Vision Series: Part 1

Joining God’s redemptive movement in the world as missional disciples

Wake Up!

We believe one of God’s primary calls on our community is to join the Spirit in waking up others to Jesus and life in his kingdom (read the story of Lazarus in John 11). There's more for us as we seek God! Jesus wants to turn our anxiety into joy, addictions into freedom, restlessness into contentment, hate into love, etc. Waking up others, in part, is what it means to join God’s redemptive work in the world.

Missional Discipleship

Our vision is to raise up missional disciples, which are people who increasingly abide (remain) in Christ and live missionally in the world. Another way to talk about this is through Jesus’ great commandment and great commission. A missional disciple is someone who is being transformed by God’s love (Mt. 22:36-40) and overflowing with God’s love (Mt. 28:20).

Disciples Who Make Disciples

When we follow Jesus, we will always be invited to give away what we’ve so richly received (Mt. 10:8). As Robert Mulholland puts it, “Spiritual formation is the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.” We are to be disciples of Jesus who make disciples with Jesus.

Movement

When this begins to happen a Jesus movement is birthed! Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed… Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches” (Mt. 13:31-32). The kingdom of God advances at the pace of love. How does love take root? Wesley said, “the kingdom of God will not ‘come with observation;’ but will silently increase, wherever it is set up, and spread heart to heart, from house to house, from town to town, from one kingdom to another.” The gospel spreads whenever love is given away, which happens one friendship at a time. Image the difference this kind of movement would make in STL!

Rhythms of Discipleship

The question then becomes, how do you cultivate a movement of missional disciples?

We believe the church is better understood as rhythms of discipleship. Or you could say rhythms of belonging, since love takes root and grows in relationships. You can read more about Bands, Table Communities, Learning Communities, and Network Gatherings here.

The main point I want to make here is that “Band” and Table Community are the primary means for gathering as the church. We are trying to help start, develop, and multiply these communities throughout STL. We all have a part to play in this, whether you start a community yourself or help welcome others into existing ones. These are discipling communities because they are communities of friendship and family that help us gather with Jesus and one another. So to welcome others into these communities is to help the gospel spread “heart to heart”!

All four rhythms help us pursue the way of Jesus together and grow as missional disciples.