAs most of you know, we’re going to be launching as a network of two Missional Communities soon. MCs aren’t programs or events, but simply people covenanting together to live as extended families on mission together. I want to make sure you know how things will play out over the next few weeks so you can pray about how you’re called to be involved.
SUN SEPT 25: LAUNCH PARTY
Next Sunday at 5pm at our worship gathering, MC leaders will share the vision they have for the neighborhood or network they feel called to reach out to. Andrew and Lyndsay Stryffeler will lead the Northside MC, focused on the Northside area of Fort Wayne, and Deb and I will lead a MC called Open Door, focused on learning to “welcome the stranger” in our midst.SUN OCT 2: MC VISION BRUNCHES
Both MCs will host brunches to go into further detail as to what it is they are calling people into. Pick one to check out and bring some brunchy food to share!
- Northside MC : 10am at 1816 Alabama Ave
- Open Door MC : 11am at 7116 Tanbark LnSUN OCT 9: WORSHIP CELEBRATION
MCs will again share vision, and some info about what they’re planning to do the following weekend.SUN OCT 16: MC GATHERINGS
- Northside MC : Bike ride and harvest party (time/place TBA)
- Open Door MC : Brunch, worship, and Colts game (time/place TBA)SUN OCT 23: WORSHIP CELEBRATION / COMMISSIONING
During our worship celebration (5pm) we will pray for and commission the core teams of each MC.I would encourage you to do a couple things over these next few weeks:
1. PRAY: OBSERVE / REFLECT / DISCUSS – As Paul Maconochie said last Sunday, use the next few weeks to pray about what God is saying to you in this next season. How will you respond to His leading?
2. VISIT THE MC GATHERINGS – Pray about and imagine what it would be like to commit to living life-on-life with an extended family on mission together. There are costs to this, certainly. But when we are willing to pay the costs the life we get is incredibly rich and fruitful. Where is God calling you to invest?
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What Will MCs Be Doing?
As we prepare to launch as a network of missional communities Sept 25, a question that often surfaces in peoples’ minds is the practical one: What will the MCs actually be doing?
This is a great question.
One of the misunderstandings of MCs is that they are groups that merely do “service projects” together. While MCs may occasionally engage in such activities, their purpose is not to be “do-gooder societies.” MCs, rather, are all about relationships: UP (with God), IN (with one another), and OUT (with those in the their mission context). So cultivating a sense of “extended family” will be an extremely important part of any MC, as will a sense of engaging with God together, and engaging meaningfully with people, drawing them toward Christ together.
Each MC will have a distinct flavor and rhythm, of course, based on its mission context, but one of the main things every MC will do is to encourage what Paul seemed to view as the foundation of church life: everyone participating to build up everyone else.
- “and since we all have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us let each exercise them accordingly…” (Rom. 12:4-6)
- “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (I Cor. 12:7)
- “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift… for the equipping of God’s people” (Eph. 4:7)
When Paul mentions the giving of spiritual gifts and their function he always identifies two facts: first, that each one of us has gifts, and second, that each one of us exercises those gifts for everyone else.
Paul’s logic, then, runs like this:
- Everybody gives
- Out of their holy spirit gifting
- For the building up of everyone else
Paul understood that the primary expression of church life needs to be a place where we are known and loved individually and are able to know and love others and everyone participates. This is one of the main reasons we are organizing ourselves as a network of MCs, and one of the main things every MC will do. Prepare to be known and loved!
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Launching Missional Communities Sept 25
After over a year of learning, laying foundations, and building a discipling culture, we will be officially launching as a network of missional communities on September 25 with a party/commissioning service for our first two missional communities.
The several gatherings leading up to our launch will be important times of vision and preparation:
- Sunday Sept 11: Why We Do Church This Way
At our worship celebration (5pm at 300 E Wayne St), we’ll be talking about why we are organizing ourselves as a network of missional communities, and some of the heart and vision behind the move. - Sunday Sept 18: Paul Maconochie speaking
Paul will be sharing at our worship celebration (5pm at 300 E Wayne St). Paul is the Senior Pastor of Network Church Sheffield, a growing MC-based church in Sheffield, UK. He’ll be speaking into our community as a practitioner of MCs for many years. - Sunday Sept 25: Launch Party
We’ll come together to hear about the vision of each MC, as well as party together and send out the communities to incarnate the love of Christ in the neighborhoods and networks of Fort Wayne.
There will be more information coming soon about the two MCs we are planting, but after our launch, our pattern of gathering will generally be:
- 1st Sunday: MC gatherings
- 2nd Sunday: Worship Celebration (all MCs together)
- 3rd Sunday: MC gatherings
- 4th Sunday: Worship Celebration (all MCs together)
The purpose of MC gatherings is different from Worship Celebrations and small groups. Here is how we will structure ourselves and the functions of the various gatherings:
LARGE: WORSHIP CELEBRATIONS
{ MOMENTUM / INSPIRATION / STORY }A Worship Celebration is where all MCs come together to be inspired and inspire one another toward further missional engagement. Here we seek to steward the missional momentum of the church and inspire current and future MCs with fresh preaching from the Scriptures, stories from MCs around the city, and an atmosphere of celebration and joy.
MEDIUM: MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES
{ COMMUNITY / MISSION / TRAINING }Missional communities are mid-sized groups of 20-50 people who gather around a specific mission focus, joining God in the renewal of a neighborhood or relational network. They focus on engaging with God together, being a family together, and engaging in practical mission together. MCs also provide an ideal space for people to be trained in various aspects of ministry (leading worship, praying for the sick, exercising spiritual gifts).
SMALL: LIFE GROUPS
{ SUPPORT / CHALLENGE / FORMATION }Life groups are subsets of MCs, small communities of 6-10 people who gather to grow as apprentices of Jesus together. Leaders cultivate an atmosphere that is both supportive and challenging. These are the places we share on a deeper level what is happening in our lives. We discover how God is at work in our lives, and are challenged and held accountable to respond in ways that open us up to the transforming power of the Spirit.
- Sunday Sept 11: Why We Do Church This Way
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Leadership Weekend Sep 16-17
Twice a year we do a training weekend for leaders along with two other churches in Fort Wayne called the Leadership Weekend.
The next one is Sep 16-17 and Paul Maconochie will be speaking. Paul is the Senior Pastor of Network Church Sheffield, a growing multi-site church in Sheffield, UK. He is also the leader of the Covenant Kingdom Network, a network of churches across the Midlands of the North of England. Over the last few years the Sheffield church has seen exciting growth as they have reached out to the Last, the Least and the Lost through Missional Communities.
Anyone is welcome to come and kids’ care is available. See the full schedule and register online.
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September Gathering Schedule
Please make note of the changed schedule for September to prepare us for launching Missional Communities:
- Sun Sep 4: Community Meal @ 11am
Bring food to share | 7116 Tanbark Ln - Sun Sep 11: Worship Celebration @ 5pm
300 E Wayne StSep 16-17: LEADERSHIP WEEKEND
Practical leadership training for MC/Huddle leaders and teams. Paul Maconochie will be speaking. Anyone is welcome to come. Kids’ care is available. Register online.
- Sun Sep 18: Worship Celebration @ 5pm
Paul Maconochie with us | 300 E Wayne St - Sun Sep 25: Launch Sunday @ 5pm
300 E Wayne St
- Sun Sep 4: Community Meal @ 11am
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August Gathering Schedule
Here is a schedule of our organized gatherings during August:
- Sun Aug 7: Community Meal @ 5pm
Bring food to share | 7116 Tanbark Ln - Sun Aug 14: Worship Celebration @ 5pm
300 E Wayne St - Sat Aug 20: Day OUT @ 5:30pm
Charis House (431 Fairmount Pl) - Sun Aug 28: Worship Celebration @ 5pm
300 E Wayne St
- Sun Aug 7: Community Meal @ 5pm
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Pulling the Thorns
Sermon by Ben Sternke on July 24, 2011 from the parable of the soils in Mark 4:1-20.
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June Gathering Schedule
Here is a schedule of our organized gatherings during June:
- Sun June 5: Community Meal @ 5pm
7116 Tanbark Ln / Bring food to share! - Sun June 12: Pentecost Worship Celebration @ 5pm
300 E Wayne St - Sat June 18: Day OUT: Fun Night @ 5:30pm
Charis House (431 Fairmount Pl) / No gathering Sunday - Sun June 26: Worship Celebration @ 5pm
300 E Wayne St
- Sun June 5: Community Meal @ 5pm
