Simple Summer Steps into Mission
by Amy Schenkel
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How do you get everyone in your church involved in mission? Here are simple steps you can take to help your church build relationships with your neighbors.
How do we move mission from the responsibility of an outreach committee or pastor to the “person in the pew”? This is one of the biggest challenges leaders face in helping their congregation become missional and focused on developing relationships with their neighbors in which they can share the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
This change happens when a group of people each take small, simple steps in the same direction. If you’re ready to encourage your congregation to join in this mission, Resonate is here to help you with a practical resource you can use this summer.
Choose Three Simple Things
Your first step is to choose three simple things that people can do in their neighborhoods this summer, one for each month. Examples of possibilities include:
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Resonate is excited to partner with its first official Microchurch Network in the Great Lakes region!
Microchurches are small churches, often without buildings or budgets, that live out the core functions of the church: worship, fellowship, and mission
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Kavod Fellowship started during Covid-19 with a handful of women from the community and church who met weekly for Bible Study. The ministry has grown to over 30 men and women and currently exists as a local mission/outreach ministry of Madison Square Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Kavod’s mission is to gather as small communities throughout Grand Rapids—where the Spirit leads—for fellowship, worship, discipleship, and to meet some of the needs of its members. Kavod has two active locations at Samaritas and the Madison Church Square campus. In addition, a third location on Hall Street met for a season focused on Trauma.
People from all walks of life feel welcomed and valued at Kavod and feel belonging to a uniquely intimate, racially and socio-economically mixed church family.
Every person within the group has God-given gifts for the work of the ministry. They are assigned various roles: teachers, hospitality help, worship leaders, administrators, community resource connectors, drivers, and mentors. The more mature and experienced members equip and mentor younger ones.
Kavod’s leadership team meets monthly to plan and organize for the year, including setting policies, planning retreats, organizing prayer nights, etc. A Kavod market also caters to those needing food items and toiletries. Madison Square Church supports Kavod in a variety of ways, including through providing some financial support, a gathering space, administrative help, and encouragement through its members. Kavod's vision is to multiply as micro churches that reach more people for Jesus in our holistic approach with no barriers. For more information Contact Paula Seales
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Prepare a “Simple Summer Steps into Mission” Guide
The template we’ve prepared for you includes an explanation of what the households of your congregation will be doing, ideas for promoting it in their neighborhood, suggestions for how they can enter that space with a missional posture, and encouragement to share with your congregation what they experienced and where they saw God at work.
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Together we help build God’s church.
Meet the Slacks, our new missionaries to the Middle East.
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Matt, Emily, and Juniper are very excited to be entering a challenging new ministry where the gospel is rarely heard, and Christians are persecuted. We'd love to meet with you this summer to share in detail about our ministry. Contact Matt at mslack@crcna.org
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Fear Not - A Christian Attitude about Spiritual Powers
Have you ever wondered about the existence of demons? Or the power of witchcraft? The Bible tells us that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but ... against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 6).
How have you experienced this struggle in your setting?
Are you part of a church or missions team that hears reports from other parts of the world and wonders?
Timothy Leadership Training recently produced a 2-day course, "Fear Not - a Christian Attitude about Spiritual Powers." The writing team was diverse, with members from Mali, Bolivia, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Zambia, and the US. This interactive-learning course will be offered May 24-25 at Calvin Seminary.
Find out more and register Here Please direct any questions about the course or registration to TLT Program Manager Albert Strydhorst; SMS at 616-401-4341 Deadline to register is May 11.
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