Becoming the Disciples that Tomorrow Requires Living and Telling the Story [email protected] David Schoen – Congregational Vitality and Discipleship
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Becoming the Disciples that Tomorrow Requires Living and Telling the Story [email protected] David Schoen – Congregational Vitality and Discipleship Exodus 3:13 - 15 Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, `The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, `What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. (Yahweh) YAHWEH I Will Be What Tomorrow Requires The Future Question God will be what the future demands, but,……. Will we be the churches and disciples that tomorrow requires? Missional Discipleship “The Church exists to serve God’s Mission” Mission as Missio Dei, UCC Committee on Structure, 1992 The church of Jesus Christ is the instrument and sign of God’s mission and realm. God’s mission is calling and sending us, as church of Jesus Christ, to be a missional church in our own societies, in the cultures in which we find ourselves. the to be Evangelism in the 21st Century Missional, Relational & Conversational Missional in purpose Relational in outreach Conversational in witness in person and online Missional in Purpose Vital disciples clear sense of purpose Vital disciples are sent people Vital disciples reach out beyond themselves reclaim Biblical focus on neighbors Vital disciples multiply new disciples/ministries/congregations Reclaiming the Biblical focus on NEIGHBORS Hebraic Scripture focuses on neighbors Ten Commandments and Torah Leviticus 19:18 You shall love your neighbor as yourself Jesus commandment -You shall love your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27 Love of God and love of neighbor combined and Jesus, Paul and James extend ‘neighbor’ to all humankind (with some surprises) No Matter Who You Are, or Where You Are on Life’s Journey, You Are Welcome Here! Who are they, and where do they come from? (Revelation 7:14) MissionInsite Demographics http://missioninsite.com/ flexible web based information system comprehensive socioeconomic and lifestyle data interactive mapping platform strategic information resource for ministry Meeting Your Neighbors MissionInsite Reports MissionInsite Reports Socio-Economic-Consumer Types New Generation Activists Who Are they? Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits How to use MissionInsite Map your congregation homes Learn their mosaic types Compare to communities, learn your niche Gear programs, small groups to meet population needs and interests Track guests and friends Cluster home groups How to Register in Illinois South Faith,In Project Faith,In Spanish Lake, MO Missional in Purpose Relational in Outreach The days of waiting for people to us to welcome them in church are over. Instead of waiting inside, we go outside Bridge the gap by building relationships Missional Outreach Missional Outreach Joining God in the Neighborhood by Alan Roxburgh Modeled on Jesus sending disciples Luke 10: 1- 12 Go Local Leave your baggage at home Don’t move from house to house Eat what is set before you Listen people into speech Missional Outreach Walk or Drive your neighborhood Watch for where God is at work Take notes, make a map, collect contact data Who lives where What are community needs Who are allies and good neighbors Do this again and again Talk to your neighbors What are the hopes and challenges of neighbors How can the church be a good neighbor? Relationship Building ‘Hang out’ with your community Meet neighbors where they gather Spend Sunday morning with your neighbors Soccer matches, Lowes, Coffee Shop, Exercise Pastors ‘office’ in a coffee shop, fast food, bookstore. Have meetings outside the church. Bible/book studies in coffee shop, book store Council meetings in neighborhood context Engage in conversation, build relationships, Collect data of names/addresses/e-mails Missional Outreach Go to where the unchurched are: Pastor experience of going to bar. “I stopped wondering about how to draw younger folks into my church and started focusing on how to draw my congregation out of its building and into relationship with the world outside its doors.” Joining God in the Neighborhoo Getting Started Develop New Eyes for Your Neighborhood Teach Radical Neighborliness – “No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey…” Listen to Neighborhood Stories Discern What God is Up to in the Neighborhood Get Involved What am I/We learning - What Do I/We Do Next? Relational in Outreach Conversational in Witness Conversational ministry is central to the future of the church in 21st Century Count conversations, not conversions Brian McLaren, More Ready than You Think Conversational Ministry The postmodern world calls for disciples who reach out to a world that is hungering for good conversation about faith, values, hope, meaning, purpose, goodness, beauty, truth, life after death, life before death and God. Engaging in everyday faith conversations will not only help others become disciples, it will help us become disciples, who know and love the stillspeaking God more than ever. Conversational in Witness Spiritual Seekers want to talk. Holy Conversations – Richard Peace We are the ones not talking. Reverence for God – silence and service. Unbinding the Gospel – Martha Reese Evangelism is faith-sharing. An unchurched world doesn’t know why we do what we do and believe what we believe. If God is still speaking, Shouldn’t we be? Love Your God and Neighbor The Evangelistic Love of God and Neighbor: A Theology of Witness and Discipleship, Jones, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2003 Scott. J. If we love our neighbor and our God We will share our still speaking faith and community with them. If we love our neighbor and our God We will share our faith in appropriate ways and time. E. Word = Elbow “The e.word today is elbow.” Jim Griffith Still today the way most folks find a community of faith is when they are invited to come and brought by a friend or neighbor. Still Speaking Conversation and Invitation with Neighbors Informal moments at work, shopping or…. Be attentive for moments for a still speaking word Become a Still Speaking Voice Wear your still speaking witness Home dinners with neighbors First Welcomers New Neighbors Public Worship Ashes to Go Are You Ready to Talk? Why do you love your church? What impact has believing in God and following Jesus made in your life? How is God still speaking in your life? Are You Ready to Talk? Unbinding the Gospel • Pray, pray, pray • Vital evangelism comes out of vital relationship with God? • Keep a journal • Create an evangelism support group • Practise witnessing in church Eight Challenges Richard Peace We need to learn how to talk about Jesus We need to create spaces within which both seekers and committed Christians can explore together their spiritual journeys. We need to learn how to invite others We need to move beyond our stereotypes, fears and negative experiences of evangelism for new creative and wholistic ways of outreach. Eight Challenges Richard Peace We need to heal the split evangelism and justice issues so it is a both/and and not an either /or. We need to find the energy to engage in and to sustain an outreach ministry. We need to stay open to transformation, our own transformation even as we invite others to be transformed. We need to learn how to discuss all of this in non-theological terms. Go Forth into the Virtual World Social Media and Network Outreach on-line Church Website Invitational Interactive Messaging E.newsletter Links Facebook Church fanpage Your own Links Advertising Social Media Outreach with new Technology Becoming the Disciples that Tomorrow Requires Living and Telling the Story Missional in purpose Relational in outreach Conversational in witness in person and online Becoming the Disciples that Tomorrow Requires Living and Telling the Story What are you already doing to live and tell the story? Where do you want/need to grow?