Welcome to the adventure! These waypoints are for those setting out to start or redirect a missional community.

I’ve done several backcountry backpacking trips. Each time I set out, I’m aware that others have gone before me. So I consult the maps, check out previous pathways people have taken, GPS a few waypoints, and try to prepare for what will inevitably go wrong on the journey.

Starting a missional community is a lot like that! You are setting out on a path others have taken. You can consult the resources, pray, plan ahead, and learn from the leading of others, but each step of the journey will have to be taken by you. You are following the Spirit and leaning on the learnings of others who have gone before and that’s where these waypoints come in. They are meant to help you navigate the first few months of forming an MC in a new context.

These waypoints are built on years of prayer, failure, love, and joyful participation in God’s mission. We’ve been planting, pastoring, and coaching missional communities over the last 13 years years and want to use those experiences to help you on your journey of becoming a community formed  by God (formation), together (community), for the sake others (mission) in healthy ways.

MODULES

There are four modules that together form a comprehensive first year as a missional community. Each month of the module will include guides for Studying, Equipping, Eating, and Serving together. We pray as you commit to these things over the year that your love of Jesus grows and a faithful missional community is formed in your context!

The first waypoint, Formed By God, helps take the first steps as an MC by finding our identity in Christ. It includes the study Being Found in Christ, an overview of seeing the Bible as the True Story of the world, and prompts for eating and serving together.

This module is like a waypoint of rest along the pathway of forging an MC. It helps you take time as a community to sit in the Story of God, from Creation to Restoration, seeing the Bible as one unfolding story pointing to Jesus, and finding your place within it.

The next waypoint on our adventure exposes our need to engage this journey Together. We are formed by God together as a community — a family — and we need one another. None of us can journey this pathway alone. Together we can be a display people.

As your MC has engaged these waypoints over almost a year, hopefully you are seeing you are being Formed by God, Together, For the Sake of Others. This final module helps to form your community as sent ones, on God’s mission, for the sake of the city you live in.

VIDEOS + HANDOUTS

TRUE STORY VIDEO

Send this video out for your MC to watch before your first Equipping night in Module One. It’s an overview of seeing the Bible as one story, from Creation to Restoration — the True Story of the world.

FRUIT TO ROOT VIDEO

Send this video out to your MC to watch before your second Equipping night in Module One. We pray it sparks great discussion and helps you see what your hearts are truly rooted in.

BLESS Rhythms VIDEO

Send this video out to your MC to watch before your third Equipping night in Module One. These are rhythms we intentionally live in to bless God, one another, and our neighbors.

FOUR IDOLS / FOUR TRUTHS VIDEO

Send this video out to your MC to watch before your first Equipping night in Module Three. This discusses four main idols which take root in our heart and how we can combat them with four truths (4 G’s) about God.

HOSPITALITY VIDEO

Send this video out to your MC to watch before your first Equipping night in Module Three. This discusses four main idols which take root in our heart and how we can combat them with four truths (4 G’s) about God.

gifts OF THE PEOPLE

Watch this video for your first Equipping Night of Module 4.

gifts grid

Print out a copy of this grid for each member of your MC ahead of time. During your first Equipping Night of Module Four, allow your people some time to go through this, then dialogue together as a community.

SHARED LIFE. SHARED WITNESS.

Watch this video for the Shared Life Shared Witness equipping.

YOUR STORY IN THE TRUE STORY

Watch this video for the Your Story equipping night.