CLICK HERE to view/print the Missional Conversation Update.

Missional UPDATE posted by gdk on 11/02/2007

Missional: More than a Word “We have this ministry by the mercy of God…” 2 Cor 4.1a Missional church is about being defined by God’s mission. Rather than a program, it is a way of being in the world and the church. It takes the priesthood of believers seriously and there are so many expressions of missional church already being lived out at So Mac. We are in the second year of a three-year partnership for missional church with seven other Churches of Christ. Church Innovations and ACU facilitate the partnership in collaborative learning four times a year with work to do between each cluster meeting. Last weekend some elders, ministers and representatives from our missional steering and engagement teams (MST, MET) participated in a missional cluster at No Davis. We dwelled in 2 Corinthians 4 and its implications for each congregation. We focused on living from a God centered self-definition in the midst of social and congregational anxiety and fears. We also had frank discussion about the process of congregational death and life and spiritual practices for living God’s mission. The following comments are from some of those who participated in the cluster meeting. Becoming more missional Christians is not about choosing tradition or progress, but about strengthening both. Dave Vest Being a "missional church" is hard work, but it's not our work, it's God work in us. The greatest blessings don't come from being in the comfort zone. Terry Penn We feel anxiety as a congregation. Empty pews and our community dynamics compel a God centered identity in‘ prayer and ministry. Grady D. King We have to work with our culture in redefining who we are and what it means to be God’s people.” Mark Gorena As you know we have a missional steering team (MST) led by Dan Killebrew and a missional engagement team (MET) led by Roger Glass. The next step is for the MET to hand off the adaptive challenge to a number of people who will plunge into an experiment focused on ministry to single parents/children in our community and church.

We Are Where We Are posted by gdk on 12/29/2006

As a church, we are where we are! I am referring to our location and ministry in Irving as the South MacArthur Church of Christ. We are traveling in new territory. We are not alone but our assumptions about what it means to be church are challenged. I believe God is inviting us to spiritually discern the cultural change and transform our mission. Simply ramping up programs that have worked in the past will not address the deep cultural changes we are experiencing. We are, without apology a church in transition. God’s people through the ages have always been in transition. God’s life is always being poured into new wineskins. Our Missional Steering Team, led by Dan Killebrew has been working and you will be asked to participate soon. Instead of wringing our hands in worry about the future, know that God has a future for us, continue to follow Jesus in your life and participate in this community of faith. It’s why we are spending nearly a year in Luke. God is at work. Here are some missional questions to ponder when you think about “we are where we are.” · What is God calling us to do? · What is God up to in this community? · What is the useable future in our past? · What part of God’s mission in this community is God calling us to do? God is faithful! grady@southmac.org

A Missional Exercise posted by gdk on 09/22/2006

Are you a missional thinker? What do you believe about the mission of God? Does your belief shape your practice as a follower of Jesus Christ. Read 2 Corinthians 4:1-16 and the case study.* Then process the following questions regarding the case. If possible, use this same method with some friends or a small group. CLICK HERE for Missional Case Study 1. Who are the main characters and what do they represent? 2. Who do you most identify with? 3. What is at stake for each of the characters? 4. What is at stake for the gospel and the mission of God? 5. What would your decision be and why? How does your decision reflect 2 Corinthians 4:1-16 *The case was written by Grady D. King as a component of a Doctor of Ministry project thesis at Abilene Christian University, 2006.

ACU Lectureship 2006 ~ Grady's Class Notes posted by gdk on 09/22/2006

Learning to Discern the Voice of Jesus Together The need, challenge & process of communal discernment CLICK HERE to view/print class notes Monday: Discerning Together: The Need This class explores the need for communal discernment in light of various decision making models— hierarchical, egalitarian and democratic. What is the biblical model? What is the role of leaders? What are the benefits of the church learning to discern together. Tuesday: Discerning Together: The Challenge Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice.” What are the challenges to hearing the voice of Jesus? So many voices call for a private interpretation of Scripture. But what is involved when the church engages Scripture together? Session 3: Discerning Together: The Process Churches want results. Discernment takes time and is counter-cultural. The process of discerning together is more than a quick fix to a church problem. How can it happen? What does it look like? When do you know it’s happening?

Reflections on Being Missional #2 posted by dk on 10/01/2006

Reflections on Being a Missional Church #2 Thoughts on the concept of becoming a missional church appear to be something new and unfamiliar. However, it speaks to the realities of being God's people in changing times. It really isn't unfamiliar territory if we remind ourselves of the basic stories shaping our faith in God. Take Noah, for instance, he never saw a boat before, yet he spent 120 years building one big enough to put his family and every kind of earthly animal inside because God said so. Or, Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his own son Isaac for some unknown reason to serve God's purpose. It will be the thread of these stories woven together that cover us and protect for the journey through transition. Dan Killebrew, Missional Steering Team dkillebrew@fkp.com

A Selective History of South MacArthur posted by gdk on 11/30/2006

The following is chapter one of my project thesis at ACU, May 2006.  It is a selective interpretation of South MacArthur and Irving in light of what it means to be God's people now in a urban and culturally diverse community.  It is primarily descriptive with prescriptive nuances Click Here to View The File

Missional--What's in a Word? posted by gdk on 08/28/2006

“The word missional was coined to express the conviction that North America and Europe are now primary “mission fields” themselves. Missional also expresses that God’s mission is that which shapes and defines all that the church is and does, as opposed to expecting church to be the ultimate self-help group for meeting our own needs and finding fulfillment in our individual lives.” Alan Roxburgh, The Sky is Falling, p.13

Missional Conversation posted by DW on 08/28/2006

Some have asked, “What’s the elder’s plan for the future?” The missional conversation is ‘the plan.’ That is, we are beginning with God -his mission, life and call for the church. It is a process of discernment that takes time. More than a new program, missional is a way of life for the church in sharing God’s life and living the gospel in our community and neighborhoods. It is already happening among us and in the community in so many ways. Click Here for small group leader resources.