We’ve been using a term around Crossbridge this summer–missional community groups.  Our hope this year for groups at Crossbridge is that they be missional community groups.

Missional community groups (at Crossbridge) function in one of two ways:

1)      Groups with a mission:  These groups have a common cause as their affinity and they work TOGETHER to accomplish that mission.

2)      Groups with missionaries:  These groups have a relational affinity and they hold each other accountable for the individual mission that God has called them to.

This is the way I like to think about.  If we want to be more like Jesus, we have to act like Jesus.  At our Sunday gatherings, we hear the words of Scripture.  The Bible is taught and if we engage in this Sunday morning experience, we leave knowing more about what the Bible says and we know more about how we are supposed to live.

The challenge is that there is often a disconnect in what we know and how we act.  This is where our groups come in.  If Sunday mornings are the place that we learn, missional community groups are the place where we act.  Missional community groups are the place that we talk about what we learn on Sunday morning.  They are the place we learn from each other.  We “practice” living out the words of Jesus and find support from our group.

Missional Community Groups are a place we experience the words of Scripture.

Missional Community Groups are a place we act more like Jesus.

Missional Community Groups a place we can live out the Great Commission.

 It might look something like this:  together your group determines a mission . . . each week you pray for that mission . . . as a group, you plan for your mission . . .each month you take time away from weekly activities to make that mission happen . . . together you accomplish this mission . . . you share your experiences . . . you learn from each other.

It might look something like this:  gather together weekly with your community groups . . . hear stories about how others are living out the great commission . . . ask questions and get ideas . . . ask your group to hold you accountable for “doing” something every week . . . do something each week . . . come back and share what you’ve done with your group . . . learn from each other . . . encourage each other . . . pray for each other . . . hold each other accountable.

 This is what we want to happen at Crossbridge:

• We want to be like Jesus
• We want to be a church full of people living out the GREAT COMMISSION
• As a church, we want to have a greater IMPACT on our COMMUNITY
• We want to take the CHURCH to our CITY
• We want to make living out the WORDS of Jesus more FUN

I am so excited to hear the stories that come out of our community groups this year.  I can’t wait to hear stories of transformed lives . . . of transformed neighborhoods . . . of transformed work places . . . and transformed families.  I look forward to hearing how God has worked through our missional community groups over the next year.  I look forward to seeing the ways God is impacting our city through this church.  I look forward to celebrating together!