Missional Community
As a church we desire to share our lives with one another as a spiritual family. Church isn’t just like a family, it is a family. God has called us his sons and daughters and that is what we are (1 Jn. 3:1). As sons and daughters, we really are brothers and sisters in Christ. We want this reality to reshape how we think of church and ministry. Church isn’t a business or a social club or a charity or a startup. Church is a family. Of course, this doesn’t mean churches don’t have to make difficult decisions. Families have budgets and often need to have tough conversations, but at the end of the day they are still family. This should be even more true of the people of God.
Our dream is that this reality will be lived out at Sojourn through Missional Communities. Missional Communities (or MC’s for short) are smaller groups of people who do life as a spiritual family on mission together. MC’s meet weekly in homes and are the primary spaces for community, accountability, discipleship, and mission. Each group is encouraged to establish weekly rhythms that best fit and serve their members. They are also encouraged to select a specific area of mission they are passionate about where they can live as a blessing to their neighbors and the nations.
Before we start a formal Sunday morning gathering, we are trying to make sure this DNA of spiritual family is rooted deep within us. As such we are starting as a missional community before we begin a traditional church service.
Want to know more about Missional Community? Below is a great summary of all things MC put together by our sending church, Remedy.
A Missional Community is a people.
A church is not a weekly gathering, a building, or a host of programs. A church is a people. A Missional Community is the same. It’s not a weekly gathering or another name for a small group or Bible study. A Missional Community is a people. Just like we wouldn’t say, “I have my family tonight,” but instead would say, “My family is coming over tonight,” when you think of Missional Community we want you to think about faces and rhythms of life together, not meetings or a night of the week.
When, where, and for how long do they meet?
To answer this question we have to remember that a Missional Community is a gospel-centered family. So the rhythms of a Missional Community resemble the rhythms of a family. Families have structured, planned times and natural, unplanned times. Both are necessary for a healthy family to function.
Missional Communities gather on various nights and times, depending on the makeup of the people. Each Missional Community generally has some regularly scheduled weekly gathering with other get-togethers happening throughout the month. The regular weekly times meet in homes, usually for around an hour and a half to two hours.
Because life in a family happens more than just around a weekly, scheduled gathering, each Missional Community finds themselves gathering at other times throughout the week. Moms and kids may get together for play dates. Men may watch a game together. Some will gather for Bible study and prayer. Families may get together to cook out. Families will serve together. It’s all part of life together in community.
What happens in a typical gathering?
No one gathering is “typical” because no Missional Community is the same. They are organic, they take on the nature of their people, and they flow with the seasons of life.
Some Missional Communities eat every week. Some don’t. Some study the Bible or talk about the sermon every week. Some do it every other week. Some meet in separate ladies and guys groups. Some stay mostly together. Some have lots of kids. Some have none. Because the people are different, what typically happens in each Missional Community varies.
Having said that, there are six elements we strive to accomplish in every Missional Community:
Praying and listening to God together
Pursuing Bible-saturated spiritual growth
Eating together
Bearing each other’s burdens
Praying for those who don’t know Jesus
Inviting others in
When, where, and how these things happen varies by Missional Community.
Who leads a Missional Community?
Every Missional Community is led by carefully selected and trained leaders. These leaders are responsible for giving direction to the group and serving as shepherds who guide the group. Each MC leader also has an MC Shepherd who helps them set vision and engage various shepherding and discipling issues. But these leaders are not the only ones who lead in an MC.
We are a family, which means everyone is a contributor. Every member of a Missional Community is expected to participate and contribute. The varied giftings of each member of a Missional Community are part of its strength. There are gifts of hosting, serving, teaching, inviting, listening, and caring in every group of people, and when we leverage those together for the Kingdom, we are much stronger and we grow much faster. That’s the reality of a family.
What about kids?
The whole family is part of the Missional Community. That includes the kids. Bring your kids with you and allow them to participate in various elements of the group. The best way for kids to learn to pray, engage scripture, live in community with other believers, and live on-mission is by watching and doing it with their parents.
Each Missional Community has the freedom to decide exactly what to do with their own kids. Some elements are great for kids to be part of. Others maybe not so much. It may also change from week to week. Exactly how to handle kids is up to each MC to decide.
One thing we want to be clear on is that kids are an important part of the family. Involving them in the life of the community is by far the best way for parents to train and disciple them, and they add to the overall life and vibrancy of any family.
Who can be involved?
Anyone can be involved in a Missional Community. You don’t have to be a long-time attender or a covenant member to participate. Missional Communities are the best place for new people to get connected and the best way to experience the community of our church.
Can I bring my friends?
Absolutely. In fact, we encourage you to bring someone with you to experience gospel community. And your friends are also invited to bring their kids. We love kids.
In the same way we had a fond affection for you and were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.
-1 Th. 2:8