I've been enjoying a week hanging with my brothers in Tacoma @ Soma School:

Soma Communities hosts 7 day intensive studies where participants work and pray with the community, study the biblical and theological foundations of Soma Communities, and reflect on the incarnational responses to the particular needs of its community, location and make-up.

This experience is for those individuals that desire a deep understanding of the Identity and Rhythms in which Soma Communities live. This intensive begins on a Tuesday and runs for 7 days. During this time you will live within our community, staying with members of our family, living out the rhythms of those you stay with. You will spend time in both urban and suburban settings.

It covers:

• Story of God Experience
• What is the Church? Identity & Rhythms
• Dialogical Teaching Class
• Building a Missional Community

Enjoyed a time with planters/missional thinkers from across the world.  About 1/2 in attendance are from Europe.  You can download some of the audio & notes from a past Soma School from January 2008.

Thoughts from Living at the Crossroads: Church & Mission with Michael W. Goheen. 

"One of the reasons we have to create evangelism programs is that no one is asking us questions such as, "What is the reason for the hope within you", "Why do you live so differently" or "Why do you love the poor, provide service widows and care for prisoners?" Our churches are so rooted in the Western story that would our neighbors think if we had Jesus removed from our life that our treasure would be removed? Or would they think it would be a small loss in relation to how we live seeking to pursue the American dream along with the rest of our unbelieving neighbors?  In Acts and the early church evangelism was built on questions because of the radical alternative way Christians lived."

Save the dates of August 12th-14th.  I'd encourage you to attend the Total Church North America Conference in San Diego, hosted by Kaleo Church.  This will not be your typical conference and will radically benefit those who attend so they can walk away changed and refreshed to do mission.

Total church is a way of thinking about church and mission in the 21st century which sees the local Christian community as integral to Christian living and Christian mission. The Christian life is 'total church' - our identity is communal. The first Total Church was held in Sheffield, UK, in 2007 at the end of October, hosted by the Crowded House.  The conference is named for the book, Total Church -A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community which will be released in the Fall in the US. 

Further Reading:

Total Church Post by Tim Chester (co-author) 

Total Church quotes by Steve McCoy

Total Church review by Mark Moore

More information to come… 

How do you contextualize in proclamation and demonstration as you launch missional communities/churches?  (Contextualization is adapting the declaration and demonstration of the gospel in culturally adaptable forms, holding to the essence of the gospel at the same time.)  Another document from Soma that they use to equip missional leaders.

Download: Missional Communities and Contextualization (pdf) 

As we continue to form around around the gospel, mission and community one of the questions we are asking is who is qualified to lead a missional community?  What are the characteristics, competencies and convictions of a MC leader?  Soma has provided us with their Missional Community Leadership Assessment Interview where they meet with individuals or couples if married to interview/assess 

1. Personal History/Stories
2. Spiritual Formation
3. Gospel Understanding
4. Identity in Christ
5. Marriage and Family
6. Mission
7. Teach-ability
8. Finances

What are your thoughts?  Any other areas you would assess?  

Download: Missional Community Leadership Assessment Interview (pdf)

MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES DEFINED

A Missional Community (MC) is a committed core of believers who live out the mission of God together in a specific area or to a particular people group by demonstrating the gospel in tangible forms and declaring the gospel to others – both those who believe it and those who are being exposed to it.

To Clarify…A Missional Community is not PRIMARILY:

1. A Small Group
2. A Bible Study
3. A Support Group
4. A Social Activist Group
5. A Weekly Meeting

Download: Leading a Missional Community (pdf)

Document Includes:

How to establish a Missional Communities Direction including the 'mission' of the community, how the community should be led, MC responsibilities, activities and more.  Created from a gospel-centered, triperspectival angle.  

Credits: Soma Communities, edited for Kaleo by David Fairchild. 

At Kaleo church , we call our home groups “missional communities,” (MC’s). The title serves as an intentional reminder of why we exist here on this earth: to love God and neighbor. Not surprisingly, this is also one of the healthiest assets to a formal counseling relationship. Gone is the separatist mentality of old-school counseling: “me and my therapist.” Gone is the stereo-typical break in relationship between counselor and counselee: “I have no relationship with you outside of my office.” In their place is the Scriptural portrait of “brother and sister,” “life-on-life,” and valued body members, all “in Christ.” Its a beautiful thing, yet strange to individualist (worldy) thinking.

In truth, this body relationship is foundational and is what “creates” one-another counseling for Christians. Its a full-on, Acts 2:44 model. And its also what moves us out to “counsel the world” together (as the title “missional” and “community” imply), for the community that lives under the cross also takes the cross to the ends of the earth together, as they are gripped and transformed by the pursuing love of Christ (As proof, Acts 2:47 tells us God added to their number daily those who were being saved.)

..continue reading post by Steve Trout: Missional Communities as Extension of the Counseling Process

Also read about developing counselors in community . 

Here is Multiplying Missional Communities that expands on the Leadership Development in Community series focusing on the Missional Community Leader.  (Eugene gets credit for the this one.)  He writes regarding when/how to replicate:

Expect the Spirit to work in and through Community

As our communities gather rdinary people doing ordinary things with gospel intentionality, we should both pray for and expect the Spirit to work among us.  Asking for Wisdom: As your MC reaches 18-20 you should begin to pray for wisdom, guidance, and direction in earnest.

Organic Cues: Like those who disbelieved Peter stood at the oor (Acts 12) we can often pray without faith. When the right time to plant comes we can expect the spirit to use
organic cues or natural signs.

- Major life changes (i.e. –having a baby,)
- Mercy opportunities arising
- People moving into areas of the city your MC hoped or needed to plant anyway.

Today, a lot of what is called church planting is really starting a new 1 hour service for people to attend.  There's a belief that just by opening your doors and great preaching, you will start a revolution.  We've seen these new churches spring up and begin to market themselves as the cool new 'un-church' where they hope to get marginal Christians to commit to the new endeavor.  The debates go back and forth about planting with a core or planting big and gathering a core from that.   As we've been involved in church planting, our thinking has changed.  Here is how we envision Planting New Gatherings in the City (pdf):

1. A Team (some call this an Apostolic Team) of people (Missional Community) are on mission in a specific area of the city.  This Missional Community has the DNA intended to replicate, be on mission and disciple people.

2. The Missional Community multiplies.  See also:  Missional Community Leader Development (pdf)

3. As several new Missional Communities are formed in an area, they begin to be trained to create a new gathering in the city.  This includes a weekly worship service to gather the communities to celebrate, worship and hear the Word of God.

4. A movement of Missional Communities and gatherings spreads through the city as a visible witness and gospel hermeneutic.

See also: Leadership Development in Community and people of God exercising their gifts as Prophets, Priests & Kings.

Kaleo Church is examining what it means to be the church, through this, Kaleo has shifted our emphasis to people living together being the church in the neighborhoods and patterns of life they are already in. We have re-oriented our leadership development & discipleship to be done in community.  Our goal is to create a systemic discipleship process for the people of Kaleo as well as bring systematic development to those who seek to grow in using their gifts in the community.  We see the people of God exercising their gifts as Prophets, Priests & Kings.

From these Prophet/Priest/King posts discussions arose about the value of centralized & decentralized leadership development.  For the sake of clarity, I wanted to unpack the three elements that we seek to use to addresses both.   

Classes - In the document systematic development is mentioned.  What was not shown visually is this systematic development will include coaching (see below) as well as more formal instruction around specific topics.  For example, we plan on doing a training on leading gospel discussions and asking questions to get at heart issues in March for our Missional Community Leaders & Apprentices. 

Community - Leaders are found and developed systemically through the life of community.  These Missional Communities are where people live as a one-anothering community and express mercy, hospitality, love and mission to the city. The developing leaders exercise their gift in community.  It is in this context individuals come across front-line situations that require them to respond, therefore the ongoing coaching & development is practical and has a target in mind rather than it just being theory.  The Missional Community Leader takes an active role of observing and developing leaders gifts and creating a culture of discipleship.

Coaching - Emerging Leaders are paired with a coach.  For example, deacon candidates work directly with deacons who develop these apprentices.  This coaching allows the apprentice to learn but more importantly be coached with specific and measurable goals in mind.  The coach tailors the development track to the unique strengths & weaknesses of the apprentice to shore up any areas that may not be covered in more systematic classes.

I'm working on a couple new posts for after the new year, until then enjoy a couple posts from others:

The Tyrannus Effect - Paul’s Neglected Strategy for City-wide Discipleship : Jeremy Pryor writes that "In a little known passage in Acts 19 we get the clearest glimpse of what Paul spent his days doing when he wanted to plant churches in a city."

Seven Principles for Planting Organic Churches : Tim Chester continues his reflections on Organic Church.

This is the final post dealing with individual leadership development toward a missional ecclesiology.  As stated, Kaleo Church seeks to create organic (systemic) leadership development as well as deliberate/intentional (systematic) discipleship to those who seek to grow in using their gifts in the community.  We see the people expressing these gifts as in three categories of Prophets, Priests & Kings. 

You can download the example of a Deacon (pdf), which are typically more Kingly oriented.  The Kingly track would also lead to Ministry Leaders and Domain Engagers. 

See also: Priests & Prophets

Definitions

Prophetic type – an 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

Kaleo Church has re-oriented our leadership development & discipleship to be done in community.  Our goal is to create a systemic discipleship process for the people of Kaleo as well as bring systematic development to those who seek to grow in using their gifts in the community.  We see the people of God exercising their gifts as Prophets, Priests & Kings. 

You can download the example of a Gospel Counselor (pdf), which are typically more Priestly oriented.  The Priestly track would also lead to Ministry Leaders and Deacons (internal). 

See also: Kings & Prophets

Definitions

Prophetic type – an 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

Kaleo Church is a movement of people seeking to change San Diego by the power of the gospel.  As we have examined what it means to be the church, Kaleo has shifted our emphasis to people living together being the church in the neighborhoods and patterns of life they are already in.  These Missional Communities are where people live as a one-anothering community and express mercy, hospitality, love and mission to the city.  Corporately groups of Missional Communities gather together weekly to celebrate together, worship and share in gospel-learning.

As such, we have re-oriented much of our leadership development & discipleship through these communities.  Our goal is to create a systemic discipleship process for the people of Kaleo as well as bring systematic development to those who seek to grow in using their gifts in the community.  We see the people of God exercising their gifts as Prophets, Priests & Kings.  You can download the example of Missional Community Leader Development (pdf), which are typically more Prophet oriented.  This track would also lead to Elders, Teachers and Church Planters. 

See also: Priests & Kings  

Definitions

Prophetic type – an 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

I spent the morning with Eugene, who heads up our missional communities at Kaleo.  One of the challenges we've faced as a church centers on discipling people and seeing leaders emerge to give their life to be on mission.  The following idea struck me from our conversation:

We often need structures to overcome our lack of community. 

How can any person's life be changed by attending weekly programs?  Isn't this just a portion of what Willow Creek 'Revealed' in their failure to create meaningful disciples?  And they were THE model for the typical evangelical church.  Kaleo is diving headlong deeper into life-on-life mission to San Diego.  Recently a sermon was preached where we outlined part of what this may look like:  (This is a summary of the message preached 11/4)

Kaleo Community Covenant

We promise to honor one another, be members of one another, live in harmony with one another, build one another up, be like-minded towards one another, accept one another, care for one another, serve one another, bear one another’s burdens, be kind to one another, forgive one another, abound in love towards one another, comfort one another, encourage one another, stir one another up to love and good deeds, confess our sins to one another, be hospitable to one another, greet one another, fellowship with one another, submit to one another while not passing judgment on one another, not provoking one another, not envying one another, not hating one another, not slandering one another, and not bearing grudges against one another.

We do all this because Christ has loved us in each of these ways and this frees our hearts to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34).

Again, this requires that we re-think a lot of things such as where we live, our patterns of life, how 'ministry' is done.  But all of us long for this type of community.