The Relational Mission

This is Part 3 of the series entitled "Is Both/And Possible?: Click here to see other entries in this series. If you are going to think in terms of BOTH connecting small groups AND missional communities then you need to develop a connecting strategy that fits your church. When you read a book that speaks to a specific connecting strategy, you often find them writing as if their strategy is THE VERY BEST strategy ever found and that it will work in any and every church. Well, we all know that that is simply not the case. I have never found one connecting small group strategy that works in every church. When I work with churches and help them develop a connecting group strategy, I think in terms of options. Then I try to understand the church culture, the culture where the church is located, the history, and the already present systems to help create a connecting strategy that fits the local church. In most cases, what develops is an adaptation of one or two of these approaches: ...

I am writing the material for our Fall Church-wide Campaign, entitled Tru Calling: Praying in a Way that Makes a Difference. This is the eleventh campaign that I have either written or helped develop. At Woodland, we call them Adventures instead of campaigns, but they work the same way. It's hard to argue with the effectiveness of church-wide campaigns. Six-week series of sermons, small group discussion guides, and personal devotional or reflection guide combined with some form of actionable objective help create an effective learning and discipleship environment. And they help get disconnected people connecting in a small group on a short-term basis, proving a low risk, easy-in/easy-out opportunity for people to explore community. An essential ingredient to an effective campaign is finding the material that fits your church's situation. This means you need options. Visit my website to review nine options to consider. And you can download the basic resources for free. Tha...