Category: Church Development

To participate actively and skillfully in mission with Jesus in an increasingly post-Christian world means significant change for most churches. The video below is of a 55 minute seminar at a recent Verge conference. Presenter Mike Breen (along with others from 3DM) offers helpful tips for transitioning your church to being more missional without killing it in the process.

http://youtu.be/nt1CNZUdJ2A

The January issue of Equipper highlights the importance of preaching and offers resources for preachers and teachers.

Also, note that a helpful article discussing why preaching is key to reaching unchurched people is posted at http://www.preaching.com/resources/articles/11662703/.

The CAD Ministry Development Team offers training to facilitators of FaithTalk groups – a type of small group designed to connect with unchurched people. Training and other resources are available at FaithTalk equipper at http://faithtalkgroups.blogspot.com/. Posted below are new facilitator training videos – one about building community (with Pat Shaw) and the other about including children (with Charles Albrecht).

http://youtu.be/MNqwnaF9UEE

http://youtu.be/yy9OrQa19gk

As noted in the January issue of Equipper, February in the U.S. is designated as Black History Month. George Hart, one of GCI’s pastors in the Cincinnati, OH area reports that Black History Month has been an important tool for outreach in his congregation. Here is what they have planned this year:

• Feb. 5: Soul Food Dinner Social with Betty Daniels Rosemond who was a Freedom Rider in Mississippi in the early 60s. Betty was honored along with other Freedom Riders by President Obama last year.
• Feb. 12: Unity Quilt . Members will contribute to a quilt symbolizing how Christ has sewn us together in love.
• Feb. 18: Celebration Dance.
• Feb 19: Performance of the Little Miami Select Women’s Choir. The choir has won state competitions and will participate in the World Choir Games in Cincinnati in July.

 

For a helpful article from Jeff McSwain on the importance and meaning of the incarnation, see http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/decemberweb-only/christmas-epistles.html.

In 2012, the GCI U.S. Ministry Development Team will continue to provide Transformational Church consulting services. To read about those services, click here (see under “consulting services” in the right-hand column). To hear from a GCI pastor and his wife concerning the value of these services, watch the video below. If you would like to arrange for these services in your congregation, phone Church Administration and Development at 800.574.2299.

“Going on short-term mission trips has changed me. I now see my whole life as a mission field. I now see my school as a mission field where I have the opportunity to make the Kingdom visible to my friends and classmates. We all have opportunities like this. The question is this: Do we dare to take them? Short-term mission trips are like a training ground to live the Gospel everywhere in our lives.”

This statement is from a young GCI member who has participated in some of Generations Ministries’ short-term mission trips. GenMin invites you (along with others from your church), to join one of these inspiring short-term mission trips in 2012. GenMin is hosting several trips next year to the following locations: Cincinnati, Ohio (urban mission), Mexico, South Africa and India.

Adults and older teens will greatly benefit from one of these trips. They are physically challenging, yet they yield great spiritual rewards – helping participants to become more fully missional in their outlook and lifestyle. Fundamental to these trips is the understanding that being missional is not about a small compartment of one’s life. Rather, it’s a lifestyle that is expressive of God’s own nature – the God who is a sending God – who, as an expression of his love, sends his Son on mission to the world through the Holy Spirit. A short-term mission trip is an excellent way to “jump in” and begin living “sent” in every aspect of one’s life.

For more information about GenMin short-term mission trips, you may email Anthony Mullins (anthony.mullins@gci.org) or visit individual GenMin short-term mission websites:

• Crossing Borders
• Grace Missions (this website is under construction, please check back)
• Great Commission Trips
• Word in the Street

 

Here are two videos that might be helpful in Christmas-themed Bible studies or youth Sunday school classes:

The Story of Christmas – An Animation from Grace in Cranberry on Vimeo.

If Mary and Joseph Used Facebook on YouTube

The December issue of Equipper is now available online at http://mindev.gci.org/Web%20Documents/Equipper6.12.pdf.

This issue is devoted to helping congregations prepare for the New Year.

GCI in the United States advocates the formation of evangelistic small groups referred to as FaithTalk groups. The CAD Ministry Development Team provides online training and resourcing for these groups (go to http://faithtalkgroups.blogspot.com/). The following report is from Tom Kennebeck, pastor of GCI’s Northland Community Church in Orr, MN. Tom reports on the FaithTalk group recently launched as an outreach of his congregation.

Our faith talk group of three plus myself started after one of the group came to visit our church one Sunday. He was interested in growing deeper with God. We got together after church at our home for a time of caring and sharing. Over the next several weeks we continued to meet at my home for an hour or so in a mentoring relationship. We discussed Luke 15 as well as The Parable of the Dancing God by Baxter Kruger.

Shortly thereafter I met two other young adults about the same age who wanted to connect with a “safe” group. It was interesting to find out how much they all had in common and how they were able to share with one another. Our meetings include general discussion about life challenges in relation to their faith walk. We have been meeting for several weeks and the group members continue to experience personal sharing, growing and caring for one another.

One of the group members attends our church regularly when he doesn’t have to work. The other two have attended on occasion. One comes from a non-Christian background, the other from a stable churched family but has been disconnected for a while and wants to reconnect with God.

I believe and pray that everyone within the group will come to a better understand that in Christ that are beloved children of the Father. I also believe and pray that they will eventually join in fellowship with the local church, and that some of them will play a role in starting other Faith-talk groups.