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"Church attendance in the U.S. is declining"

"We can stop expecting people to come to Us. We must go to them"

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MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES

A Missional Community is a gospel community (Family) that lives out the mission of God together (Missionaries) in a specific context and to a particular people by demonstrating the gospel in tangible forms (Servants) and declaring the gospel to others - both to those who believe it and those who are exposed to it. 

Missional Communities serve as our organizing principle at Agape. We want to orient the majority of our efforts to building and growing these communities. These communities are simple. They are a community of people who serve their neighbors intentionally, live out the gospel daily, and seek to glorify God in the everyday practices of life. However, despite their simplicity, we must deconstruct our church habits to truly prioritize being on mission and in community.

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We are building

We are continually aiming to build missional communities that can reproduce here and all over the military. Building a community on mission can be challenging. Here are some things to consider. Learn more about missional communities here

 

1. Start with shared leadership:

  • Leading a community alone can be daunting. It is important to start by sharing leadership with partners and friends who love Jesus and who long and desire to make Jesus known. Find people who have different strengths than you. If you are a teacher you may want to find someone who is gifted in the area of hospitality. Here are some biblical concepts to leader gifting and strengths:

    • Prophetic type - emphasis on the unchanging truths of God's character, the Gospel message, and the mission of the church. 

    • Priestly Type: an emphasis on the care of the soul and caring for one another. 

    • Kingly Type: an emphasis on the tangible working out of the mission through structures, strategic thinking, and hands-on activity.

 

2. Build a foundation on the Gospel​:

  • ​Gospel Power: Saved from the penalty of sin; being saved from the power of sin; and will be saved from the presence of sin. 

  • Gospel People: New Identity in Christ. 

  • Gospel Purpose: Making disciples who make disciples

  • Gospel Practices: Live out the Gospel in everyday rhythms 

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​3. Live with gospel intentionality

  • Lead with prayerful dependency

  • Make sure the group knows the story of God

  • Become familiar with each others' stories

  • Become proficient in Gospel Fluency and the practice of proclaiming the Gospel into the heart of others. 

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4. Have A Clearly defined mission:

  • Ask God to clarify your mission - Who you are called to make disciples of​

  • Identify the difference between reactive and proactive mission

  • Begin to pray intentionally for the mission

  • Leaders clearly state the mission and call others to participate in it

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5. Begin to adjust the life of the community around the mission

  • Shape the weekly schedule to flow with the cultural schedule ​

  • Strategically place meetings to make space for missional engagement

  • Pay close attention to seasons and patterns in the culture of the mission field

  • Develop pathways of engagement in the Gospel (Demonstrate and Declare)

  • Clarify Gospel Barriers

  • Identify the Gospel doors and pathways 

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6. Stay connected to overseer and coach

  • ​Coaching for ongoing development of leadership

  • Assessments to identifying ongoing training needs

  • Develop strategic plans together

  • Supplement for areas of weakness

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7. Plan for multiplication

  • ​Regularly sow seeds of multiplication into everything (from the beginning) "We will reproduce"

  • Identify apprentice leaders 2 Timothy 2:2

  • Intentionally share leadership of the community (Leadership development is best in community. )

  • Birth new communities!

 

Agape Equip
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