Well over four years ago I began meeting together with other adults from St. Francois County in my home. We would meet for the purposes of developing community and spiritual growth. We shared stories, ate together, and dug into God's word together. I have been a part of four small groups of people (we call them cells) during this time period, with three of them being a part of
The Bridge Community Church.These small groups of people (cells) have been instrumental in my life. I have grown closer to Christ and have been moved to gospel maturity much quicker in these small communities, than I ever would have been just sitting in a pew. However, looking back they were missing something. I couldn't put my finger on it until I listened to Matt Carter from Austin Stone speak last year.
I realized that these groups were missing
gospel intention. We had always aimed at deep community, but we lacked a focus on common mission and the eventual out-workings of the gospel. Because of this lack of living with gospel intentionality and common mission, our sense of deep community often dwindled over time.
This year my cell selected a common mission. We did this through prayer and cultural engagement.
We looked at the specific rhythms of our county with the purpose of finding where the gospel needed to take root and grow. We asked God to open up our eyes to see how we could be missionaries for Him in our own back yard. We settled on a com
mon people group to whom we have been sent together to in order to make disciples. This group of people for my missional cell are the students living in the dorms at Mineral Area College. We are now working to radically reorient the rhythms of our own lives around loving and reaching these people. This is moving us away from simply focusing on a weekly meeting, and towards living a life together on mission.
We currently are 13 adults who share life and truth, love God and one another, and engage the social and spiritual needs of our county.
Together we --- Share life and truth. We are more than a meeting; we are a community that shares life throughout the week: meals, trials, vacation, mission, etc. We are imperfect but are united by the perfecting truth of the gospel of grace.
Pray for one another and St. Francois CountyWe pray regularly for one another, our neighbors, and our county because we know that it is ultimately God who renews the county.
Engage peoples and cultures. Our missional cell engages the cultures of the students at the MAC dorms with genuine interest, love, and the hope of redemption.
Love one another. We are bound together by mutual love and encouragement. We’re a family.
Why do we do this?
Gospel principles that guide missional cell. We are all broken.
We are all more broken than we want to admit, and God is more holy than we comprehend.
We all need Jesus.
In Jesus we are more forgiven and accepted than we can imagine, and God is more delighted in us than we understand.
We all need one another.
We need each other to share our struggles and joys in following Jesus.
Our county needs the Gospel.
The gospel of Christ changes and renews the peoples and cultures of the county.
Interested in finding out about other missional cells at The Bridge Community Church? Contact Stan Jackson today.
