mDNA - smaller congregations and missional teams
We are exploring the mDNA component -disciple-making or discipleship from Alan Hirsch’s forthcoming book and how it applies to Northern Community. The other posts in the mDNA series are here
small congregations
One of the strategies for discipleship at Northern has been deliberately planting congregations that are small in number. We are still focused on growing the number of people that are connected to Northern but we do so by planting new congregations. Most of our newer styled congregations (although not all) are geared towards an average size of a dozen or so people.
There are some key advantages with smaller numbers at a congregation in terms of discipleship. The smaller size of the congregation means that many of the benefits that are normally associated with small groups can be achieved at the actual congregation event rather than requiring another discipleship time. This means that the time that is normally designated for another church activity can be set aside for a missional activity. In addition, the smaller size can make ownership, interaction and accountability much more achievable at the congregation event. In larger worship events there can be a tendency for worship to become a performance and for the person who attends simply a spectator.
emphasis on missional teams
Learning while we are in the midst of action can not be underestimated. Athletes know that the best practice is to simulate match conditions yet there is no substitute for the game itself. Soldiers are trained exhaustively yet again there is no substitute for battle-ground experiences. Likewise, involvement in missional activity will be invaluable as a discipleship experience. As a Christian movement we need to regain a sense of risk and experimentation. Too often there seems to be a tendency to want to keep training, educating and preparing for mission, which often results in no missional action occurring. Learning on the job or action/reflection model of learning needs to be embraced.
Northern’s emphasis on forming missional teams has been an invaluable way to encourage people to see missional action as an integral part of their faith rather than an added extra. This in turn has been significant for discipleship. People grow in their faith when they are exposed to opportunities of service and mission which allow them to become more like Jesus. Becoming more like Jesus is more than just words, and belief structures but it also about action. I know that acts of service is nothing new. Churches throughout history have been involved in this endeavour. However, a more holistic approach is needed to see these acts of service as a crucial element of spiritual formation.
February 14th, 2006 at 4:35 am
Thank you Phil - you have expressed some things I have been trying to work through in my own mind - the tension between the desire for a small group, but also the need to be outward focussed, and inclusive of others who are not yet in relationship with God. Janet
February 14th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
Can you give an example of how missional teams operate in Melbourne?
Do people walk around the city handing out tracts? Street preaching? Or do they ride bicyles with a lot of quotes from the bible pasted all over them?
Or maybe this is all “old school”. Are missional teams into guerilla marketing techniques these days?
February 14th, 2006 at 1:20 pm
No, we do really old school, becoming part of peoples lives to the extent they see Jesus in us. We talk about our faith as it comes up naturally, as we love our neighbors, and our neighborhood. We worship in ways that are designed not to be emotionally driven, or manipulative. We talk about Jesus as we try and follow Him. We see Him as the focus of our faith.
the rev
February 14th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
For us at Northern missional teams have their expressions in a variety of different ways. Each team is directed to some missional activity. But apart from that there really aren’t a lot of rules. It might be an event based thing (like the missional team that did our community christmas lunch) or it might be something that we are trying to shape into a congregation at some later time (our missional team in South Morang - a housing development north of us).
But we the expression is unlimited. We have a missional team which does free english conversation classes, we have another which is seeking to create connections and community with people who play Magic cards.
All of them are about creating pockets of the kingdom, but many of them don’t have an overt primary evangelistic expression - so there is no handing out of tracts etc.