At The Bridge Community, we have made it a priority to train our members to live on mission as disciples of Jesus who make more disciples. In fact, we teach that one is not truly a disciple of Jesus if all one does is consume events. Our mantra is that we desire to teach people to believe it, grow it, and send it (with it being the gospel and central to all we do). All of this is for God’s glory to spread and grow in our context!
Why? We see that scripture is filled with language that speaks to the missionary nature of a Triune God. God the Father sends the Son, and God the Father and the Son sends the Spirit, and God the Father and the Son and the Spirit sends the church.
We realize that Jesus sees himself not only as one sent but also as one who is sending: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). We are sent as a missionary people, individually and collectively.
In fact, Acts 17: 26-27 tells us that God has determined the exact place and time where we should live so that men may find Him. Isn't it amazing to think that you/we have been chosen by God to be His representative to our surrounding context? What a privilege! What an incredible responsibility! Every member is a missionary to the people they come into contact with (family, friends, co-workers, etc).
This truly is a tremendous responsibility. Overwhelmed by the thought that if you are saved you are to join God on mission? Not sure where to start? Need help? I thought you might so I have been putting together resources to share. Most of these resources have been collected for free via the GCM Collective. I am going to break these up into individual and community/cell family helps.
Individual Helps
Integrating Mission into your normal routine
How to talk to people: The Gospel is Good news
10 Ways to be Missional
Community Helps (cell, church, community)
Questions to help you understand your neighborhood
Living in a Missional context
Contextual Assessment Starter
Missonal Community (cell,group) Covenant Template (example to be seen as a resource)
I hope that you find these resources helpful. I earnestly pray that you go on mission and make disciples in St. Francois County and our surrounding context! I am encouraged that we have already begun doing this. Collectively GAP is exploding! We now have people on mission working in the FCC, CSC, Aquinas, and the jail. We now have missional cells adopting neighborhoods, the MAC dorms, and beginning free stores for the impoverished. The list goes on and seems to be growing monthly! Keep building relationships and presenting the gospel!
May we continue to creatively and fearlessly take Christ into the broken world that needs Him most (Matthew 28:18-20).
