There are only 5 spots left until the Total Church Conference is sold out. Register now if you plan on attending.

The conference is almost sold out. Here is the schedule for the Total Church Conference next month:

Tuesday, August 12th

Main Session #1: A Community-centered Gospel – Steve Timmis
The gospel is about a King who died to rescue a people who would reveal his character by their shared lives. In keeping with who I am ‘in Adam’, I individualize and privatize the gospel so that church is reduced to a necessary but often intrusive addendum. The gospel calls us to live ‘in Christ’ corporately and so show the power of the cross to reconcile and create community.

Main Session #2: A Gospel-centered Community – Steve Timmis
The gospel is that which creates, sustains, nurtures and perfects the church. To achieve this, the gospel needs to be at the center of all we are and do as the people of God. The gospel needs to be taken out of our pulpits and meetings and applied into the mundane and routine of our corporate and personal lives.

break out #1

Track 1: Being Neighbors: a Gospel Strategy (Steve Timmis)
When so much emphasis is placed on being missional and incarnational, contextual and radical it’s easy to forget the simplicity and significance of the truth that gospel makes us into lovers, of both God and others. Instead of trying to send out edgy, hardcore dudes with body piercing and tattoos, we should be satisfied with sending people who will be the neighbors everyone wants to have as a neighbor.

Track 2: Forming a Gospel Community (Jeff Vanderstelt)
Now that many are aware of the need to form gospel communities, how do we move from theology and theory to actual forming and leading them? This session will explore the process and the specifics of moving an individualistic group of people toward a gospel-centered community on mission.

Track 3: One-Anothering: A Communal Gospel (David Fairchild)
Why are so many Christians detached and isolated from one another? How can we experience a radically reshaped community? What kind of social ethic does the Gospel produce? What would it look like if we lived lives together as if the Gospel were true? Join us as we unpack the various “one another” passages in a quest to answer these questions together.

break out #2

Track 1: Evangelising the Urban Poor (Tim Chester)
We have endless resources on reaching postmoderns, most of which in fact address student and professional culture. In comparison there’s very little on understanding and reaching the urban poor. Drawing on insights from biblical counselling, this session suggests some ways forward for evangelizing and discipling the urban poor. Join the work-in-progress!

Track 2: Story & Rhythm of Soma Community (Caesar Kalinowski)

Track 3: Reading Cultural Texts (Mike Gunn)
This is a missional gaze at pop culture. We will be taking a look at the “Other” gospels in our culture (Media, film, books, etc.), and how to read them in a way that can help propel you to a better understanding of them for the sake of the gospel. We will look at the reason why this is important to our mission, as well as, some help for understanding and engaging pop culture in authentic ways.

Wednesday, August 13th

Main Session #3: Rethinking Attractional Church – Tim Chester
Attractional church (‘come to us’) and missional church (‘go to them’) are often set up as alternatives, yet throughout the Scriptures God calls his people to a life that attracts the nations. We can bring attractional and missional approaches together by re-conceiving church as a community rather than an event.

Main Session #4: Remodeling Attractional Church – Steve Timmis
As we focus more on the quality of our lives together rather than the slick performance of our Sunday meetings we will see how a gospel community is an integral and indispensable piece of the evangelism jigsaw. In fact, people won’t be able to fully understand the magnitude of what God has done in Christ without it.

break out #3

Track 1: Out of the Frying Pan… (David Fairchild & Mark Moore)
Is God calling your church out of Ur? How do you get your church to move from traditional to missional? Both Mark Moore and David Fairchild are practicing church planters that initially planted relatively traditional churches built around the Sunday gathering. As they labored to develop deep community as a gospel display people for their cities, they realized things needed to change. Come and hear their stories and insights as they share what pitfalls to avoid and what challenges to accept as missional leaders. This breakout is intended for anyone looking to turn the corner missionwards!

Track 2: Beyond Total Church – Sowing the Seeds of a Movement (Tim Chester)
How can we plant churches that plant churches? What can we learn from church planting movements? How can we build in reproducibility?

Track 3: Communication in a Post-Christian World (Drew Goodmanson & Caesar Kalinowski)
The culture is changing and it requires new thought in communication. This session will help you learn how to effectively minister in a post-Christian context. Come learn the 1) five values of this Post-Christian generation, the 2) ten idols that enslave them and 3) effective ways to communicate the eternal and unchanging gospel message.

break out #4

Track 1: The Everyday Rhythms of a Gospel Display People (Jeff Vanderstelt)
The gospel community is called to be a display of the gospel in everyday ways of life so that others might see what their life would look like in the gospel. In order to do this, the church needs to lead their people to identify everyday practices and then lead them to live out their identity in Christ within them. This session will identify some of those everyday rhythms and and then explore how we can display the gospel through them.

Track 2: True Gospel Community in a Truly Big Metroplex (Mark Moore)
Being a gospel community that does life and mission together is sometimes easier said than done. This is especially the case in large cities that are characterized by sprawl as well as population. This session will concentrate on leading your people to make missionary decisions in their everyday lives in response to the gospel. Specific challenges to this way of life in a metroplex setting will be examined.

Track 3: Reaching the Domains of Society (Drew Goodmanson & Caesar Kalinowski)
How do we bring gospel renewal to our cities in the 7 pillars of society… Business, Education, Healthcare, Government, Media, Social Services [including other churches] & Marginalized? We believe the gospel informs all of life and this good news helps shape how we view the world and our involvement in it. How do we equip Christians to engage in redemptive work in science, politics, art, culture, business, economics, education, local concerns, mercy ministries, social justice, environmentalism, law, media, social concerns and spirituality.

Thursday, August 14th

Main Session #5: Making Disciples for Missional Church – Tim Chester
‘I’m free and belong to no man’ could be the slogan of our age. But Paul continues: ‘I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.’ What kind of people are going to sustain a church planting movement? This session explores how the cross and resurrection should shape our lives.

Main Session #6: Making Disciples in Missional Church – Tim Chester
This session looks at how we train and pastor one another in the context of ordinary life and the context of Christian community.

break out #5

Panel Q/A Session

break out #6

Track 1: Wrapping up Total Church (Tim Chester)
This session will be built around the questions of those attending, especially concerning the application and implications for the issues Tim raised during his main sessions.

Track 2: Developing Missional Leaders (Jeff Vanderstelt)
There is plenty of opportunity to hear and learn about being a gospel-centered church on mission. And, after a few days at a conference, the tendency of teachers and preachers is to go home and tell our people to get going. If we are going to lead a gospel-centered church on mission we must do more than that. During this session we will explore some ways to identify, equip and support a group of gospel-centered leaders to share in leading the mission with us.

Track 3: Urban Discipleship (Mike Gunn)
The city holds more than 50% of of the world’s population, and is growing rapidly toward a world-wide megalopolis, while the church continues to migrate to the suburbs. The city also holds both the keys to the culture, and abyss of brokenness. In America our cities are becoming multi-ethnic/racial posing unique challenges and opportunities for our churches. In this session we will take a look at the role of the church (Make disciples), what it looks like to make disciples, and why we should be doing it in the cities of West and the world!

We (Kaleo) and several other communities continue to develop a tighter relationship. Recently the leaders of these communities collaborated on a list of shared values, led by The Crowded House. If these interest you, I’d encourage you to register for the Total Church Conference our collective communities are holding. Here is the current state:

The Crowded House is a family of church planting networks. Our congregations are committed to working together within, and between, networks around the following shared aspirations. They are a statement of our distinctives and are not intended to be a judgment on those with gospel commitment who do things differently.

1. the priority of the gospel
We are committed to filling ordinary life with gospel intentionality, pastoring one another with the gospel and sharing the gospel with unbelievers. We challenge one another to be sacrificial, servant-hearted, risk-taking and flexible because the gospel has priority over our comfort, preferences, security and traditions. We will not let Christian activity be just one part of our lives.

2. mission through community
We are committed to communicating the gospel message in the context of a gospel community. As we build relationships with people and share the gospel message, we want to introduce them to Christian community. We want people to experience church as a network of relationships rather than a meeting you attend or a place you enter. We will not put on evangelistic missions outside the context of a Christian community.

3. home as the primary location of church
We want a reproducible model of church without any trappings that might impede freedom and flexibility. We are committed to homes as a context for all or most of church life with home shaping the ethos of church. When congregations use other buildings, those buildings will not be viewed as the main focus of mission.

4. sharing our lives as extended family
We are committed to sharing our lives in Christian community, caring for one another, discipling one another and resolving conflict. We expect one another to make decisions with regard to the implications for the church and to make significant decisions in consultation with the church. We will not let conflict continue unresolved, nor view church simply as a meeting you attend.

5. inclusive communities
We are committed to welcoming broken people and making church accessible to unbelievers. We want to offer a sense of belonging, and be communities of grace in which people can be open and vulnerable. We will not let our welcome be dependent on adherence to any cultural norms not demanded by the gospel.

6. working for city renewal
We are committed to working for neighborhood and city renewal – redressing injustice, pursuing reconciliation and welcoming the marginalized. We celebrate the diversity of cultures in our local contexts while recognizing the need for gospel renewal. We encourage one another to glorify God and serve others through the workplace, business, community projects, government and artistic endeavor. We will not make a division between spiritual and non-spiritual activities.

7. growing by starting churches and church planting networks
We are committed to starting new congregations. We will work together within, between and beyond our networks of missionary congregations. Our vision is to collaborate in a wider church planting movement to litter the world with communities of light. We will not develop into single, large congregations, nor become insular congregations.

8. prayer as a missionary activity
Recognizing that God is the primary agent and orchestrator of mission, we view prayer as a missionary activity. We will offer prayer to unbelievers, witnessing to a living and personal relationship with our sovereign Father. We want prayer to be both a regular community discipline, and an impromptu response to needs and opportunities. We will not assume we are in control of mission, nor rob God of his glory by boasting of our achievements.

9. everyone exercising gospel ministry
We are committed to every Christian seeing themselves as a missionary and exercising gospel ministry in every aspect of life. We shape activities around gospel opportunities we have with unbelievers, and the gifts and passions of church members. We believe leadership is important, seeing leaders as facilitators of gospel ministry rather than those who exercise control. We will not make distinctions between full-time and nonfull-time ministers.

10. shaped by the Bible story
We want our lives and our life together to be formed and shaped by the Bible’s story of redemption. We believe the Bible to be the reliable, authoritative and sufficient word of God, and are therefore committed to good Bible learning. We will not act on the basis of tradition, habit or pragmatism without reflection on the Bible. We will not see Bible teaching as an end in itself, but as that which must shape our thinking and action.

The sessions are available from when David Fairchild & I spoke at Vintage 21. There are two sessions on Triperspectival Leadership:

Session 1: Foundations of Triperspectivalism & Leadership (Prophet, Priest & King) - This session is a theological introduction to triperspectivalism done by David Fairchild.
Session 2: Applications of Triperspectival Leadership & the Church - A session of how triperspectivalism effects the church, case studies and application done by David Fairchild & Drew Goodmanson.

Last day of the discounted early rate for Total Church North America Conference 2008 in San Diego, CA this August 12-14. After July 12th the rates go up, so register today!

The purpose of the Total Church Conference is to train and equip church planters to create a community centered on the gospel, equipped to do the work of the ministry by being the church on mission through ordinary life with gospel intentionality. Registrants will have the opportunity to dialogue with missional church leaders from across the world, and learn from seasoned practitioners how to form missional communities and transition traditional churches toward mission. Main session speakers are Steve Timmis and Tim Chester, authors of The Total Church – A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community, which will be released in the United States in the fall of 2008.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Leah Hardwick at 619.741.8153 or leah@kaleochurch.com.

I'd encourage all church planters to attend one of the most important church planting conferences to come. This one is a must attend for church planters who are thinking about planting missional churches to reach our culture. The Total Church North America Conference 2008

REGISTER EARLY BENEFITS!

1. Registering prior to July 12th and receive a discounted rate.
2. Immersion program.  Lodging for out-of-town registrants will be provided by members of Kaleo Church on a first-come first-served basis as long as we have lodging available.  Space is limited.  This will save on hotel costs for the conference and give visitors an opportunity to see the life of the community at Kaleo.

Be the Church

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.

Why Attend?

- Create a community centered on the gospel, equipped to do the work of the ministry.
- Make your community a community of church planters.
- See what it means to be the church on mission through ordinary life with gospel intentionality.
- Dialog with missional church leaders from across the world.
- Learn from seasoned practitioners how to form missional communities and transition traditional churches toward mission.
- Did we mention its in San Diego?

Dates: August 12-14, 2008

Location: San Diego, CA

Main Sesssion Speakers: Steve Timmis and Tim Chester are the authors of Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community (Crossway). They lead The Crowded House, a family of church planting networks that started in Sheffield, England. They have also started The Porterbrook Network to train people for mission and church planting in the context of ministry.

Break-out Sessions will be led by church planters/practitioners from The Crowded House, Kaleo Church, Soma Community & Providence Community.  Break-out sessions will be added but will include:

• Beyond Total Church – Sowing the Seeds of a Movement
• Moving from Traditional to Missional - “What do I do next?”
• Engaging the Domains of Society - From Business to Media and Beyond
• Communicating in a Post-Christian Culture
• Evangelising the Urban Poor
• New ways of funding a plant & planter in a missional movement.

Stay-tuned as more break-out sessions are added.  There will be several tracks for people being introduced to a missional mindset all the way to those who have formed missional communities to learn from others around the world leading missional movements.

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.

Learn more: Total Church North America Conference 2008

Check out the conversation at Jeremy Pryor's blog regarding how to form Missional Communities and the potential challenges: Five Questions for my “Missional Community” Friends

On June 24th at 4pm EST (1pm PST for locals) join David Fairchild as we are interviewed on Shapevine.   From Shapevine, they requested to "dialog about your leadership models (Priest, king, prophet, etc.) I think you are helping form a new language, and practical way of doing MC's that many people have struggled to find in their practices."  So the topics include:

• Triperspectivalism (Prophet/Priest/King) and how this shapes a local churchs ministry philosophy.
• Our transition from a more traditional church to missional movement.
• Practical Missional Community structure and decentralizing.

If you have questions you'd like us to discuss, post them here.

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 .