Becoming the Disciples that Tomorrow

Requires Living and Telling the StoryDavid Schoen – Congregational Vitality and Discipleship

schoend@ucc.org

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 BeWhat 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, the as church of Jesus Christ, to be to be a missional church in our own societies, in the cultures in which we find ourselves.

Evangelism in the 21st CenturyMissional, 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 and your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27 Love of God and love of neighbor combined

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 Demographicshttp://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 PurposeRelational 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 OutreachConversational 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, Scott. J. Jones, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2003

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?