Week 3
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Welcome to Week 3. This week you will study the strategies for growing a missional church. A missionary would certainly fail if he or she was to go to another country and never learn the language, customs, culture, and context of the ministry. Yet, pastors and leaders fail to adapt their methods to the ministry context of their own target demographic. We can learn from Apostle Paul’s example. Effective strategies for growing a missional church begin with understanding the culture and its implications on evangelism and growth, identifying the emerging culture, and developing and applying a sound mission/incarnational model and evangelistic methods.
To prepare for this week’s learning, read/watch the items below:
• Read Chapters 9, 10, & 15 in your textbook.
• Read Alan Hirsch’s article: Defining Missional (Sign up for Christianity Today for free access to the article)
• Watch the video by Alan Hirsch: Why Evangelism Cannot be our Focus
WK3 Devotional
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscriiption: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[a] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[b]
29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Acts 17:16-34
After reading this passage, note the effort the Apostle Paul went to in understanding the culture and context of each city in which he ministered. While some communities were more receptive than others, Paul made every attempt to observe culture, contextualize his message and preach the truth of Jesus Christ.
Note his missional intent by first being provoked in his spirit. It is from his spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit in him he was sent to do what he was called to do. Next, note his missional bridging strategy of talking about the meaning of things daily with anyone all the way to having the opportunity to address the whole city in a public forum. Was this Paul’s plan from the beginning or an accident? Maybe Paul was a missional strategist.
How often has a church been planted or a ministry carried out with no real strategic plan for outreach and evangelism? Do you believe ministry happens by accident and you are naively waiting on God to do something first? While we should not plan without prayer, remember He has given you a brain and an ability to use it. Abraham lifted the knife to sacrifice Isaac and then a Ram appeared, Moses struck the rock and then water flowed. Use what you have, strategize, and move on it. How have you seen this pattern in your life? God moves when you move in faith!
WK3 Growing a Missional Church Discussion
Objective 1: Summarize proven strategies for growing a missional church.
David Barrett, missionary and strategist, was founder-editor of the World Christian Encyclopedia and the World Christian Database. He predicted in the mid-80s, of a shift in missions: the countries American missionaries went to, would themselves become the dominant missionary-sending countries with a primary focus on North America. This prediction came true and has influenced world missions today. Yet we as Americans have not seriously considered our ministry as missionary work to the “melting pot of the nations.” We will discuss why it is important to understand culture in growing a missional church.
It is important to learn cultural factors in growing a missional church. This forum speaks to that issue.
• Read Chapter 9, 10 and 15 of your textbook by Stetzer (2006).
• In an initial post, answer this question: “What factors in understanding your ministry culture are important for growing a missional church and why are they important?” Refer to Stetzer, biblical precedence, and your experience as you do so.
WK3 Missional – Incarnation Model Response
Instructions
Objective 2: Develop a missional/incarnational model for engaging the emerging culture.
Many in the church today are trying to raise awareness that Americans are not all the same. This country may be as divided and different as it ever has been. Surprising, the difference is not necessarily in one’s language, food, or dress, but more importantly in how one thinks and arrives at truth. The problem is, many Christians believe everyone thinks and believes just like they do, or at least they should. It’s time the church takes emerging culture seriously, learns to contextualize the Gospel (not compromise), and develops a model and culture for Missional/Incarnation ministry.
Understanding our ministry philosophy shapes our methodology and practice. Chapter 10 of your Stetzer textbook provides research as well spiritually proven tenets for a “Culturally Relevant Ministry in a Postmodern World” (p.133). Develop your own Missional/Incarnational Model for ministry, integrating class content.
• Review Chapter 9 and 10 of your textbook.
• Write a 2-page response using Stetzer’s material on pp. 135-143. Define as well as state the importance of each key model value:
o Being unashamedly spiritual
o Promoting incarnational ministry
o Engaging in service
o Valuing experiential praise
o Preaching narrative expository messages
o Appreciating and participating in ancient patterns
o Visualizing worship
o Connecting with technology
o Living community
o Leading by transparency and team
All written assignments should be formatted using APA.
WK3 Evangelistic Methods Paper
Instructions
Objective 3: Explain the importance of sound evangelistic methods.
How will they believe if no one goes and tells them the good news? How can they hear if no one speaks into their language and life? How will they preach if they are not sent? How beautiful it is for those who share the good news (Romans 10:15). There is much we can learn from Scripture on how to practice effective evangelism methods. Examine the importance of sound evangelistic methods for your ministry.
Develop sound evangelistic methods by writing a paper you can use in your ministry.
• Review Chapter 15 of your textbook by Stetzer (2006).
• Follow this link and view the video by Hirsch (2016) Why Evangelism Cannot Be Our Focus: http://churchplants.com/articles/3685-alan-hirsch-why-evangelism-cannot-be-our-focus.html
• Write a 2-3 page as follows:
o Develop an introductory paragraph on why evangelism should not be the focus and develop your own proposition on what should be the focus.
o Complete a paragraph for each of the following arguing their importance for establishing sound evangelistic methods (p.191):
Understand the issues in the worldview
Address those issues (misperceptions or rejections) with redemptive witnessing opportunities based on where the listener is.
Encourage the listener to consider the truth claims of Christ.
Invite the listener to journey with the faith community as they live out the truth claims (invite “conversion to community”).
Invite the listener to make a faith commitment (invite “conversion to Christ”).
Provide at least two sources. Citations to the dictionary should be provided on top of the required two sources. The Bible does not have to be listed in the References page, but does have to be cited in-text.
All written assignments should be formatted using APA.