Missional Strengths Basics
Central to living out our missional strengths is a commitment to missional-focused, gospel-centered, redemptive care that permeates each aspect of our personal missional design, God-sent assignment, and God-given gifting. These workshops address how each missional strength contributes to your leadership role, missional focus and personal calling to join the work of God in the world.
REDEMPTIVE CARE: MISSIONAL-FOCUSED AND GOSPEL-CENTERED IN THE MIDST OF SPIRITUAL VULNERABILITIES
MSB1: Seminar Description
By joining the work of God in the world, Christian believers are to participate in the mission of God as teams to actively share the good news of the gospel with others in their families, neighborhoods, and communities while urgently encouraging non-believers to address spiritual vulnerabilities. This seminar discusses the nature of missional proclamation in its various forms as part of redemptive care. Specific attention is given to ways in which missional proclamation interacts with the spiritual vulnerabilities in the community. The nature of redemptive care is explored as it is lived out through leadership roles in missional teams, and various missional assignments and callings. Various challenges missional teams face are evaluated in light of the giftedness of believers and the realities of community issues.
ADVOCATORS: EQUITABLE CARE AND INJUSTICE SURVIVORS IN THE MIDST OF JUSTICE VULNERABILITIES
MSB2: Seminar Description
Advocators protect the defenseless in the community by serving the needs of the disadvantaged, advancing religious freedom, providing defense to victims of injustices, and advocating for the rights of individuals and organizations. This seminar explores advocacy in light of the nature of shalom in the midst of endangerment from the scripture with a primary focus on the prophetical books of the Old Testament. Various forms of advocacy are discussed as part of equitable care. Equitable care is then evaluated in terms of the mission of God and our participation in that mission through addressing the justice vulnerabilities that are endemic in society. The nature of equitable care is explored as it is lived out through leadership roles in missional teams, and various missional assignments and callings. Various challenges to equitable care are evaluated in light of the giftedness of believers and the realities of justice issues.
BENEFITERS: THE GREAT STEWARDSHIP, SERVING FAITHFULLY AND OUTWARD GUARDIANSHIP
MSB3: Seminar Description
Benefiters use their giftedness to address the specific needs of individuals, organizations, and communities and to empower them to flourish by serving, planning, managing and/or administering ways to serve them. This seminar explores service in light of the nature of stewardship from the scripture. Various forms of service are discussed as part of guardianship. Guardianship is then evaluated in terms of the mission of God and our participation in that mission through faithful service. The nature of guardianship is explored as it is lived out through leadership roles in missional teams, and various missional assignments and callings. Various challenges to guardianship are evaluated in light of the giftedness of believers and the realities of individual, organizational, and community issues.
CAREGIVERS: COMMUNITY CARE AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN THE MIDST OF SOCIAL VULNERABILITIES
MSB4: Seminar Description
Caregivers respond to the needs of the community by fostering the community and congregation's collective well-being spiritually, physically, emotionally, intellectually, socially, and/or environmentally. This seminar explores caregiving in light of the nature of shalom in the midst of adversity from the scripture with a primary focus on the Old Testament. Various forms of caregiving are discussed as part of community care. Community care is then evaluated in terms of the mission of God and our participation in that mission through addressing the social vulnerabilities that are found in the sociocultural setting. The nature of community care is explored as it is lived out through leadership roles in missional teams, and various missional assignments and callings. Various challenges to community care are evaluated in light of the giftedness of believers and the realities of social issues.
DISCIPLEMAKERS: THE GREAT COMMISSION, MULTIPLYING DISCIPLES AND UPWARD RECONCILIATION
MSB5: Seminar Description
Disciplemakers focus on the expansion of the kingdom of God through spiritual reproduction in the lives of others by grounding fellow believers in the Christian faith. This seminar explores multiplication in light of the nature of the great commission from the scripture. Various dimensions of disciplemaking are discussed as part of the message and sentness of reconciliation. Reconciliation is then evaluated in terms of the mission of God and our participation in that mission through multiplying disciples. The nature of reconciliation is explored as it is lived out through leadership roles in missional teams, and various missional assignments and callings. Various challenges to reconciliation are evaluated in light of the giftedness of believers and the realities of spiritual issues.
ESTABLISHERS: PROGRAMMATIC LEADERSHIP, CONSISTENCY AND ENSURING GOAL ATTAINMENT
MSB6: Seminar Description
Establishers establish missional ministry through organization, supervision and training by equipping believers for involvement in congregational and community service. After exploring the biblical principles that underlie the establisher role, this seminar begins with God's activity in renewing spiritual vitality and forming missional leadership. An overview of the five missional leadership roles, the five great directives and the six care areas is presented as a basis for framing missional training. Models of missional training are evaluated in light of the service approaches, engagement strategies and desired results of missional assignments and the intended audiences, engagement strategies, and desired results of missional callings. Training methods and materials for missional roles, assignments and missional callings in a variety of settings are discussed. A process for designing contextualized training topics to meet the needs of current missional teams is reviewed.
GENERATORS: INTRAPRENEURIAL ENVIRONMENTS, ADAPTABILITY AND CREATING SYSTEMIC PROCESSES
MSB7: Seminar Description
Generators start new approaches or missional efforts by identifying and/or creating places, times, projects, and ventures to influence people, communities, and creation. This seminar opens with a discussion of the apostolic role in the Old Testament, intertestamental period, the New Testament, and the early church. An overview of the dimensions and scope of the mission of God in the world provides the foundation for understanding the dimensions and scope of what is needed to foster personal, social and spiritual transformation in the community. Generators learn how to assess their congregation and community in terms of the five great directives and the six care areas in order to discern sectors where service in the mission of God for the brokenness and transformation of the world is both needed and for which congregational gifting is evident. Participants learn how their catalytic gifting may be used in forming teams and developing venues to launch creative approaches to missional engagement.
INFLUENCERS: CULTURE CARE AND CULTURAL CONSUMERS IN THE MIDST OF VALUE VULNERABILITIES
MSB8: Seminar Description
Influencers demonstrate biblical values to the community by reflecting the image of God within them in order to impact the beliefs of the larger society through creating cultural expressions rich in beauty and goodness. This seminar explores cultural influence in light of missional ethos from the scripture with a primary focus on the New Testament. Various forms of influence are discussed as part of culture care. Culture care is then evaluated in terms of the mission of God and our participation in that mission through addressing the value vulnerabilities that are found in the sociocultural setting. The nature of culture care is explored as it is lived out through leadership roles in missional teams, and various missional assignments and callings. Various challenges to culture care are evaluated in light of the giftedness of believers and the realities of value vulnerabilities.
LEVELERS: THE GREAT REQUIREMENT, LIVING RIGHTEOUSLY AND OUTWARD RECONCILIATION
MSB9: Seminar Description
Levelers act righteously in their relationships with others by supporting righteousness, disclosing unjust actions, pursuing interventions, stimulating advocacy on behalf of victims, and/or encouraging unity in response to injustice. This seminar explores equability in light of the nature of the great requirement from the scripture. Various dimensions of equability are discussed as part of reconciliation. Reconciliation is then evaluated in terms of the mission of God and our participation in that mission through living righteously. The nature of reconciliation is explored as it is lived out through leadership roles in missional teams, and various missional assignments and callings. Various challenges to reconciliation within creation are evaluated in light of the giftedness of believers and the realities of justice issues.
MANIFESTERS: THE GREAT MANDATE, REPRESENTING GOD AND UPWARD GUARDIANSHIP
MSB10: Seminar Description
Manifesters live life as the visible replica of God - representing God here on earth, cultivating the earth and all it produces as a caretaker of the created world on God's behalf through reflecting who God is in speech, actions and creative expressions. This seminar explores representation in light of the image of God within humanity and the creation mandate God has given in the scripture. Various forms of representation are discussed as part of guardianship. Guardianship is then evaluated in terms of the mission of God and our participation in that mission through representing God in the world today. The nature of guardianship is explored as it is lived out through leadership roles in missional teams, and various missional assignments and callings. Various challenges to guardianship are evaluated in light of the giftedness of believers and the realities of community issues.
OVERCOMERS: COMPASSION CARE AND SUFFERING HUMANITY IN THE MIDST OF HEALTH VULNERABILITIES
MSB11: Seminar Description
Overcomers promote wellness in the community by including spiritual well-being as foundational to the development of resilience among those who have suffered spiritual, physical, mental and social loss requiring healing of body, mind and spirit. This seminar explores wellness in light of the nature of restoration in the midst of endangerment from the scripture with a primary focus on suffering humanity. Various forms of wellness are discussed as part of compassion care. Compassion care is then evaluated in terms of the mission of God and our participation in that mission through addressing the health vulnerabilities that are found in the community. The nature of compassion care is explored as it is lived out through leadership roles in missional teams, and various missional assignments and callings. Various challenges to compassion care are evaluated in light of the giftedness of believers and the realities of health issues.
PROCLAIMERS: VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, ACHIEVEMENT AND REACHING STRATEGIC GROUPS
MSB12: Seminar Description
Proclaimers urgently encourage non-believers to accept Christ as Savior and believers to actively share the gospel with others in their families, neighborhoods, and communities. The seminar opens with a discussion of the evangelistic role in the scripture and the early church. An overview of the clergy and laity roles in evangelism from A.D. 33 thru A.D. 313 sets the stage for understanding ways in which missional proclamation relates to the five great directives and the six care areas in the mission of God today. Models of missional evangelism are evaluated in light of the service approaches, engagement strategies and desired results of missional assignments and the intended audiences, engagement strategies, and desired results of missional callings. Evangelistic training methods and materials for missional roles, assignments and missional callings in a variety of settings are discussed. A process for designing contextualized training topics to meet the evangelistic needs of current missional teams is reviewed.
QUESTIONERS: PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT, DISCERNMENT AND CONDUCTING COMPELLING INQUIRY
MSB13: Seminar Description
Questioners improve missional activities by evaluating the societal, cultural, spiritual, organizational and systemic issues in the community and the congregation. After exploring the biblical principles that underline the questioner role, this seminar begins with an overview of developing and conducting missional research and assessing missional culture and practice. Evaluation of missional assignments in terms of the cross-section of Guardianship-Reconciliation and Outward-Upward orientations is discussed. Tools for assessment of missional callings in terms of the cross-section of Shalom-Restoration and Endangerment-Adversity are reviewed. Structures for examining the effectiveness of missional leadership explore the development of missional systems, missional ethics, and missional ethos.
RELATORS: CONGREGATIONAL LEARNING, INVOLVEMENT AND FOSTERING PERSONAL INTERACTION
MSB14: Seminar Description
Relators foster interpersonal relationships and spiritual transformation between believers and non-believers and within believers through a deepening relationship with God and one another. After reviewing the relators role in the Old and New Testaments, this seminar applies Biblical principles to missional practice in the five great directives and the six care areas in the mission of God today. Models of incarnational mission are evaluated in light of the service approaches, engagement strategies and desired results of missional assignments and the intended audiences, engagement strategies, and desired results of missional callings. Relational training methods and materials for missional roles, assignments and missional callings in a variety of settings are discussed. A process for designing contextualized training topics to meet the relational needs of current missional teams is reviewed.
SELF-SACRIFICER: THE GREAT COMMANDMENT, LOVING GOD & NEIGHBORS AND MISSIONAL ETHICS
MSB15: Seminar Description
Self-sacrificers selflessly invest in their personal networks, congregation and community because of their love for God and others through their ability to see everyone as their “neighbor” who needs theirs and God’s help. This seminar explores self-sacrifice in light of the nature of the great commandment from the scripture with a primary emphasis upon missional ethics in the New Testament. Various dimensions of altruism are discussed as part of missional ethics. Missional ethics is then evaluated in terms of the mission of God and our participation in that mission through loving God and neighbor. The nature of missional ethics is explored as it is lived out through leadership roles in missional teams, and various missional assignments and callings. Various challenges to missional ethics within creation are evaluated in light of the giftedness of believers and the realities of missional issues.
UPHOLDERS: CREATION CARE AND IMPACTED ENVIRONMENTS IN THE MIDST OF ECOLOGICAL VULNERABILITIES
MSB16: Seminar Description
Upholders sustain the environments of the community by keeping and cultivating the earth as a caretaker of the creation God has entrusted to us in order to ensure community well-being. This seminar explores environmental sustainability in light of the nature of restoration in the midst of adversity from the scripture with a primary focus on impacted environments. Various forms of sustainability are discussed as part of creation care. Creation care is then evaluated in terms of the mission of God and our participation in that mission through addressing the ecological vulnerabilities that are found in the community setting. The nature of creation care is explored as it is lived out through leadership roles in missional teams, and various missional assignments and callings. Various challenges to creation care are evaluated in light of the giftedness of believers and the realities of ecological issues.