Practises for a missional community

Pete sent me some thought provoking stuff on mission centred community, from Frontier Youth Trust...I think from some teaching from Mike Frost.

Here's an extract with some suggested practises for a mission centred community...

Post a comment if you have reflections on this.

(ps Colchester Boiler Room Community is not committed to these practises....yet?!)


"Once they’d started to be part of a community and had been around for a while they brought in some missional rhythms:

• Bless three people every week (one member of the faith community, one non-Christian who was a part of the community, one other who is either). Blessing could be practical (financial or serving) or through affirmation (most common). Idea comes out of the idea of secret acts of kindness – if you’re found out, it doesn’t count. Christians will often ‘bless’ back. People who aren’t Christians find it really difficult and can be threatened by it.

• Eat with three people a week with whom you don’t live (one member of the faith community, one non-Christian in the community and one either). When people eat together they talk – also eating is a real equalizer.

• Spend one significant time each week listening to the Spirit of God. This is essential in terms of the other stuff you are doing. Prayer becomes really important in engaging missionally.

• At least one significant period of the week learning the person of Jesus through reading the gospels, books about Jesus, films etc. Importance of soaking yourself in the person of Jesus. We want to inspire people to become like Jesus. Lots of people coming to Bible College don’t hardly know anything about Jesus at all apart from a few facts. If we want to become more like Jesus we need to immerse ourselves in him. Area of mission activating discipleship is awakened here – we don’t have to look like Jesus in church but if we are involved in Christ-centred mission we can’t afford not to.
  

• Journal all the ways in which you have been sent into the world during the week.

What values do these practices release? – generous, hospitable, spirit led, Christ-like and Christ-centred, missionaries. Need to focus on practices rather than values, because engaging in practices will release the values."